by Layla Love
*****
Screw long walks on the beach.
What was the big deal about them anyway? People acted like they were so goddamn romantic. Were those morons on crack?
Sure, the view was lovely and the sound of the ocean was soothing. But Callie had sand in her shoes and saltwater in her hair. The wind was getting up and the sky had darkened as though a storm was about to roll in. She was cold and wet and kind of miserable.
It was far from romantic.
Grumbling to herself, Callie bent down and took her shoes off. She dumped the sand out of them and cursed herself for walking so far. The weather had changed quickly and the temperature had dropped significantly. She was horribly underdressed. By the time she made it back to the mansion she was going to be frozen!
Suddenly Hunter appeared at her side. He had come up behind her, following her footsteps in the sand until he had caught up to her. He reached out and touched Callie’s shoulder to let her know he was there. Words would probably just be lost in the wind.
Callie looked Hunter up and down. As annoyed as she was with him, she was actually kind of grateful to see him. There was something creepy about being all alone on a deserted stretch of beach when a storm was rolling in.
Hunter had apparently discarded his surfboard further down the beach because he no longer had it with him. But what he did have was a sweatshirt. Callie eyed it longingly, and as though he could read her mind, he took it off and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Let’s go home,” he told her, his arm around her shoulders.
She didn’t protest, even though it wasn’t her home and even though he was still touching her. The muscular arm wrapped around her felt safe and reassuring. Hunter pulled her close, his body instantly providing her shelter from the storm.
If he was cold, he didn’t let on. In that moment he seemed invincible, powerful and in control.
As they approached the spot on the beach where Hunter had discarded his surfboard, the wind suddenly died down. Maybe it was the calm before the storm. Callie took the opportunity to turn and look up at him.
“Thanks for coming after me.”
*****
When Hunter caught up with Callie on the beach, she looked so small and vulnerable. He hadn’t meant to take her in his arms after wrapping her up in his sweatshirt, but he just couldn’t help it. His protective instinct had taken over and all he’d wanted was to hold her and comfort her and keep her safe.
As they walked in silence back toward the house, Hunter kept looking down at Callie. She was so tiny compared to him – she had to be at least a foot shorter. Somehow the height difference made her seem even more adorable. And when she took her glasses off to clean the seawater off of them, he was a goner.
He wanted her so bad.
The way she had looked when he’d caught up with her on the beach had given him an instant hard on. Her hair was messy, whipping around in the wind. Her dress was whipping around in the wind too, teasing him with glimpses of her panties. And the way the wet material had clung to her curves...oh, fuck.
How did she not realize how goddamn sexy she was? How could she be so oblivious?
He tried to stay in control as they made their way home. He really did. He kept his body pressed against his to keep her warm, but at the same time, he was willing himself not to get carried away. But then she stopped.
She turned and looked up at him with those big brown eyes that he could get lost in for days.
Those lips...oh God, those lips. He could just imagine them wrapped around his cock. Fuck!
Then she spoke.
“Thanks for coming after me.”
That was it. She’d done him in. He was a goner, plain and simple. He had to do it. He had to. He had been thinking about it, dreaming about it, for what felt like forever. He had to know how it felt. He had to know how she tasted.
Leaning in, Hunter pressed his lips to Callie’s.
The kiss was everything he had expected it to be. It made his heart race and his cock swell. It was, in all honesty, the best first kiss he’d ever had. The electricity between them was so intense that for a moment it seemed as though the storm had arrived.
When the kiss ended, Callie stared up at Hunter wide-eyed. She looked stunned.
He looked down at her, waiting for her to react.
And then, unfortunately, she did. What she did was shocking. He never even saw it coming.
___
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