I take another sip of my drink, in need of the cooling sweetness of the mai tai. Even my cocktail can't diminish the warmth that sizzles over my skin whenever this man speaks or whenever I let my gaze roam over his body. Yeah, I can't stop myself from doing that again. And again. He knew I'd been drooling over him a minute ago, so I doubt he'll care if I do it over and over.
Behind those reflective shades, he might be doing the exact same thing.
The stranger removes his sunglasses, holding them in his hand, and I finally glimpse his sapphire eyes. "Are you here alone? Or do you have a boyfriend or husband or some sort of significant other?"
"No, I'm alone. What about you?"
"On my own too." He glances at my breasts, and his tongue darts out to moisten his lips. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. That bikini is… incredible."
The rough, hot tone of his voice makes me shiver the tiniest bit. I take my shades off and set them on the little table beside me, where my drink waits. Suddenly, I don't want that mai tai anymore. I'd much rather get intoxicated by the man next to me.
"Your swim briefs are incredible too," I say. Oh God, was that not the dumbest thing I could possibly have blurted out? I'm a medical researcher, which means I have a brain and know how to use it. But this man short-circuits all my common-sense pathways.
"Would you like to go for a walk?" he asks. "Down the beach. It's a lovely day, and I'd be glad for the company."
"Sure. A walk sounds nice."
He rises and offers me his hand.
I settle my palm in his, loving the roughness of his skin, and slip my feet into my sandals. This close to him, I can see he has a dusting of stubble on his face. I love that too. Normally, I prefer clean-shaven men, but the stubble looks so good on this guy. His deep voice makes me want to fan myself, but his body has me lusting for him like crazy. I want to grab my cocktail and guzzle the rest of it. Instead, I let him lead me away from my chair, guiding me down the beach.
We travel farther and farther away from the main section of the beach, the part that's right in front of the resort building. A smattering of palm trees lines the main beach, but now we're moseying into a region with more trees where the palm fronds above shield us from the sun. The occasional rays shower down between the fronds, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
The stranger stops us near a large palm tree. He keeps hold of my hand, turning to face me.
I feel a bizarre need to say something. "My name is—"
"No names. Please." He claims my other hand, so now both of my palms are enclosed in both of his. "I'm leaving tomorrow. Going home. But first, I want to do something I've never done before."
"Like what? I'd love to try parasailing. I hear it's quite an experience."
He draws me closer, placing my hands on his hips, and wraps his arms around me. "I'd love to experience you."
I suck in a breath but can't quite inhale a full one. Did he just suggest what I think he suggested? No, that kind of thing does not happen to me. "What do you mean?"
He pulls me snug against his body. "I want to kiss you, for starters."
For starters? Excitement rushes through me, from my lips that have begun to tingle in anticipation to my toes that wriggle in my sandals like they're urging me to do something as wild as kissing a stranger. What else does he have in mind? I won't find out unless I make a decision.
"I've been drinking a mai tai," I say. "Don't feel impaired, but I thought you should know I had a cocktail."
"You barely drank a few millimeters of what was in that glass."
"That was my first cocktail in a really long time, and the only one I've had today."
"Good." He slides his hands up my back, spreading them over my shoulder blades. "May I kiss you?"
"Yes, please do." Why not? He's hot, and I desperately need to break out of my good-girl routine.
He brushes his lips over mine so delicately, his breaths ghosting over my skin. The feel of his firm body against mine does things to me I haven't experienced in a long time, maybe never. The knowledge that I'm about to be kissed by a total stranger, a man whose name I don't even know, sends an electrifying thrill through me. When he seals his mouth over mine, pressing firmly, I hold my breath and wait, craving so much more than this. He teases me with light flicks of his tongue but still doesn't deepen our kiss.
I moan and sag into him, flattening my palms on his chest, parting my lips and praying he'll give me more.
And he does. He slips his tongue between my lips to explore my mouth with delicate licks and sensuous glides like he wants to map every millimeter of my mouth so he can memorize the contours of it. I whisk my hands up his chest, twining my arms around his neck. He feels amazing, he tastes like everything decadent and forbidden, and the scent of him defies description even while it drives me crazy with the need to do more than kiss him.
His erection is crushed to my belly, skin to skin, like it's broken free from his skintight briefs. I rub myself against that rod, against all of him. My nipples go stiff and ache from the intoxicating way they scrape against his chest through the flimsy fabric of my bikini top.
He groans and peels his mouth away from mine. "I need more of you."