by Alicia Rae
I glanced around to see that we’d traveled quite far from where we’d begun our journey. I guessed that we must have walked several miles up the coastline. We were now in front of a residential area. The houses were so spaced out that only two were in view.
“Don’t you enjoy the ocean?” he asked, completely unfazed by my reservations.
“Yes,” I nearly cried on a strangled laugh, appalled by his lack of concern. “But that doesn’t mean I want to swim this late at night.” It wasn’t late, but still, this was crazy.
“What are you afraid of?” he challenged.
I countered his question with my own, “Aren’t you worried someone might see us?”
“No, I’m not.” He tossed his jacket aside. His demeanor was full of confidence. “Besides, it’s only you and me out here.”
I scanned our surroundings again. He was right. There was no one in sight. It was just the two of us. This part of the beach was isolated.
At my speechlessness, he set about gradually unbuttoning his white dress shirt, almost seductively, giving me a private mini striptease. “And my only concern is getting you into the ocean with me”—he threw that shirt aside, too, as a mischievous slow grin spread across his features, knocking me back with its intensity—“naked.”
I was quickly lost in the bareness of his ripped upper body, lingering on the expansion of his broad shoulders that revealed raw strength. Then, I did a lazy sweep downward where my mouth went dry and my core scorched with heat as I took in each defined curve of his abdominal muscles. His flawlessness made me weak in the knees.
God, he is breathtaking.
He exceeded the definition of perfection. No, he put perfection to shame.
His naked torso wasn’t all that had caught my attention.
Both of his thick biceps were sleeved with tattoos, each inked with tribal designs of some sort, and scriptures were on his forearms. I wondered if there was a meaning behind them. His left side also had writing, but I couldn’t read anything from where I was standing. From the outside perspective of Damien, when he was fully clothed, I would never have pictured him having tattoos, so to witness him undressed was like I was seeing a whole other man.
It felt like an eternity had passed before I reined in my shattered wits and brought my gaze up to meet his.
Finally, my thoughts settled on the last word of his statement. Naked.
I narrowed my eyes at his brazenness, causing him to counter my expression with a bold smirk. I stifled a smile that threatened to expose itself.
“Not naked,” I stated firmly, praying that he was joking.
“Ah, come on, Raelyn.” He inched his way forward, coming at me like a panther on the prowl. “Live a little.”
His comment struck a nerve. “I do,” I argued, not wanting him to see right through me. The truth was, I didn’t live. I muddled my way through it, doing the bare minimum to survive.
He advanced again and circled me closely. “My guess is that, no, you don’t.”
I briefly closed my eyes when his chest rubbed against me in all the right ways.
“I think you live in a world that is safe, respectable, consistent…and predictable.” He pulled my hair to the side and leaned into me. His hot breath was clouding my mind and my judgment. “Don’t you think it’s time you finally took a risk in life?”
I held my breath, knowing damn well that he was repeating some of my reasons to describe my career choice.
God, he’s right, and I hate it.
I contemplated his offer, longing to prove him…and myself wrong.
It was wrong to consider a swim with him…so wrong and reckless…yet it felt oh-so right. I’d be damned if he didn’t stir a powerfully deep sense of desperation within me—to live, to feel alive. With him, I felt like I was breathing for the first time.
“The bra and panties stay.” My voice was strong. It left no room for argument.
I would not budge on this. He could take it or leave it.
He acknowledged me with a single nod of his head and removed his pants.
Once they were on the sand beside his shirt and he was standing in a pair of black boxers, I gestured to the waistband and shrieked, “Those stay on, too!”
Fucking hell. I would never have survived him if he’d stripped himself bare.
The man was ripple after ripple of raw muscle. It should be illegal to be so beautiful.
I was relieved when he lowered his arms to his sides, leaving his boxers in place.
“All right,” he drawled before giving me an expectant, smug smile as he motioned to my clothing. “Off with it then.”
I suddenly lost the braveness I’d felt moments ago. I was that skinny girl, but the thing was, I didn’t want to be. My waist was too narrow. My lack of upper body strength was embarrassing. I had no curves to my thighs or ass to fill out my jeans.
Chemotherapy had made it worse. Since completing my treatments, I had gained back half of the weight that I’d lost, as it was a slow process, and my appetite still wasn’t up to full speed.
But if I’d learned one thing while being sick, it was to love myself, imperfections and all, and to appreciate my body. It was what made me, me. And it was the only one I was ever going to have, so I refused to let my nerves get the best of me.
With those feelings aside, I was still unbelievably nervous to take my clothes off in front of a man I hardly knew, so I tried to perceive that showing him my bra and underwear was practically the same as wearing a swimsuit.
My fingers trembled to an extent as they grasped the hem of my cream blouse to lift it from my body. I threw it on the ground before returning my eyes to see Damien staring at me with unreserved appreciation. His pupils dilated as his gaze traveled from my flat stomach to my chest and up the length of my neck before landing on my face. The gesture only took seconds, but it felt like an eternity.
I reached around to the small of my back to unbutton my skirt and allowed my eyes to drift to his toned thighs, mentally reminding myself that I wasn’t the only one on display here.
My skirt fell to my ankles, and I kicked it to my right before giving him a once-over again. This time, I started at his feet. God, even his feet are sexy. Then, I let my lazy eyes roam upward, taking in all his heavenliness, until I landed on his face at last.
I observed the firm set of his jaw. It twitched as his gaze bore into mine with such scorching intensity and unabashed desire that my heart kicked into an unsteady rhythm.
Damien stepped toward me. His movements were calm and casual, yet a dozen emotions flitted across his features. He lifted his hand to caress my cheek, and his touch made my skin tingle.
“Christ,” he whispered roughly, engulfing my face with his warm breath, “you’re beautiful, Raelyn.”
His compliment was just words, but the way he delivered them sent a delicious shiver bolting up my spine. Somehow, it even managed to shake my armor with the force of a sledgehammer.
“Thank you.” I blushed bashfully when I found my voice. “So are you.”
With a smile, he slowly let his arm fall. He tentatively held it out between our bodies with his palm facing upward to me. “Ready?”
I wasn’t sure if it was the wine or him, but it was too late to turn back now. I was in too deep, so I exhaled my answer on a rush of air, “Yes.”
Together, we walked hand in hand to the ocean. The great thing about Florida was that you could walk right into the water. There was no need to do it gradually to adjust to the temperature. It was always perfect in the summer.
The sun was beginning to fade out behind the horizon, and the smell of salt had already invaded my nose, but the rest of my senses were focused solely on the man still holding on to me as I felt that familiar spark thrumming between us. It was always there when we touched.
My toes dug deeper into the sand with each step, and I slightly widened my stance to brace myself when a wave came rolling in. With the water now up to my waist, I expected Damien to let go o
f me. He didn’t though. Instead, he paused, causing me to halt in my tracks, and spun me to face him. He seemed perfectly content to stare at me. I wanted to seek refuge from the intensity in his gaze, so I grinned up at him, wiggled myself free, and dived beneath the surface.
I kicked my legs hard as I swam several yards away from him while fighting against the powerful waves crashing into me. When I surfaced, I inhaled a long breath and turned around to face him, keeping myself afloat.
But Damien was nowhere to be seen.
Seconds ticked by.
My head darted from left to right, over and over again, wondering where he was and how long he could hold his breath.
Afraid he was coming after me, I fell onto my back and propelled myself farther out to sea. His long arm came above the surface first, followed by his face, as he treaded the water with graceful, fluid movements. When I realized he was heading straight for me, I increased my efforts to swim in the opposite direction.
His knowing grin told me that he knew he was gaining on me. With all my might, I squealed and kicked my legs harder.
Damien grasped my ankle, and I yelped out a laugh.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he taunted.
“Far away from you!” I cried, attempting to fight against him.
My efforts were useless. He was too strong.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” he retorted with a teasing confidence, hauling me toward his firm chest. “You’re mine now.”
I couldn’t help myself from being fascinated by this new playful side of Damien. It was extraordinary to see. Gone was the powerful, domineering CEO, and here was a vibrant and lively man.
After a silent moment of appreciating Damien and drinking him in, I let him believe that he had me. When his hold on me relaxed, I threw my body into the water again and swam toward the shore, laughing in pure delight. My feet hit the bottom of the ocean floor. The cool air touched my exposed upper body, sending a tremor racing down my back, as I rotated to face him with a smug smirk proudly displayed on my face.
Damien stayed rooted in his stance, perusing me. “I let you get away.” The twitching of his lips told me that he was stifling a smile.
“Sure you did.” I chuckled, thoroughly enjoying myself. I elevated my right leg and splashed him, but the water didn’t quite reach him.
“Careful.” He glared my way.
I could sense his underlying amusement even though his expression gave nothing away.
Damien didn’t scare me, not now that I’d seen his frisky side. He could try to keep his poker face firmly in place, but I was closer to the beach this time, and I was confident that I could make a run for it.
“Or what?” I challenged.
“Or I’ll catch you and dunk you.”
“All talk”—I flippantly waved my hand—“and no action.”
That broke his controlled expression. He threw his head back and laughed hard. When he glanced back at me, his eyes danced with mirth before they filled with determination. “You are mine now.”
Oh, shit.
Just as I was about to make a hasty retreat, something slimy slithered across my thigh. An uncontrollable violent shiver ricocheted down my spine as I jumped with a deafening loud scream and barreled for the shore.
“What is it?” Damien’s voice along with his body wading through the water sounded from behind me.
I didn’t dare turn around to look as I made my way through the knee-deep water. My mind was set on one thing—immediately getting me out of the water.
“Something touched me!” I shrieked, swiftly moving my legs. I was almost there.
When my feet hit the sand, I rapidly checked over my entire body. I knew it was probably nothing. But that slimy bastard had made my hair stand on end.
Damien reached me a second later. His eyes scanned me from head to toe before landing on my face. “Are you okay?” His voice was full of genuine concern.
“I don’t know,” I rambled, running my hands up and down my sides, stomach, and upper legs. “I mean, yes, I think so.”
When I glanced over at Damien, his chest began to rise and fall with laughter.
I shot him an incredulous look. “Are you laughing at me?”
Brows raised, he shook his head in denial. “No, of course not.”
He’s a crappy liar.
“You are so!” I shoved at his sternum.
“I’d never do such a thing!” he said, still denying my accusation. He protectively clutched at his chest with hilarity.
“It could have been a shark or a jellyfish!”
“It was probably just a fish.” He grinned. “Or a baby fish.”
“You’re an ass.” Okay, I was laughing now. Gosh, my cheeks are going to hurt later.
“Ah, don’t be like that.” He gathered me in his arms and drew me in until we were touching.
Casting those powerful grays on me, he said, “You have to admit, once I found out that you weren’t hurt, it was kind of funny.”
“Fine.” I sighed, briefly biting my lower lip to prevent a smile from seeping past it. “It was kind of amusing.” I shot him a serious look. “But only now that it’s not touching me anymore.”
“Agreed.” He gave me an unreserved boyish smile, devastating me with its beauty, successfully stopping my heart.
All I could do was watch him. Completely hypnotized by this man, I was riveted by the close view of his face as droplets of water trickled down his forehead, cheeks, and mouth, which was less than two inches from mine. I could feel his warm breath on me.
Suddenly, his right hand came to the back of my neck while his left rested on my cheek where he began a soft, gentle caress. The look of pure desire pooled in his eyes.
“Raelyn?” he said my name as a question. His tone was husky and raw with need.
“Yes?” I held my breath as time seemed to suspend around us.
With every fiber of my being, I thought that he was going to kiss me. A part of me longed to have his lips on mine, yet the other part didn’t want him to kiss me. Deep down, I knew I’d never be able to forget his touch, and the memory would forever be etched in my memory.
My heart and mind were at a standstill. They had never disagreed so badly before.
“I’m going to kiss you.” His hand tightened around my nape, and his lips tenderly brushed along mine. Our surroundings ceased to exist. “And you’re going to let me.”
Then, his mouth was on mine with a toe-curling kiss that was so potent that it managed to jump-start my heart, as if ten thousand volts of electricity had just been pumped through it.
All I could do was hold on, so I did. I ran my fingers through his hair and clung to him, as if my life depended on it. My lips molded to his and moved in perfect synchronization with his. Raw passion ignited between us, consuming us both. My insides were melting, overpowered by my senses. I was a riot of sparks and flames, captivated by his fervor to take me. Every last nerve ending in my body sparked to life with this one kiss.
I never wanted the feeling to end. I felt…utterly alive for the first time.
By the time we broke our connection, we were both breathless and gasping for air. I was dizzy and soaring high on cloud nine. I swayed on my feet, and I gripped Damien’s biceps and slid my hands up to his shoulders to steady my balance.
That was when I felt the marks for the first time. Several jagged thick lines, running in opposite directions, marred my path on his bare tattooed skin. There were too many to count.
Holy fuck. What are these?
A profound rush of grief and heartache attacked all sides of my heart, penetrating my shield, at the idea of someone hurting him.
I was stunned I hadn’t noticed them earlier tonight when he removed his clothes or during the few times I touched him, but I guessed I’d been distracted.
It didn’t matter now.
The shift in his expression was immediate, the planes of his face instantly hardening. His body went rigid as a stone. His eyes were
on guard, too, almost as though an impenetrable wall had been placed around them.
Normally, I wouldn’t pry. But given that Damien knew that I’d felt them, I couldn’t stop the words from leaving my mouth. “What happened?” I whispered.
The marks were deep scars—they had to be—and they were everywhere.
“Nothing,” he answered dismissively, looking at anything but me.
I was knocked off-kilter by the rapid change of our evening.
“Did someone hurt you?” At the mere thought of someone inflicting such painful agony on Damien, I wanted to fall to my knees and succumb to the overwhelming sadness I felt tearing me apart from the inside out.
“They are part of my past, Raelyn. Nothing more.” Damien’s words were delivered with a harshness I’d never heard from him before as he backed away from me, leaving me to stare at the growing space between us. “And that’s where I want them to stay.”
“I’m so sorry.” I winced at his tone, embarrassed by my carelessness and lack in regard to his privacy and feelings, even though I deserved it. “I didn’t mean to be nosy.”
“It’s fine.” He glanced around, still refusing to meet my gaze. “It’s getting late. We should be going.” He turned around to face the direction from where we’d come. “I’ll take you home.”
As I watched Damien slowly make his way up to the beach to get dressed, so many emotions struck me. Topping the list were shock and despair at his revelation and my shame for bringing up something that caused him agony to talk about. I couldn’t blame him for walking off.
I yearned to run up to Damien, throw my arms around him to offer him comfort, and tell him that none of the scars he wore on his flesh made any difference to me. I was never one to judge a book by its cover. It was what was on the inside that truly mattered.
But I didn’t console Damien as I followed behind him, and a part of me told me that he didn’t want me to either.
As I sipped my coffee and waited for Iris to wake up, I couldn’t help but let my mind drift. It had been three days since I last saw Damien, a whole seventy-two hours without laying eyes on him or tasting his lips. The images of both filled my mind, especially that boyish smile he’d given me right before kissing me and the certainty and desire in his gaze.