by Mia Carson
I paused to polish off the rest of my wine as Lexi now watched me with big, serious eyes. I leaned forward and rested my forearms on the table, holding her gaze steadily with mine, full of sincerity. “The thing is, Lexi—and believe me when I say this—since I met you at my house last winter and treated you so horribly, I’ve been changing. I haven’t picked up random women or said anything degrading lately, and it’s because of you.”
I held her gaze to make sure she understood there was no joke in this statement, none whatsoever. I hadn’t planned to tell her any of this and reveal how she’d triggered this change in me, but with all the wine and the way the subject had come up, it felt like the right time. As I watched her face flush pink and her eyes blink rapidly, I wondered if I’d brought my feelings up too soon.
Lexi broke our gaze, finished the last swallow of her wine, and stood up. “I have to go,” she blurted as she gave me a semi-apologetic look and walked to the door.
I was by her side immediately as she opened the door, and I put a gentle hand on her arm. “Lexi, wait. I’m sorry if I said something wrong or if that was too much, but it’s the truth. I swear.”
Lexi stood in the hotel hallway and turned to face me. “Look, Braden, I want to believe you, and I’m happy you’re changing your behavior. But this is too personal for me, and I’m partly to blame for letting loose tonight.” She took a deep breath, and her eyes flashed with a strange mix of sadness and anger as she continued. “But, like we both agreed, our relationship should be strictly professional. So thank you for the amazing dinner and cooking lesson. I’ll see you for work tomorrow. Goodnight.”
She turned and marched straight down the hall to her room, and I barely had time to call out softly, “Goodnight, Lexi.”
Lexi
The moment I closed and locked the door to my stunning ocean-view hotel suite, I tore off my clothes and plunged into a cool shower. Ugh, what was wrong with me? I was stronger than this, stronger than having a nice dinner with my gorgeous boss and letting my guard down, right?
I turned to face the oncoming stream of refreshingly cool water, closed my eyes, and ran my hands slowly down my face with the water. I needed to collect my thoughts and rein in the crazy hormones that raced around my entire body after the intimate dinner with Braden. He’d looked unbelievably hot in the most casual clothes I’d seen him in so far—dark wash jeans, black flip-flops, and a very snugly fitting black tee-shirt. The shirt showed off his solid torso and broad shoulders, not to mention the well-defined muscles in his arms. Braden’s face had that sexy five o’clock shadow with dark stubble, and his dirty-blond hair had the usual boyish, wind-blown look that made me want to run my fingers through it.
And holy shit, the man could cook like a professional, which undeniably added to his hotness, as well as adding to the depth of his personality. Who knew this supposed playboy was close with his mom and sister and liked to cook?
And what Braden had said at the end, about how he’d changed because of me? That had triggered a range of emotions from feeling pleased to skeptical, even terrified. I turned around under the shower, letting it run down my scalp, back, and legs as I tried to sort through these feelings.
If Braden was being one-hundred percent honest, that meant I had the power to change him, which both thrilled and scared me. To have that kind of influence over a man was incredibly overwhelming. Too much was at risk if the relationship didn’t work out. And there were so many reasons it might not work out between Braden and me. We were from entirely different classes, he was currently my boss, which complicated things, and there was the possibility he thought he’d changed his ways but wouldn’t be able to help drifting back to his old womanizing habits later on.
The possibility that Braden wasn’t being honest at all—was just saying sweet things as part of an elaborate scheme to get me to fall for him, have his way with me, and discard me afterwards like he did with the other women—was very real. It would be the ultimate challenge for him to get me in bed, and if he knew I was a virgin, he’d probably try so much harder.
I turned off the shower, wrapped myself in a fluffy white hotel towel, and started to blow-dry my hair. I sensed Braden wasn’t trying to play me and that he had told me the truth about his feelings, but I was still doubtful that I—or anyone else, for that matter—could ever truly change his bad habits. Since I liked him more and more on top of the intense physical draw I felt for him, I was worried he’d end up breaking my heart.
****
We worked all day overseeing the start of a beach shoot, from eight in the morning until nearly eight at night. Braden and I were civil to each other, nice but professional, but I felt an underlying tension between us and noticed how he stole lingering glances at me here and there throughout the day.
For dinner, Braden ordered amazing beans and rice with steak and fish platters for all to share. The shoot went well. I ran last-minute errands and watched the crew film the exciting chase scene along the water’s edge, which ended with a fight between Keith and the young leading lady, followed by a steamy make-out scene.
The area for the shoot had been blocked off, but groups of spectators had gathered on the edges to watch at different parts of the day. It had been fun and exhausting at the same time and hadn’t given me much time to think about the Braden situation—which was good, in my opinion. After we wrapped the scene, everyone dispersed, and I decided it was time to unwind with some surfing action.
Braden had gone off to talk with the director and some of the crew while I wandered down the boardwalk to buy a brand-new blue and aqua surfboard from a beach shop. It felt strange to be able to plunk down the money for a new board instead of having my family save for a year to buy me a used one, but with my new salary, I could afford such luxuries.
By the time I hit the waves, the beach and water were less crowded since the sun had dipped below the horizon and most beach-goers were off to dinner and parties. The sky was filled with rich pinks and oranges as I caught my first wave, a little one that curled on for a while. A huge, child-like grin spread across my face as the salty spray hit my face and the pure thrill of riding a wave rushed through my body.
My head felt considerably lighter and my body tingled from the exhilaration when I pulled myself out of the water and collapsed in the sand with my new board, tired but happy. The light was almost gone at this point, and the vibrant colors had faded into a blue-gray twilight. I could hear live music with a strong, intricate beat playing somewhere in the distance.
I closed my eyes for a moment and smiled. This moment after a good surf as I lay there on a beach in Rio on a Saturday night felt magical. If someone had told me I’d be in Brazil, all expenses paid, a month ago when I cleaned houses and struggled to pay my bills, student loans and help Sean and my dad financially, I’d never have believed it. Yet here I was, with a brand new surfboard and sporting a sexy new aqua bikini on a beautiful beach in Rio.
The deep rumble of a throat clearing caused me to jump out of my thoughts and open my eyes in surprise. My stomach turned when I saw the tall, muscular figure of a man standing over me, smiling down with his hair all tousled.
“Lexi,” Braden said. “I wondered where you went. How are the waves?”
I shot up to a sitting position and pushed to stand. I felt more than a little exposed in my bikini, even though he couldn’t possibly see me clearly in the dim light. I brushed the sand off my hands and legs and stood several feet away from him. “Hey, Braden. Yeah, the waves are fantastic—small, but it’s nice to have warm water for a change and not have to wear a wetsuit like back home.” I could hear myself rambling nervously and felt more than saw his eyes do a quick scan of my bikini-clad body.
The bathing suit was cut high in the thigh and the top tied in the back in a halter style, designed to push my boobs up and together for a scandalous amount of cleavage. I was practically naked, and from Braden’s heated gaze, he could see through the darkness well enough to realize that fact.
“Well.” Braden’s deep, low voice brought my attention immediately back to his face, which was sexily shadowed in the dark, emphasizing his strong jaw, high cheekbones, and deep eyes. He continued with a smirk in his tone. “I was about to take a refreshing dip in the ocean, but maybe a little surf lesson is in order?”
I swallowed hard. “I really wouldn’t mind teaching you, but I think it would be easier in the daytime—night surfing is more challenging.”
He nodded and looked out at the water, his profile strong and statuesque, then looked back at me. “You’re probably right. So, wanna join me for a swim?”
Okay, while the thought of a moonlit ocean swim with Braden caused fiery tingles to run up and down each and every limb, it also made me nervous. You couldn’t ask for a more romantic setting and hadn’t we just agreed to keep our relationship just a platonic one? What was he trying to do to me?
Before I could answer, he blurted out, “Race you!” He raised his eyebrows in a challenge. My doubts melted away along with my resolve. I couldn’t back down from a challenge like that, so I smiled at him and took off for the waves.
He passed me easily after two strides and crashed into the water with me several feet behind. We dove under a small curl of water and swam past where the waves broke, the water a little above our waists. Braden shook the water from his hair and grinned at me, looking like a male swimsuit model. Holy fuck, he was hot.
“Damn, this water’s warm compared to the Pacific. You’re right,” he called over to where I bobbed in the water about five feet away from him.
“This is your first time swimming during the whole trip?” I asked as I doggy-paddled over the swell of an incoming wave that would break closer to shore.
“Yeah,” he called back, turned around as he floated partially on his back while the coming wave rolled under us. “Being the head honcho of the company means all work and no… well, not much play. But I just wanted to let loose a little tonight. It is Saturday night in Rio, after all. And we’re heading back to L.A. tomorrow.”
I considered his words while I dove under the water to re-wet my hair and surfaced as another swell of a wave moved by underneath. He was right, it was nice to relax before we left for home. Friends who took a night swim together, nothing more.
Braden was closer, only a foot away from me as the next wave rolled by. My pulse picked up as I felt him watch me brush the hair back out of my face and wipe the excess water from my eyes. When I looked over a few seconds later, Braden was only a few inches from me, and I felt strong hands slip around my bare waist.
I gasped as a wave of molten fire washed through my stomach, and before I could respond, Braden’s mouth was on mine. At first, I was immobilized from surprise as his amazingly soft, warm lips began to kiss mine, slowly and passionately. My mind cried out in protest and tried to remind my body that this was exactly what I’d been trying to avoid and that it would complicate matters.
However, with the seductive roll of the waves under us, the blazing touch of his hands on my waist, and the way his full lips pressed against mine, gently nipping at my bottom lip, my hormones overpowered logical thoughts. My hands snaked up his chest and wrapped around the back of his neck as I returned the kiss.
Braden let out a guttural noise from deep in his throat the moment my lips moved against his. I pulled him closer and pressed my body more firmly against his, and his hands instantly slid around my lower back with a tight grip. His warm tongue slipped between my lips, parting them firmly and delving inside. A fresh wave of electrified tingles shimmied from my scalp down to my toes as he explored my mouth hungrily with his tongue, causing me to groan into his mouth with pleasure. Despite being in the water, I could feel his erection push between my thighs, which made me blush from head to toe. I felt a flood of heated moisture under my bikini bottoms.
Another swell of a passing wave pushed our bodies up, and I clung to him, wrapping my legs around his hips, and I slipped my tongue into his mouth. I heard a low growl as our tongues tangled together and explored each others’ mouths in hot intensity.
After a moment, Braden pulled back an inch, his chest heaving with rapid breaths. His eyes sparked in the silvery moonlight with the hungry look of a wolf as they locked onto mine, then flicked down to my parted lips and back up. “Damn.” His voice came out deeper and raspier than usual over the sound of the crashing waves. “Let’s go up?”
I understood his simple question immediately and knew without asking exactly what he meant. Again, I ignored all logical thoughts that told me to stop. I nodded as I unclasped my legs from around his waist. We held hands, silently pushing out of the water, through the pull of the tide, and onto the beach to grab my surfboard and our flip-flops. We strolled quickly to the beachfront hotel entrance and up to his room. The whole walk, we remained quiet, though a thick air of desire and anticipation surrounded us and caused my pulse to race erratically.
His eyes wandered from my face, down my body and legs, and back up, which made the hairs on my arms stand straight up. As we stepped off the elevator and walked toward his suite, Braden whispered into my ear, “You’re hot as sin in that suit, you know that?” Shivers of pleasure went from my ear where his hot breath tickled and down to my stomach as I smiled coyly.
He swiped the hotel card to unlock his door and let go of my hand to hold it open for me. Only the slightest of doubts made me pause for a second before I walked into his suite, ignoring the warnings my brain was trying to transmit. I was too far gone in my overwhelming attraction to Braden, which pulled me like an irresistibly powerful magnetic force.
The sound of the door clicking behind me caused my heart to pound hard in my chest. I knew what was about to happen, but I felt no qualms about giving up my virginity to Braden. I’d never, even for a moment, been so attracted to a man in my entire life, both physically or emotionally.
I walked into the living room area and noticed the sliding door to the balcony was ajar to let in the balmy ocean breeze and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the beach. I heard the same live music pounding out a sexy beat. Only one low table lamp was on, which covered the room in a cozy golden light. My towel was draped over my arm, though I’d leaned the surfboard against a wall in the entranceway.
“Let me take that,” Braden’s voice said from a foot behind me. He pulled the towel from my arm and draped it with his own over a chair. His ocean blue eyes darkened with intent. “Want some wine, or rum or…?” he asked as he paused between the kitchen and where I stood near the sliding balcony door.
While I wasn’t second-guessing my decision to be there, I began to feel a touch of nerves and decided I could use a little something to ease into our steamy make-out session. “Some rum on the rocks would be good, thanks,” I said, my voice cracking. Braden nodded with a mild look of surprise, pouring our drinks quickly.
I turned towards the open glass door to look out at the twinkling lights and the ghostly moonlight, which made the ocean glitter magically below. As I closed my eyes, I inhaled the seductive, warm salty air, and an electric buzz ran through my veins. I was startled when I heard movement close behind me, and a glass of rum and ice appeared to my right in Braden’s hand.
“Cheers,” he said, low and soft, after I’d taken the glass and he moved
to stand next to me.
We clinked glasses, and I said, “Cheers, Braden,” in a breathy voice. We maintained eye contact as we took long draughts of the rum, which ran hot and smooth down my throat and instantly relaxed my limbs.
I broke our gaze and looked out the door again. I murmured, “It’s gorgeous.” I felt Braden’s hand pull gently on my glass and put it deftly along with his drink on a side table next to him, his gaze glued to me the whole time.
“It sure is,” he said in a gravelly voice, though he didn’t even glance at the view. His eyes were fixed on my face as he stepped closer.
My breath stopped altogether as one of Braden’s hands grazed the nape of my neck and shoulder. He swept up my long, damp hair and let it cascade along my left side. The breath I had been holding released in a long, audible moan as I felt the touch of his warm lips against the top of my shoulder, just next to the nape of my neck.
His hands closed around both of my arms near the elbow as his lips trailed tantalizing kisses, nibbles, and a few tongue flicks up my neck, then back down across my shoulder, pausing to take a breathy nibble of my earlobe. My breath came short and irregular, and I gasped while my head spun.
He moved one hand to stealthily pull the strings where my halter bikini top was tied at the back of my neck and between my shoulder blades, and the thin straps tumbled down. “God, you taste so good,” he whispered, low and husky as his hot breath tickled my ear. I couldn’t respond in any way, shape, or form, temporarily mesmerized by the touch of his hands and lips.
My breath caught as his kisses stopped and his hands smoothed under the sides of my bikini top, brushed against the sides of my breasts, and shifted the fabric completely off my body to toss it on the sofa to our right. Unbearable jolts of electricity sizzled through my body in several shocking waves as his capable hands cupped both of my naked breasts. I felt the rumble of another growl in his chest pressed against my back as his fingers played teasingly over my nipples and squeezed lightly, sending shots of pleasure directly to my most intimate area. I could feel the juices soaking through my bikini bottom at this point. I was ready and aching for Braden.