by Kat Mizera
She turned back, narrowing her eyes slightly. “We’re going to spend the day together half-dressed, on the beach, while keeping things simple and flirty?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Are you saying you can’t control your sexual urges?”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s what you’re going with? Fine. Let’s do it your way. A cabana on the beach sounds lovely. Thank you.”
He knew she was being sarcastic, but it didn’t matter; being in a cabana on the beach with her was going to be heavenly. Even if she didn’t know he thought so.
Her first look at Barefoot Bay made Maddie forget all about being annoyed with Garrett. The water was simply breathtaking…smooth as glass and so very turquoise. This was the gulf, not an ocean, and she couldn’t help a little sigh of pleasure at the thought of spending the day admiring it. Her toes hit the soft white sand and she paused, breathing in deeply and taking a moment to look around.
“It’s beautiful, right?” Garrett spoke behind her and she smiled.
“Yes. Just as pretty as the pictures… I may never leave.”
He laughed. “That’s how I feel every time I come.”
They continued to the cabana he’d reserved and she dropped her bag on the wooden floor. It was about ten square feet with a tented top and two chaise lounges with padded cushions. A small table rested between them with several beach towels stacked on it.
“Umbrella up or down?” Garrett asked her.
“I’m from Canada where it’s almost winter,” she snorted. “I need all the sun I can get!”
“You got it!”
He adjusted the tent flaps with some kind of lever that opened up everything for them as she put a towel on one of the chairs.
“And I’m officially on vacation!” She put her sunglasses on and started rubbing sunscreen into her skin. She was going to enjoy the sun, the sand, and the water she couldn’t wait to swim in. Maybe Mr. Tall-Tattooed-And-Not-Flirting would loosen up after getting a little sun.
Two hours later, Maddie was more frustrated than relaxed. How had a simple kiss gone so wrong? One minute they were all over each other, the next he was putting on the brakes so fast she could almost hear tires squealing across the tiled floors. Though it seemed that nothing on this vacation was going to go according to plan, he was pushing her away for a specific reason and she wished she knew what it was. If he was telling the truth, and he wasn't involved with someone, she couldn’t imagine what the issue was. He was definitely attracted to her, which only proceeded to confuse her further. Why was he pulling back? They had genuine chemistry—that kiss had been hot—despite the short amount of time they’d known each other.
He was extremely good-looking but not arrogant. He obviously had money but didn’t throw it around or try to impress her with it beyond helping her out of the situation she’d been in. More than that, he was down-to-earth. Even though he said he had a complicated life, he didn’t act like it; he acted like a good guy who was going through a hard time. She hadn’t seen him drink or smoke, and she knew he’d gone for a long run this morning. He seemed fit, healthy and intelligent, with money to spare and good manners. What could possibly make him refuse no-strings vacation sex if he was single? He was right that it was out of character for her to sleep with a guy she barely knew, and that she would most likely have regrets, but she already had years of regrets about things she hadn’t done. Maybe this kind of experience would breathe new life into what had become a very stagnant existence.
With a huff, she turned onto her stomach to get some sun on her back. They’d been here for a couple of hours and hadn’t really said much of anything to each other. He’d gone with her when she’d cooled off in the water, but even then, they’d been almost painfully polite together. Had one kiss ruined a chance for them to even forge a friendship?
“You sound pretty sexually frustrated over there,” Garrett murmured, eyes closed and hands behind his head.
She snapped her head to the side to glare at him. “What?!”
“All that huffing and puffing…sounds like you’re mad at me.”
“I’m not. I’m just hot.”
“That you are.”
“Is this how we go back to flirting?” she asked wryly, lifting to one elbow and looking over at him.
“Yup.”
He still hadn’t looked at her and she scowled. “I’m going in the water,” she muttered, lifting to her feet. It really was hot and the water looked inviting. Besides, she was dying for a long swim. Without looking back, she walked through the sand and splashed into the glassy water. She’d never been in water so smooth and clear, without so much as a ripple. It was cool enough to be refreshing too, and she dove in as soon as she was deep enough. With strong, steady strokes she headed out towards the horizon. The weather was perfect and it was a great opportunity to test her strength and endurance. The pool at her gym was good for exercise and building her stamina, but there was no real way to test herself.
She loved to swim, but living in Canada meant people were far more focused on winter sports than something like swimming. It existed, of course, but with two brothers who played hockey there hadn’t been time for her parents to lug her around to pools or swim meets. That was okay—it’s not like she could have had a career as a professional swimmer—but she wished she’d had a chance to show how good she was at any sport. Her brothers’ rooms had been lined with awards and trophies from almost every level of hockey; her achievements had all been academic. She’d played hockey too in the beginning, but playing with other girls had paled in comparison to what her brothers did, so she’d quit sports altogether and focused on school. She still swam, though, and she’d been looking forward to testing her strength in open water.
By the time she stopped, she realized she’d come a long way and was pretty far out. It was beautiful, though, the shore lined with the tops of palm trees and the horizon an endless sheet of blue and green. She could stay out here treading water for hours, she thought, looking around. The sun would scorch her pale skin if she didn’t reapply sunscreen soon, though, and she didn’t want her heart rate to slow down too much, so she turned towards shore. She’d just put her face in the water when strong arms gripped her about the waist. She gasped, ready to kick out in protest when she recognized Garrett’s dog tag tattoo.
“What are you doing?!” she demanded, shaking water out of her eyes.
“What the hell are you doing?!” he countered. “The lifeguard was blowing his whistle for you to turn around and everybody on the beach thinks you’re on a suicide mission!”
“What are you talking about?” she yelled. “I’m an endurance swimmer—I swim at my gym at least ten hours a week and try to take at least one trip a year to somewhere I can test myself in an ocean! I’m not trying to commit suicide, you idiot!”
He blinked, staring into her furious face in confusion. What the hell was an endurance swimmer? Was that a thing? This probably wasn’t a good time to ask her, though; she looked pretty mad.
“I swam out to make sure you were okay but I think they were going to…” His voice trailed off as a lifeguard approached them on a jet ski.
“Miss, you’re not supposed to swim beyond the buoy,” he said with a frown.
“I’m sorry.” She spoke in her most polite tone. “I’m a strong, capable swimmer and this is how I build my endurance. I’m planning to do a triathlon next year so I swim like this any chance I get—it never occurred to me I would worry anyone.”
“You’re doing a triathlon?” Hawk asked in surprise.
“Yes.” Her voice was low but she gave him a dirty look. “Can I please swim back to shore? My heart rate has already dropped and if I sit out here treading water, I’m going to get sunburned.”
“Just be careful, miss,” the lifeguard said. “And let someone know if you’re going to come out this far again.”
“Of course. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“Need a ride back, sir?” the you
ng man asked Hawk.
He scowled. “No, I’ll swim back with her. Thanks.”
“I don’t need a babysitter!” she ground out.
“You need to be kissed,” he murmured, reaching out to pull her close.
“Garrett!” She let out a little squeak as his lips claimed hers. Their tongues danced together deliciously, and it wasn’t until they began to sink that she pulled free. “Kissing you is nice,” she panted. “But I’d prefer not to drown doing it.”
“Just thought I’d help you get your heart rate back up,” he laughed. “Ready?”
Without a word, she turned her back on him and used powerful strokes to swim towards shore. He was surprised at how hard he had to work to keep up with her. She definitely had done this before and by the time they reached the beach, he hadn’t been sure he could finish. Sheer pride had kept him going since the idea of losing to her was unacceptable, but she’d beat him by a full minute anyway and he was impressed. He wondered if she could run and bike this well too.
She didn’t wait for him, trudging back to their cabana and digging a bottle of ice-cold water out of the cooler. She drank deeply and reached for a towel, wiping her face, chest and arms. She started to reapply sunscreen and arched her brows as he sank into the lounge chair breathing hard.
“Damn, baby, you’re amazing.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you being sarcastic?”
He met her gaze, startled. “Uh, no. You’re really freakin’ amazing. It’s beautiful to watch the way you glide through the water like a damn fish. I’m a pro—well, I work out a lot and I couldn’t keep up. Doing a triathlon is pretty cool too. How do you train?” Her triathlon training was a safe subject and she told him about it as she lay back in the sun.
“Mostly I swim,” she admitted. “I run too, but I hate running indoors and it’s too icy a lot of the year to be outside.”
“And biking?”
“That’s next. I think I’ve got the swimming and marathon parts down, but the biking is going to be an issue because I simply don’t have a place to do it. Especially in the winter. I did pretty well over the summer, but I was back and forth to Vegas to see my brother so not as much as I wanted. I don’t know how I’ll be ready for the race if I can’t find a place to really train.”
He ached to tell her about his buddy in L.A. who competed in bike races around the world, but that would only be another loose end he had to tie up when she found out who he was. It seemed as though everything was taking one step forward and two steps back when it came to her.
“I’m starving,” she said abruptly. “Can we get something to eat?”
“The restaurant inside the hotel, Junonia, is good, or we can order pizza or something. I can run up to the hotel and grab it when it arrives.”
“Sure.” She smiled over at him. “Pizza sounds great. Pepperoni okay?”
He nodded. “A girl after my own heart.”
It was a long, lazy day alternately spent baking in the sun and swimming in the calm, clear water. By late afternoon, Maddie was sure she was burned to a crisp and started packing up her things.
“I’m going to head up,” she said. “You can stay longer if you want.”
“Nah, I’m pretty well-baked too.” He sat up.
“You don’t have to keep me company the whole time I’m here,” she said quietly. “I know you have something, or someone, on your mind, and I’m perfectly happy on my own. I can’t thank you enough for letting me crash in your villa and interrupt your vacation… Please don’t feel obligated to entertain me too.”
He peered at her over the top of his sunglasses. “Honey, I think you’ve got it all wrong. Seeing you in a bathing suit is the entertainment, not me keeping you company so I can continue to look.”
She couldn’t help her sputter of laughter. “You must not get out much!”
He chuckled. “I work hard so I can play hard, but when I’m working, you’re right—I don’t get out much.”
“Sounds kind of boring,” she said lightly.
He shook his head. “Nah. I love what I do. It’s just been a rough couple of weeks so my boss told me to get away and do some thinking.”
“Have you?” she asked.
He looked away, staring out at the water that was glistening in the late afternoon sun. “So much that I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
“Okay,” she said softly. “Then how about thinking about dinner?”
He made a face. “Didn’t we just eat?”
“That was hours ago!” She tossed an empty water bottle at him. “And I must have swum five or six miles today!”
He got up and pulled on his T-shirt. “Then let’s get cleaned up and we can discuss dinner options.”
“And ice cream.”
“Ice cream?” He arched a brow.
“It’s hot and I’m on holiday… Sheesh, must I teach you how to properly relax?”
“Apparently.” He followed behind her as they walked back to the villa. It was going to be a long night if he had to sit across a table from her. It would be even longer if she wore that damn black dress.
Chapter 4
They ate at Junonia that night and he’d breathed a sigh of relief when she came out of the bedroom wearing an off-the-shoulder white peasant-style top with khaki shorts and white sandals that had straps that wrapped around her ankles and crisscrossed to about halfway up her calf. She was dressed casually but was no less alluring so his relief was short-lived. Her hair was long, falling in soft waves down her back, her rosy skin a glowing contrast against the white of her blouse. He could see the swell of her modest breasts peeking above the top of the fabric when she leaned forward and couldn’t help but think how perfectly they would fit in his hands. She was simply stunning, her eyes shining as she spoke to the waiter and waved to someone they’d met on the beach earlier.
The best thing about Maddie was that she had no idea how enchanting she was. She mesmerized him as they talked and laughed, and he noted the way every man in the room, no matter what age, noticed her. Maybe it was her smile or the way she talked with her hands, adding passion and expression to everything, but most likely it was her aura. She appeared to love life and lived it with zest, despite yesterday’s setback. As soon as things had turned around she’d embraced her good fortune with enthusiasm, treating a guy she’d only known for two days like a good friend and behaving as though two stolen kisses weren’t even an issue.
He really liked her. Not just because she was sexy and he wanted to sleep with her—he always thought about having sex with attractive women he met—but because she was his own personal sea nymph. He didn’t know why he thought of her that way, or why she affected him this way, but he hadn’t wined and dined a woman in ages. Not since his last steady girlfriend, and that had been over two years ago. Yet with Maddie, he wanted to show her everything he loved about Mimosa Key and spend every waking moment with her. He wanted to race her in the water again, he wanted her to go running with him in the morning—he even wanted to take her shopping. Not to buy her things, but to see what made her eyes sparkle. When she talked about things that made her happy, her entire face changed and it took his breath away. He wanted to find ways to recreate that look because it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. And he only had three more days to enjoy it.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she demanded. “I asked if I could run with you in the morning, not bear your children.”
He snorted, realizing he’d missed part of the conversation. “Sorry, momentarily got caught up in how beautiful you are.”
She paused, setting her fork on the edge of her plate. “Why would you say that?”
“Because you are? I’ve already said I’m not looking for sex… I wouldn’t say no to it but—”
“You already did,” she pointed out.
“I said we should wait. I wasn’t going to take advantage of a woman who’d just been shot at, but I definitely didn’t say no.”
&nbs
p; She met his gaze curiously. “I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re so…”
“Cute?” he prompted with a grin.
“Yes.” She grinned back. “But I was going to say different. I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy who looks like he should be in a motorcycle gang but behaves like the CEO of a big corporation.”
He chuckled. “I am definitely not the CEO of anything! I’m an athletic mechanic who was lucky enough to make some money. Which may all be coming to an end if I don’t figure out what I want to do with my life.”
“What do you want to do?” she asked. “In your case, it should be simple. Do you want to work for your family? Do you want to open your own shop? Do you want to focus on cars, bikes or something else—okay, maybe not so simple.” She flushed. “I just mean, what does your heart want? I know what my heart wants, but I can’t have it, and that’s why I’m in limbo.”
“What does your heart want?” he deflected gently.
She looked away, staring at some imaginary point of interest on the far wall. “To be a professional athlete like my brothers. I mean, Dwight isn’t anymore, after he blew out his knee, but he knows he was good enough, knows that it was just bad luck that he got hurt, so he was able to move on. I’ll never know because I was overshadowed by two amazingly athletic brothers.”
Shit! This wasn’t the turn he’d expected the conversation to take and the last thing he wanted to do was talk about her brothers. Especially not Jamie. Yet there was no polite way out of this, and she looked so sad, he had to say something. “What sport do you play?”
“None anymore,” she admitted. “That’s just it. I was athletic just like them, but they got good so fast, at such a young age, my parents started focusing on them. I mean, scouts were looking at Jamie by the time he was 15. He wasn’t big, but he was super talented, always a playmaker. They whisked him away to the juniors and—”
“Uh, what sport?” He had to ask even though he already knew everything; but if he didn’t it would give him away.