by J. K. Coi
She nodded again. She supposed that made sense.
Ben fit his snorkel back into his mouth, so Liz did the same. She felt as if she’d forgotten everything she’d learned about breathing with the snorkel, and had to focus on pushing oxygen out by way of her mouth and pulling it back in the same way.
Ben gave her a thumbs-up and squeezed her hand. He maintained eye contact and physical contact with her until they submerged, and then he let go and urged her forward.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
The shark had disappeared once more, but this time she didn’t look for it, because she knew she’d only start to panic if she saw it again. Instead, she kept the boat in her sights. Kicking her feet and pulling her arms forward and back, she started to close the distance.
Her muscles burned, and her head ached. Her limited swimming ability was being sorely tested after being in the water for so long. She couldn’t decide if she would have gotten tired faster if they’d been on the surface doing the front crawl, or whether it was worse to swim this way—so much slower—knowing that the shark could rush them at any second.
About two hundred feet left.
The shark was back.
She jerked and reared back as it swam in front of her from the left. Ben put his hands on her waist and kept her from flailing. He squeezed, reminding her to hold it together.
It swam in front of them again before circling around. There was no doubt it was curious, but she had to admit, it didn’t look rabid with hunger.
It had a wide strip of dark gray covering the top of it, but a white underbelly. To her it looked like Jaws, maybe not as big. Still, it was big enough that it was at least as long as she was tall, with cold black eyes that looked too huge for its head, a broad rounded snout, and those fins that scared her almost as much as the teeth she glimpsed in its partly opened mouth.
Ben took her hand again, pulling her with him now as he kept up a steady pace toward the boat. Shaking off bloody images of her dead body being ripped apart by jagged rows of knife-sharp teeth, she tugged her hand free and swam on her own. He stayed right beside her the whole time, and she kept her eyes on their destination.
Almost there.
Almost there.
She repeated it in her head, and then she was there, reaching for the ladder and pulling herself up and out of the water as fast as she could with flippers on her feet.
She tumbled over the edge of the boat and collapsed on the bench seat. She quickly shoved the mask and snorkel off her face before spinning back around to make sure Ben—
He was right there, mask already pushed up on top of his head, flippers on the top rung of the ladder. Thank God.
With a hand pressed to her chest, she gazed into the water as Ben sat down beside her. The shark had followed them right up to the hull of the boat.
As she watched, it turned away, making a wide circle around the area she and Ben had been swimming in. As if it didn’t have a care in the world, it slowly zigzagged back and forth a little bit before heading out toward the shallows of the reef, where it disappeared once and for all.
“Wow.” She glanced up at Ben. “That was…” She shook her head, speechless. Unsure how to explain what she was feeling. Now that she was safely in the boat and it was all sinking in…
Ben reached up and wiped the wet hair off her forehead, his fingers leaving tingles across her skin. He frowned. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you out here. I thought—”
“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done.” Yes, it had also been one of the craziest, scariest moments of her life…but she wouldn’t take it back now for anything.
“The sharks here are rarely aggressive, but I still should have warned you.”
“Maybe,” she admitted with a grin. “But if you had, I probably wouldn’t have come. And then I wouldn’t have this unbelievable memory to take back home with me.”
He suddenly smiled. “Then I’m glad I could help you build some new memories today.”
Her head was still spinning, her blood still pumping. She didn’t want the feeling to end. The vibe between them flipped just like that, her fingers twitching to reach out for the strong, gorgeous man in front of her.
Taking a deep breath, she got up on her knees and threw her leg over his lap. She knew he was the one who could keep those feelings alive and give her new, more intense sensations. She wanted that more than anything.
Battling a surge of shyness, she wet her lips. “I don’t think I’m done building new memories,” she whispered. “Not just yet.”
She placed her palms on the rise of his hard pecs, her heart skipping when his muscles jumped beneath her touch. She curled her fingernails into his bare skin, still wet, but warm from the sun. Water droplets tracked down his torso to the waistband of his swim trunks, and she smiled.
His arms came around her. Water pooled on the cushion under her knees, but the breeze had picked up and dried their skin quickly—probably turning her curly hair into a damp, frizzy halo. But she wasn’t cold, not even though she had shivers. Far from it.
“Beth.” His voice was little more than a groan.
His gaze dropped to her mouth.
“Ben.” Her voice was hoarse, the word burning all the way up her throat as much as his touch on her waist burned all the way to the core of her.
He watched her, his gaze suddenly smoking with intensity. Slowly, he pushed his fingers into her hair and tugged her closer until her chest pressed against his.
He kissed her, tentatively and gentle. But her heart pounded too hard for gentle, the adrenaline raced too fast in her veins for gentle. She kissed him back with her whole body. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her thighs tightening over his hips. She gasped his name as his mouth traveled down the column of her throat, leaving a trail of heat more penetrating than the sun’s bright rays.
When he pulled back she held her breath, waiting for what would come next. But he hesitated.
“Look at me,” he said.
She snapped her eyes open, not even realizing she’d clenched them shut.
…
She tasted like strawberries and sunshine, and he was going crazy with wanting her.
He’d been on the edge of sanity all afternoon, and now she was throwing him over it. It didn’t help that she’d climbed right onto his lap, her arms and thighs tight around him, hair falling around her shoulders in a halo, teasing the sides of his face as he kissed her. Her scent soaked into him, cocooning him in her sweetness and warmth, infusing his very soul with it.
He tightened the reins on his need and drew a finger down her cheek. “Are you sure? Maybe we should talk before this goes too far.”
She bit her lip and her smile wobbled. He could shoot himself for killing the mood, but as much as he wanted her kisses and her body, he wanted something else even more. Something more than just an island fling.
He rejected the thought as quickly as it formed in his mind because… Hell no. He’d already gone down that road once before and been burned. And that was fine; he was over it. But not since he was a kid had anyone ever been given the opportunity to reject Ben Harrison more than once, for any reason.
She shook her head. “I’m not interested in talking,” she said with a sigh of disappointment. “It’s been such a wonderful day, and I’m still building island memories to take home with me.”
His relief was sharp. He could give her that. A few memories to take back to her practical, ordered little life.
She was insistent, arching against him like a cat. He groaned and dragged his tongue down the smooth column of her sweetly bared neck before it was even a conscious decision. As his mouth moved to the delicate spot behind her ear, she shuddered, and he tightened his fists into the hollow of her spine.
Good God. He could shove down the front of his shorts and, with a strategic shift of the flimsy scrap of her red bikini bottoms to one side, be inside her right here, right now.
But that would be too easy,
over too quickly.
No, she wanted to build a memory? He’d give her one she would carry with her for the rest of her days. One that would haunt her in the dark and set her pulse racing during the daylight hours.
He’d give them both a memory to hold onto when this moment in paradise was over and they had to return to the cold loneliness of reality.
What a cheerless thought for such a provocative moment. He shoved it aside and plundered her mouth with his tongue as he reached up her back and tugged apart the thin ties of her bikini top.
She stiffened for a fraction of a second, but then melted against him just as quickly. The front of her was plastered up against his chest, sticky with sea water and sweat, but he shifted her back an inch or two and deliberately peeled away the wet fabric. It plopped to the deck with a distinct splat, but neither of them much cared.
Ben looked into her twinkling eyes and took in her swollen wet lips before expanding his vision to the beauty of her stunning breasts. She had a hint of a tan line in a distinctly triangular pattern from a day spent frolicking in the sun, but her skin was still too pale, not that it took away from her perfection. She was a goddess made of flesh, too exquisite for words.
Cupping the weight of her breasts, he leaned down and took a tight, pebbled nipple against his tongue, rubbing it until her fingers dug into his hair, and she made delicious little sounds in the back of her throat.
He licked and sucked, molding her breasts to his palms. She undulated over his lap with the skill of a practiced exotic dancer until he could almost imagine he felt the heavy beat of club music pounding in his chest.
It wasn’t his imagination. Some movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. Almost too late, he realized they were no longer alone. Another boat was closing in. Twice the size of theirs.
Beth jerked and tried to pull away, but he met her gaze and held her closer, pressing her chest flush against his. If she got up now, they’d only be putting on more of a show for their uninvited guests.
Even though the other boat had slowed before pulling up to their stern, the little bit of wake set him and Beth rocking against one another in time with the jostling boat, and he bit off a groan.
Her cheeks were red, and she tugged her bottom lip into her mouth, but there was also a twinkle of humor in her eyes. “Well, I did say I wanted memories, didn’t I?” She giggled and ducked her head into the curve of his shoulder.
The music from the other boat blared. High-pitched electronic sounds mixed with a thunderous bass that cut through his passionate haze. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t heard the music long before these guys had crawled right up beside them.
“Hey dudes!” A male voice called down from their deck. Ben twisted his head to look over his shoulder at the young shirtless guy leaning over the railing and waving to them. “Why don’t you come aboard and party with us?”
Beth lifted her head from his shoulder. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “They’re topless!”
She was referring to the three young blondes standing beside the guy, all of them dressed in white bikini bottoms and nothing else.
He raised a brow and chuckled. “So are you, my dear.”
She smirked. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“Safety in numbers?” He shouldn’t be teasing her, but it felt good.
She glared at him and shook her head, but her green eyes sparkled.
He shrugged. “You sure you don’t want to join them up there? I bet there’ll be dancing, and I have to admit I could spend the rest of the afternoon watching you dance topless.”
She instinctively pinned her body closer to his as if she could completely disappear from sight, but he wasn’t about to object if it kept her on top of him.
A muffled sound from the dashboard of the boat caught his attention. Cell phone. Damn it, the calls were coming in more frequently. His gaze shifted the barest iota, but she must have noticed because she stiffened in his lap.
“We should probably start heading back,” she murmured.
He wasn’t ready for the afternoon to end. With a forced chuckle, he tightened his arms around her, looking back up at the people on the larger boat. “Thanks, guys.” He called with a wave. “But we’re good. Having our own private party down here, if you know what I mean.”
Beth moaned and ducked her head again. He felt her chest shake with silent laughter.
Surfer dude gave him a big grin and a thumbs up. “Sure thing. See you two around!” All of them smiled and waved good-bye. One of the girls was so enthusiastic about it she…jiggled.
When the boat was far enough away that its passengers were unlikely to get an eyeful if they happened to still be watching, Beth awkwardly got up. Ben held on a fraction of a second too long, and felt the tug when she kept on going. His heart wanted to ask her to stay and continue what they’d started, but she ducked her head and turned away. It was obvious the moment between them was lost.
“I think we should head back.” she said again. “I suppose we become business competitors again tomorrow, and there’s a lot to prepare before the convention begins.”
Well, shit. So much for the memories.
Chapter Seven
A few minutes later, Beth stood in the cramped space below deck with her bikini top in one hand and her arms crossed over her chest. Her cheeks were still burning, but oddly enough she couldn’t wipe the crazy grin off her face.
Oh. My. God.
She held tight to herself as the adrenaline wore off. She thought of the look in Ben’s eyes before he’d been distracted by his ringing cell phone, the look that had promised more than a reckless make-out session in the open air, something much hotter than even the sun beating down over them.
A bat of her eyes would have done it. Maybe a hitch in her breathing. Or a soft roll of her hips. He would have taken her. She’d been right there with him, to tell the truth. Boating and snorkeling had been a great adventure, but the only adventure that truly interested her involved…him. He was the ultimate adventure for her, and it scared the crap out of her.
Today had been fun, but it was just one day and, unfortunately, she knew who Ben really was. It was hard to forget when his work followed them even out into the middle of the ocean. He’d done a good job of ignoring it for a short time, but a man so focused on his career would never be able to let anything hold priority over it for long.
Leaning forward in front of the small mirror, she saw how red her nose was. Along with her cheeks, forehead, and shoulders. Not enough sunscreen. The sun and sea water had done more than put some color in her face, too. She squinted in the mirror, but the dim lighting did nothing to hide the fact that her hair was a frizzy, tangled mess worthy of Medusa.
And yet, it was the sparkle in her eyes that caught her attention.
With a start, she noticed her bikini top was dripping on the plush carpeting. She looked back and forth for somewhere to put it and finally just put it back on instead, breaking out into a shiver as the cold wet fabric covered her breasts.
She plopped down on the edge of the bed. Hey, there’s a bed down here.
She wasn’t going to think about the bed right now. Wasn’t going to think about Ben’s mouth, or his hands, or the hard length of him digging into her belly as she’d straddled him. She wasn’t going to think about the way it had felt to peel herself off his lap, and know without a shadow of doubt that his eyes had been on her until she was all the way below deck. She wasn’t going to even consider calling him down here and joining her on the bed for the rest of the afternoon.
She went back up on deck a few minutes later and calmly suggested once more that they head back. The short boat ride to the harbor and the drive back to the resort passed with fewer than a dozen words spoken between them. After leaving the Jeep with the valet at the hotel, they made their way through the lobby to the elevators. When the doors slid open, they stepped inside and Ben punched the button for the third floor.
“What about
you? What floor?” he asked.
“I’m on the same floor.”
The door was sliding closed on an elevator empty except for the two of them. The small compartment seemed to get smaller the longer Ben’s gaze remained fixed on her.
If the ride had been any more than three floors, she knew she would have ended up in his arms, backed up against the elevator wall. No doubt about it.
She remembered how good it had felt to have his body pressed against hers, his mouth devouring her. But now they were back on land, and she was starting to come back to her senses.
Even leaving aside their history, how could she possibly risk getting involved with someone who was openly competing for the same investment dollars as she was? Ultimately, they were both here to help their fledgling businesses succeed, and that’s what she should be focusing on, because it was a sure bet that Ben Harrison wasn’t going to let personal entanglements keep him from getting what he wanted. In fact, the entire day had no doubt been a tactic to distract her. She was glad that Daniel had seen through it, and she reminded herself to call him as soon as she got back to her room to see how he’d managed.
Thankfully, the doors of the elevator were opening again. Liz took a deep breath and stepped out into the hallway.
“I’ll walk you to your room,” he said beside her, his voice a low rumble that sounded too good for her peace of mind.
She busied herself rummaging through her beach bag. Her room was second to the last at the end of the hall. When she stopped in front of the door, she had her key card in her hand and Ben was chuckling.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“I suppose we could call it fate.”
“What’s fate?” She frowned.
He had a key card in his hand, too, and motioned to the corner room right next door to hers. “That’s my room.”
“It is?” Crap. She immediately started reviewing the business conversations she’d had in her room. Could he have heard anything through the walls?