“I think you would be surprised at how utterly unexciting my life really is, not counting now,” I finally said, wanting to tell her all these thoughts and yet at the same time scared to even think them.
“Is that why you came here?” she asked, her voice gentle and encouraging. There was something akin to understanding in her eyes and I cleared my throat.
“Picture time!”
I looked up to find one of the hotel staff standing next to our table, intruding with a camera in his hand. Giving April a shrug, I put on the smile I was so used to donning for the media, then leaned over the table. I grabbed the underside of April’s chair and dragged it, and her, closer. She eked out a small squeal and I casually draped my arm over her shoulders, so that we were both in the frame at least.
The camera man shook his head, motioning for us to get even closer. “Kissy picture!”
“Oh no, no,” April said, shaking her head vehemently as I debated on whether or not I wanted to kiss her. No, let me take that back. I wanted to fucking kiss her, I just didn’t know if I wanted to kiss her with this guy gawking at us.
“Kissy picture,” the man said once more, insistent this time. He certainly wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
I turned in my chair to face her. She gave me a timid cautious glance, her head tilting down, eyelids batting away like crazy. With my arm on her shoulders, I let my hand cup the back of her neck then tipped her chin up with a finger so she had nowhere else to look but right at me.
I was going to make this one count, even if there was a fly-like wannabe paparazzi man buzzing around us. But as soon as our eyes connected, the restaurant, the annoying gnat, and even the other guests melted away. All I could see was her and the golden flecks in her longing eyes.
As my fingers traced up her jawline, our lips met for the first time. Her plump little mouth was apprehensive at first but thank god she didn’t try to fight me as I was just getting started. Once that connection had been made, I knew I wasn’t going to be satisfied with a peck. I parted my mouth, leading the way for her, then slowly slipped my tongue inside her sensual mouth. An involuntary moan escaped from her and I pulled her closer, my grip on her neck more demanding as I explored and teased and stole her breath away.
The sound of her moaning again sent a bolt of pure lust down to my cock, making the front of my pants tent up. Fuck, I hadn’t even needed to kiss her to get that reaction from me. Touching her was enough; I’d been hard as soon as I’d wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Her hands collided with my chest and I broke the kiss. Confusion and a flare of heat mixed like a Molotov cocktail within her eyes. She was enjoying this just as much as me. “Go with it,” I whispered to her, repeating my earlier words and daring to take her mouth again for my own, hoping that the staff member from earlier had the good sense to leave. Her hands tightened on my shirt as she tilted her head and met my lips again.
12
APRIL
The first initial contact of his lips on mine was unexpected, demanding and mind-blowing. How all that could be felt from mere flesh touching was astounding. There was a gentle brush at first, barely enough contact to even count as a kiss, but I felt it all the way to the tips of my toes. His arm around me felt too good; that sizzling heat I’d felt the first time he’d touched me on my arm a few days ago multiplied exponentially.
Immediately all kinds of warning bells went off in my head, those that I hadn’t heard in quite some time. I tried to ignore them. Connor kissing me felt way too good to stop and I wanted more. I needed more.
I clenched my hands at his shirt to keep from touching him all over, or throwing myself at him in the full view of the restaurant as he brushed his lips over mine a second time before pulling apart. He merely gave me a knowing look, a confident grin on his handsome face that gave no indication that he was rattled by our tender kiss or the touch of his skin on mine. No, he looked cool as a cucumber while I was torn up inside!
“Great picture!” the camera man exclaimed as he moved on to the next table, our moment already forgotten. Connor released me and I sank back into my seat, dazed at what had just happened. I quickly moved my chair back to its original position, away from him, and tried to get my breathing back under control. No, no. I couldn’t be attracted to him like this! But the sizzling fire inside me as well as my pounding pulse told me otherwise. I could not fall for the man sitting across from me. He was all wrong. He was not what I was looking for in a soulmate!
“Sorry about that,” he said as he sat back into his seat, his eyes coolly assessing me. “Had to make it look good and convincing. I hope you understand, can’t be getting us kicked out if they found that we aren’t, you know…”
“Of course,” I forced out, giving him a tight smile. This was all wrong. This was not what I had in mind when I’d boarded that plane late last night. Now I was playing with fire, dangerous, soul-wrenching fire that might just burn me to a cinder for a second time. I couldn’t let this man get to me. I had to stay away from him and his ways. Otherwise, I didn’t know what would become of me.
CONNOR
I woke up in a foul mood on the sofa-bed, my dreams torturous and full of the petite wedding planner who’d rattled my world with one incredible kiss. What had I been thinking by pulling a stunt like that? After the kiss, we’d eaten in damn near silence, April literally running back to our hut the moment she was finished and effectively shutting down anything else between us for the rest of the evening. It’d been my own damn fault, but I certainly didn’t regret it one iota. I probably should apologize to her again, smooth the waves for the way I acted, make it clear to her that it was all for show, but it would’ve been a lie. And there was one thing for certain, I did not want to lie to her anymore. But the fact I’d gotten her here under false pretenses was also plaguing my mood; she couldn’t know the whole truth. If she were to ever find out, there would be no chance of ever being able to kiss her like that again.
Throwing off the covers, I climbed off the sofa and stood, stretching the kinks out of my back before pulling on the running shorts I’d set out the night before. Just because I was on my ‘honeymoon’ didn’t mean I was going to forgo working out. It was the best way for me to clear my head and boy did I need it, though it would probably take more than a run to release all the torturous thoughts I was having. Where was a three-hundred pound defensive tackle when you needed one, eh? A hit from the likes of my fellow teammate Chase would’ve probably knocked some sense into me.
I stepped out of the hut and closed the door softly behind me, not wanting to wake up April at this hour. The sun was starting to creep over the horizon as I started down the beach, clocking my time with my watch.
When I’d first cooked up the idea to actually get her to the island so I could make headway on the stupid bet, I hadn’t anticipated that April might not be the type of woman to have such a profound effect upon me. I thought—okay, I more than thought—that she’d be up for some mindless casual sex, but instead something more earnest was taking place. She was turning out to be a delight, and no matter how many sprints I did up and down the beach I still couldn’t get her out of my head, and I was a little concerned about surviving this trip with my heart left intact. I shook my head, sweat scattering and flying off my brow. It was an infatuation. You can’t have her, so you fucking want her. That’s all.
I dug my feet into the sand and started off again but caught myself looking back at the hut every so often, hoping to catch a glimpse of her rising and coming out onto the deck.
I wanted to learn more about her, find out what made her tick and what made her have that small ounce of sadness that was ever-present and lingered around her eyes. She tried to hide it, but after our kiss it’d wasn’t hard to miss. She might not have thought I’d seen it, but I did. As a quarterback, I noticed even the minutest of details. It was built in my damn DNA. So what was her story? Had someone hurt her? And if not that, would I be able to find out what it was? Regardl
ess, I knew I needed to kiss her again, and more. Last night may have started as a cover, a stunt to keep the hotel staff happy, but my mind was already thinking to the next one and the next one.
What bathing suit was she going to put on today? We had a snorkeling lesson scheduled for some time this morning, and I was looking forward to spending more time with her, and though I knew it made me sound like a creep, I knew I wasn’t going to be looking at any damn fish while she was in the water. My eyes would be glued to her body. Well, it would be if the lesson was to go ahead and she was actually still talking to me after last night.
I reached the far end of the beach again and turned around, starting back the other way at a steadier pace. I was going to have to figure out a happy medium between the two of us if I wanted to survive these two weeks. The fucking scary thing was that I didn’t know if I could keep my damn hands off her the rest of the time. Getting my hands on April Matthews again was definitely priority number one, I just had to figure out how.
13
APRIL
I laid there after Connor left the hut, staring up at the ceiling as I thought about my horrendous night. My dreams had been full of him, the way he grinned and the way he had kissed me. I couldn’t believe how hung up I was on one little kiss, the barely brushing of lips, but my body had raged like he had ravaged my mouth. I could just pretend that it hadn’t bothered me in the slightest, that I knew why he was doing it, but those feelings I had experienced, well, I couldn’t ignore them.
It was wrong, all wrong and I should pack my bags and get the hell out of here while I still could, I thought.
With a sigh, I turned over and watched the sun come up over the horizon, the perfect beauty of this place calming my nerves. I was a big girl, Connor was a big boy—in more ways than one, I thought with mischievous grin—but we were both adults and we could survive another thirteen days. I had to find some common ground with him. Despite the difficulty I had with him back in the States, I really did enjoy the dinner last night, up until he decided to make a show and kiss me like he treasured the hell out of me.
This Connor was totally different than what I’d expected him to be like, totally different than the man who showed off back in the States, the playboy who couldn’t keep a relationship to save his life. So what was I going to do?
My finger traced lazy circles over my stomach as I thought of Connor. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but there was no way in hell I was brave enough for that; I’d have to settle for something else. My legs parted and I found my hand reaching eagerly down and under my panties. I closed my eyes and imagined it was him down there, Connor slipping his fingers between my folds, my pussy welcoming him willingly. I pushed two fingers into my channel; trying to make myself believe they were Connor’s cock thrusting within me, but my short fingers had nothing on the length and girth that I’d witnessed at the start of this trip. He would be able to fill me in a way I knew I’d never experienced before…
I cried out Connor’s name as I played with my clit, my toes curling and my muscles tensing, wanting the release so bad, wanting it to be him doing this to me. I gasped as the firework-like blast erupted from between my thighs, and I moaned hard into the pillow and withdrew my hand, slick with my pleasure.
A creak upon the deck outside, on the balcony only yards away from my bed had me frozen in an instant. With my lips clamped shut, I held my breath, straining to listen over my panicked heartbeat. If there was someone out there, if it was Connor, I would be mortified. God, if he’d heard me I’d never be able to look at him again for the rest of the trip!
I waited for the longest time, but there were no other sounds, no footsteps to be heard. Just the gentle lapping and constant whoosh of the waves beneath the hut.
The boat slowed down to a calmer section of the water as I held onto the railing for dear life. It was another gorgeous day in paradise and we were nearing our location for snorkeling, but the journey had been a little choppy. Our own personal captain had driven the boat like a maniac, as if he were some old war vet fleeing from the enemy, and I was glad I had taken some motion sickness medicine or I would’ve been hurling over the side.
Next to me, Connor lounged on the seat, his long, muscular legs stretched out before him. When I’d finally gotten up the nerve to exit the bedroom, waiting for god knows how long to make sure there’d been no one listening, he surprised me a second later and burst through the front door of the hut with sweat plastered on his body. Thank god he hadn’t heard me.
I’d relinquished the bathroom to him, spending my time eating a little of the breakfast I’d ordered for us both while I waited for him to finish. I wasn’t too sure how I felt about spending more time with him, especially since we’d be together for the majority of the day, snorkeling first, then a picnic lunch on a strip of sand on a nearby island. The whole event was meant for couples, and was supposed to be very romantic. I groaned as I looked at the little itinerary brochure; happy smiling newlyweds were photographed having the time of their lives. It made me extremely nervous to think that I was going to share these moments with him, though I didn’t expect him to start swirling me around on the beach like the male model was doing in the pictures.
With the last of my coffee finished, I pondered which Connor would turn up today. The arrogant jock who’d make smart remarks, or the man from last night, who’d been for the most part relaxed and at ease and actually fun to hang around with…though that Connor made me nervous as well. I could handle the arrogant one without even thinking. I could give as good as I got with off the cuff remarks…but the sweet, kind, and incredibly masterful kisser Connor, well, that was a whole different ball game and I was a bloody rookie.
The boat’s engines cut out and the captain gave us a smile, and after handing over our equipment he pointed to the water. “Go, enjoy.”
“Do you think they are only taught two or three words at a time?” Connor whispered as he stood and stretched before pulling off his t-shirt, revealing that magnificent chest. I sighed inwardly at the sight. He truly was a beautiful man. No wonder Crystal was so upset about him leaving her. I would be too if he was no longer in my bed every night.
“Maybe they have a book of words,” I remarked, drawing a grin out of him as I stepped out of my shorts. I’d decided to go with a one-piece halter swimsuit, cut-outs decorating the middle of the suit and exposing my skin. I’d probably have some funky tan lines come the morning, but I wasn’t going to risk doing any kind of strenuous activity in a bikini; that would be a disaster waiting to happen. Though, I’d almost convinced myself to wear one, imagining all the ways I could engineer my top to accidentally fall off, allowing Connor to get another eye full. But I thought better of it; I didn’t want to be that type of floozy.
“Well, are you ready?” Connor asked as he looked over at me, his snorkeling gear in his hands. I nodded and grabbed mine, and I held back, allowing him to step down onto the ladder that was on the side of the boat first. He eased into the water and pulled his mask over his head before grinning up at me. “Come on, what are you waiting for? The water is perfect. I’m not going to bite.”
I slid my mask on the top of my head and stepped down onto the ladder, thinking that I should’ve gone first. Why hadn’t I thought about it sooner? He would have an unobstructed, and on this bright dazzling day, clear view of my generous ass coming down towards him. In my haste to get down so quickly and get my butt in the water as fast as I could, my bare foot slipped and I pitched forward toward the water, cringing, as I knew I was about to face-plant ungracefully into the sea.
Strong hands grabbed my waist and hauled me out of the air, the lower half of my body easing into the water and then colliding with the hard body that was Connor.
“Easy now,” he murmured, shockwaves of his voice assaulting my ear. His arms wrapped around my waist and held me against him. I found it difficult to breathe, the wind most definitely knocked out of me as I looked up at him, taking in the brilliant green of his e
yes, the scruff of dark brown stubble decorating his lower jaw. His head lowered towards mine as if he were going to kiss me, and I knew I had to either let him or…
His lips caught mine and for a brief second I allowed myself to taste him. The salty tang of his bottom lip brushed against mine. But I couldn’t let myself get involved, not with this type of guy, not again. I fumbled out of his grasp, immediately going under the warm water before kicking back to the surface, spluttering as I pushed the water out of my eyes.
“Oh, come on!” I heard him say, his voice tinged with laughter. I groaned inwardly, wishing I could just go back into the boat and hide.
This day wasn’t starting off well at all.
14
CONNOR
I watched as April stuck her masked face back into the water, her hair floating around her like a cloud. For an hour we’d been snorkeling; diving beneath the warm waves and spying the wildlife below, and I had to admit that I was enjoying myself. The darting fish were like the ones you saw in aquariums; bright and luminescent, the coral just as beautiful, but there was one pearl of the sea I wanted to get my hands on again.
April’s face popped out of the water and I grinned at her. “See anything else?” She’d calmed down after my impromptu kiss and started talking to me again about ten minutes later.
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