Perfect for the Beach

by Lori Foster

  With that, he picked up the ring box and slipped it back into his pocket. “I guess I’ll just hold on to this for now,” he said, then stood and extended his hand toward her. “Come on, sweetheart. It’s been a long day, and we’d both benefit from a good night’s sleep.”

  She took his hand, unable to stop the sense of despair taking hold within her. She had no idea what the rest of the weekend would hold, but she hoped and prayed that this moment didn’t mark the beginning of the end of her relationship with Alex.

  * * *

  Alex laced his hands behind his head and stared at the shadows on the ceiling above the four-poster bed he was reclining on, while Dana finished changing in the bathroom before joining him for the night.

  They’d both been silent on the walk back to their suite, which was no surprise since he’d given Dana a whole lot to think about and consider. He hated pressuring her for an answer, a choice, and he hated hurting her in any way even more. And there was every possibility that he was going to be the source of a whole lot more emotional pain for her before the weekend came to a close.

  Minutes later she came out of the bathroom, wearing a silky black nightie with sheer lace barely covering her breasts. As she walked toward the bed, the short hem slithered across her thighs, making her skin look smooth and creamy and oh-so-tempting. It was a nightgown made for seduction and sinning, no doubt purchased as a special surprise to celebrate their one-year anniversary together.

  Alex was more surprised that she’d chosen to wear it, especially after the way their dinner conversation had gone. He’d expected her to be more withdrawn and guarded, and certainly not in the mood to fool around.

  As she moved up onto the bed, straddled his waist, and wriggled her bottom against his groin, it became increasingly obvious that’s exactly what she wanted. He was wearing a pair of boxer shorts, but he rose to the occasion, growing hard and thick in seconds flat.

  He reached up to touch her, but she grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the sides of his head, dominating him. The movement caused her hair to fall over her bare shoulders, her breasts to nearly spill from the bodice of her gown, and brought their faces about a foot apart.

  The lamp on the nightstand beside them cast a soft, incandescent light over her, haloing her head and silhouetting her luscious body. It also brought an interesting detail into sharp focus that he might have missed otherwise.

  This close, he glimpsed the desperation glimmering in her bright green eyes, and he quickly realized her ploy. She was after a wild, fast, hot tumble that would prove to him, and most likely herself, that she was in control of them. And unlike the way she’d surrendered to him that afternoon on the flight to Florida, she was determined to remain on top—literally and figuratively.

  As difficult as it was for him to refuse her, they wouldn’t be making love tonight, no matter how badly his body ached to drive deep inside of her.

  Without much effort, he managed to loosen his hands from hers and slide his arms around her waist. Confusion reflected across her expression as he gently eased her back down to the mattress beside him, then a whimper of frustration escaped her throat when he turned and drew her back up against the front of his body, spoon-fashion.

  “Alex?” The one word held a wealth of questions, and emotion.

  “Not tonight, Dana,” he murmured softly, then switched off the lamp, knowing it was going to be a long, restless night for both of them.

  With his arm draped around Dana to hold her close, he felt a sigh of breath shudder out of her chest, much like a sob. He squeezed his eyes shut, her pain and confusion nearly tangible. She thought he was stripping away that control she prided herself on, but he was really just redistributing it so that she’d learn to depend on him every once in a while.

  And know that it was okay to do so, without losing anything in the process.

  Chapter Four

  Reclining on a lounge chair by the resort’s lagoon-style pool, and dozing with the warmth of the sun on her skin, Dana frowned as a large shadow loomed over her, blocking the bright, warm sunlight. She waited for the obstruction to pass, but instead felt cold droplets of water splash on her bare belly. Sucking in a shocked gasp of breath, she opened her eyes to find Alex standing above her, drenched from a swim in the pool.

  He combed his hair away from his face with his fingers and grinned unapologetically for getting her all wet, his mood playful despite all that still stood unresolved between them. “Hey, gorgeous, would you like to take a walk on the beach before we head back to our suite to clean up for dinner tonight?”

  She returned his smile and handed him a towel so he could dry off. “Yeah, I’d like that.” She stood and secured her matching sarong around her waist.

  Minutes later they were strolling along the shore hand in hand, with the ocean lapping against their feet and their toes sinking into the wet sand. A light, warm breeze blew off the coast, tousling Alex’s damp hair around his head and making her wrap swirl against her legs. Their walk was relaxing and serene, and though they were both quiet, there was no tension between them.

  Amazingly, the day had begun without the angst in which the previous night had ended, and for that Dana was extremely grateful. They’d slept in until after nine A.M., then ordered breakfast from room service and ate the meal out on their balcony, with a spectacular view of the ocean. At eleven they headed to the spa for their appointment and enjoyed soothing, stress-reducing massages, then opted for a late lunch at the resort’s café before going their separate ways for a few hours.

  Alex had gone to the golfing range to hit a few buckets of balls, and Dana had taken a book to the pool to relax and read, until she’d fallen asleep. Everything about the day was normal and pleasant and enjoyable, but she knew it was all a temporary reprieve. Alex was giving her time and space to figure things out for herself, which she appreciated, but she was all too aware that the clock was ticking on their time together and she’d eventually have to give him an answer to his proposal.

  She’d spent the better part of the morning and afternoon doing a lot of contemplating about her past, her present, and what she wanted in her future. She’d thought she’d had it all figured out—what she wanted out of life and what direction it was heading—but that was before she’d met Alex and he’d added a new, more emotional dimension to her existence.

  She still didn’t have any concrete answers, just those damnable fears that wouldn’t leave her alone. The fear of letting go of all she’d held on to for so long, and trusting in Alex and all he was offering her. The fear of losing him for good if she refused his proposal. And the one fear she’d never expected would make itself known: could she be the kind of woman Alex deserved and needed for the rest of his life?

  It was a legitimate concern, and one she had to explore deeper—for herself, and Alex, too. And because there was no better time than the present, she decided to try and find some answers to that question lying heavily on her heart.

  She glanced Alex’s way and found him already staring at her, his blue-eyed gaze warm and genuine and as real as his feelings for her. He was still holding her hand, the simple connection between them intimate and caring and just what she needed the most right now.

  “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?” He delivered the same question she’d asked him last night, proving that he knew how to gauge her moods pretty darn well, too.

  She smiled and ducked her head. “I think there’s too much on my mind,” she admitted, then looked back up at him and forged ahead with what she needed to know. “Why have you stayed with me for the past year?”

  She certainly hadn’t made it easy on him, at least not emotionally. It had taken her much longer to admit her feelings to him, and looking back she was shocked that he’d been so patient with her.

  Which made her question, and his answer, all the more important.

  Alex kicked at the surf foaming at his feet as he mulled over his reply, knowing he couldn’t sum up his response in one easy s
entence. “Let’s see,” he mused, and cast her an amusing smile. “There’s you being beautiful and sexy and having a great ass, which was the first thing that turned my head.”

  Her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of red. “Nice to know you’re a typical male,” she murmured wryly.

  “Oh, yeah.” He laughed and winked at her. “But you’ll be glad to know that I quickly learned that beneath that incredible beauty of yours, and our instantaneous chemistry, you’re witty and intelligent and feisty, as well as dedicated and successful and self-assured. It’s a combination that intrigued me from the first and kept me coming back for more.”

  As he extolled all the qualities he admired about her, he found it ironic that the confidence and independent attitude he was initially attracted to was now one of the main issues that stood between them and a future together.

  He stopped and turned toward her, wanting to make sure he had her full, undivided attention for what he was about to say next. “Then I fell in love with you, all of you, good and bad, and that’s the first time any woman has ever ensnared me so completely.”

  With a gentle caress, he brushed back the strands of hair fluttering against her cheek from the breeze and stared deeply into her eyes. “You’re amazing, Dana, in so many ways.” And he wanted her to realize that for herself. Accept it. Believe it.

  “Oh, wow,” she breathed.

  He’d obviously given her more than she’d bargained for, but considering their relationship was at stake, he wasn’t going to hold anything back. And he hoped she’d give him the same in return.

  He slid his palms down her sun-kissed arms until he was holding her hands once again. “Now it’s my turn for a few questions.”

  She peered at him cautiously, but didn’t shut him out or try to dissuade him. “All right.”

  He saw her acquiescence as a positive sign. “I want to know why it’s so important to you to be so disciplined and in control, of your feelings, your surroundings, and even us.”

  She glanced away, toward the ocean, but not before he saw the show of guilt pass over her features.

  Touching his fingers to her chin, he brought her gaze back to his, refusing to let her withdraw now that they’d come this far. “Tell me why you’re afraid of letting anyone get too close, and why you have such a hard time depending on anyone other than yourself, for anything. And I know your reasons go a hell of a lot deeper than being focused on building your career, so don’t use that as an excuse to hide behind.”

  When she didn’t answer, he knew he’d hit a sensitive nerve. He squeezed her hand encouragingly and continued. “Make me understand at least that much, Dana.” Because all those questions he’d brought up were issues she’d kept private and locked away. And he suspected her explanation was the key to their future.

  Now, it was a matter of her trusting him with the truth.

  She moved away from him and he let her go. A few steps later she picked up a shell that had washed up on the shore and rubbed her thumb over the smooth surface before glancing over her shoulder at him. “I know I’ve never told you much about my past, or how I grew up, and that’s because it’s something I’d rather forget.”

  “Tell me now, Dana,” he urged gently.

  She inhaled a slow, deep breath. “Being an only child, and with my parents being divorced by the time I was ten, I didn’t have the kind of family life you did, with parents and siblings who were supportive and loving and always there for you, so it makes it easy to depend on them if you need something.”

  He had to admit that he was very fortunate in that regard. Even though his own mother had died when he was just a boy, and he and his siblings had experienced a few difficult years after that loss, they’d at least had their father and each other to turn to. Apparently, Dana hadn’t had anyone to offer her that unconditional love and support when she’d needed it the most.

  “Soon after my parents’ divorce was finalized, my father married a younger woman, which completely devastated my mother,” she went on, and shook her head in annoyance as they started strolling along the beach again. “She was at such a loss without my father, since she’d spent over ten years being completely devoted to him. She’d been a stay-at-home wife, very passive and always trying to please my father, to the point that I was sometimes an afterthought. She’d also depended on him for everything, and once she was on her own she didn’t know what to do, or how to support herself.”

  Her lips flattened into a thin line, her frustration over her mother’s inability to stand on her own two feet obvious. “So, instead of getting a job or trying to better herself, she found another man to take care of her, and when that didn’t work out, she found another. It became a vicious cycle, and it got to the point that whenever she said she was in love, I’d cringe because I knew it was all so superficial and just a matter of having a man around to rely on.”

  Alex listened quietly, intently, knowing there was more and wanting to hear it all.

  With a sigh, she threaded her fingers through her tousled hair before speaking again. “As I grew older, I learned to equate that emotion with being weak and vulnerable and dependent. Mainly, on a man. It’s what I saw with my mother on a regular basis and lived with until I graduated from high school, and by that time I swore I’d never put myself in the kind of position my mother had.”

  So much clicked into place for Alex, especially a greater understanding of Dana’s driven, strong-willed personality and why she felt the undeniable need to be so disciplined and in control of everything in her life. Including their relationship.

  “You’re nothing like your mother,” Alex assured her. “And you know me well enough to realize that I’m not anything like the men in her life, or that I’d ever ask you to give up anything for me.”

  When she made no reply, he pressed his advantage. “Another thing I know with certainty is that what you feel for me isn’t anything superficial. And maybe that’s what scares you so much, because real love means laying yourself bare and believing that the person you care so deeply about will always be there for you, no matter what, and making that leap takes a bigger amount of trust than walking away with your heart and emotions intact.”

  She gave him a wavering smile. “You’re right,” she whispered.

  And he hated that he was. “So I guess the biggest issue that remains between us is you trusting in me. In all ways. Physically and emotionally, and with your heart and soul.”

  And tonight, he planned to put her to the ultimate test.

  Chapter Five

  Wearing a sexy black cocktail dress, and ready for her evening with Alex, Dana headed out of the suite’s bedroom, only to find the living room empty and Alex gone. She frowned, then caught sight of a single long-stemmed red rose on the coffee table, along with a folded piece of stationery with her name on it.

  Recognizing Alex’s handwriting, she picked up the note and read what he’d written inside: Meet me down in the hotel bar. Love, Alex.

  Curious, and more than a little intrigued to find out what kind of game Alex was playing, she took the elevator to the main floor, then headed into the hotel bar, named the Lobby Lounge. Once inside, she glanced around, searching for her date.

  He was nowhere to be found.

  The establishment was spacious, with a large bar, intimate sitting areas, and live musical entertainment. Dana went ahead and chose a vacant table and sat down to wait for Alex to join her.

  A waitress came by to take her order; Dana smiled at the young woman and told her that she was waiting for someone, and she’d order a drink when he arrived. With a nod, the waitress moved on to another table.

  Ten minutes later the woman returned and placed a drink on the table in front of her. Before Dana could tell her she’d made a mistake, the woman grinned and spoke first.

  “The drink is from that good-looking guy at the bar dressed all in black,” the waitress told her, and pointed out which man she was referring to.

  Dana glanced past the woman, pr
epared to refuse the drink, until she saw Alex sitting on a barstool. Sure enough, he was dressed in a black shirt and pants, and he looked sexy as hell.

  He grinned like a rogue and raised his own glass to her in a silent toast, then downed the rest of the contents.

  She stared at him in stunned disbelief, trying to figure out his angle, along with his pretense of being a stranger buying her a drink—which she admittedly found to be an exciting and potentially erotic prospect with Alex.

  When Dana took too long to formulate a response, the waitress came to her own conclusions about her silence. “I’m sorry. Did you want me to tell him you refused the drink?”

  Dana immediately shook her head. “No, I’ll take it,” she said, and glanced back at the cocktail Alex had sent her, which didn’t look like anything she’d ever had before. “What kind of drink is this?”

  Amusement glimmered in the other woman’s eyes. “It’s called a Screaming Orgasm,” she said before heading back to the bar to pick up another drink order.

  Dana nearly groaned at that, and gave Alex credit for being so innovative—with the drink and this seductive adventure of his.

  Deciding to play along and have fun with the fantasy, Dana raised her glass and acknowledged Alex with a sultry smile. She mouthed the words “thank you” before taking a drink of the creamy, sweet-tasting drink, recognizing the rich, smooth flavors of amaretto, Irish cream, and vodka.

  After that initial first sip, she slowly licked her lips and coyly touched her fingers to the swells of her breasts above the low-cut neckline of her dress. Her nipples hardened in response, and she let her lashes fall halfmast, in a way that told Alex just how hot and aroused all this role-playing was making her.