“Absolutely.”
Callie spread out the large blanket she’d brought along and then removed the denim shorts and t-shirt she’d worn over her bathing suit. Grabbing a bottle of sunscreen from her bag, she quickly covered her arms, legs, face, and as much of her back as she could reach.
She looked over at Dylan, intending to ask him if he wanted to borrow some sunscreen, when he pulled his t-shirt off. The second his shirt hit the sand, she made a valiant effort not to stare and ogle. She honestly did. But how could she not? Any woman in her position would. She just hoped her tongue wasn’t hanging out too far.
She’d already known he was in good shape. She could tell by the way his clothes fit him. Still, she hadn’t been prepared for the view she had now.
Obviously Mr. CEO didn’t spend all his time in the office. Even though she should, Callie just couldn’t look away.
Dylan’s shoulders were wide, but his torso narrowed to a lean waist. With an incredibly developed chest and six-pack, she could imagine him doing underwear ads. A set of powerful legs completed the package.
After spreading a blanket alongside hers, Dylan dropped down next to her. “Mind if I borrow some of that?” he asked, pointing to the bottle of sunscreen.
“I thought you said you came prepared for anything?” Callie teased him before handing him the bottle.
“Don’t tell anyone. It would ruin my image.”
“My lips are sealed.”
Rather than pull out her book and read like she should do, Callie watched as he spread sunscreen across his skin. Her hands practically tingled with longing to be moving across his shoulders and chest. At one point, she opened her mouth ready to ask him if he wanted her to do his back for him. Luckily, her common sense stepped in right on time.
What the heck is wrong with me? she wondered, burying her nose in her book. Did I really almost ask him if he needed help putting on sunscreen?
She hardly knew him. How could she even consider doing something so personal for a stranger?
“Did you get your back?” he asked, as if reading her mind.
“Uh...not completely, but it’s good enough.”
Dylan moved a little closer. “Lean forward. I’ll get it for you.” Without waiting for a response, he squeezed sunscreen into his hand. “Don’t want you to get burned today.”
I’d rather get burned by the sun than you. Callie wasn’t sure her body could handle having his hands on it. “Really, it’s no big—”
“I think you like arguing with me.” Dylan positioned himself behind her. “Do you really want a sunburn? I promise I won’t bite.”
Callie took in a deep breath, and then blew it out before she leaned forward so he had access to her back and shoulders. The rough callouses on his palms caught her attention as his hands glided across her skin and sent warmth throughout her body.
Wonder how he got those. Not from sitting behind his desk all day. Perhaps at the gym, he obviously spent plenty of time there.
Slowly, his hands moved from her shoulders and down her spine. The intimate contact was sweet torture. She found herself longing for a quick dip in the ocean to cool her skin. She could just picture herself jumping in and steam rising up around her like it did when a blacksmith dropped a piece of red hot iron in cold water to cool it. The image made her laugh before she could stop herself.
“What’s so funny?” Dylan asked. His voice contained a hint of amusement, and his accent sounded more pronounced than usual.
“Nothing. You just hit a ticklish spot,” she answered, thinking fast. She needed his hands off her before she melted into a puddle. “Thanks. I’m good now.” Callie pulled away, putting some much needed space between them. Picking up her book again, she looked for the page where she’d left off on since
the bookmark had fallen out.
Dylan leaned back and used his arms to prop himself up. “What are you reading?”
“Emma.” Callie shrugged. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“I could never get into Jane Austen. Prefer Dickens myself.”
For some reason, she couldn’t picture Dylan reading anything but the Wall Street Journal or some other business related publication.
Don’t judge, Callie reminded herself. She’d been the victim of that enough times to know how unfair it could be.
“I like some of his stories, but I’ll take a copy of Pride and Prejudice first any day. Austen is probably my favorite classical author.”