“You’ve got this. I’m going to get off my board and stand by yours in case you need me, okay?” She spends a few seconds thinking on it until she finally lands her eyes on mine and I give her a reassuring nod. She sucks in a deep breath before blowing it slowly and she finally nods. I slip off of my board and let it float behind me while I make sure this goes okay for her.
“When I tell you it’s time, I want you to push up to your feet and try to keep your balance.” She still looks nervous but she doesn’t fight me she just nods. I watch a few waves come and go but they’re either too small or too rough, never just right. Finally I see a perfect one rolling in and I instruct her that it’s time. At the perfect time she pops up to her feet. She wobbles left, then right, then left again. She catches herself though and rides it. Just as I think she’s going to have a perfect first try, she wobbles again and falls. I jump forward and catch her. I’m filled to the brim with pride because holy shit she really tried it. I’m not sure anything will beat seeing my girl up on a board riding a wave.
“Holy shit!” she exclaims when she lands in my arms. It doesn’t come out terrified like I expect though. No, she sounds thrilled.
“I’m so proud of you.”
“Kiss me,” she demands. Who am I to say no? I adjust her in my arms and she wraps her legs around my waist. I press my lips to her and just like every time it’s pure fucking magic.
Her hands drag down my bare chest and I swear it leaves burning hot embers behind. I slide a hand down the curve of her back and let it land on her ass. It feels so good, so perfect, so right. Yet, I still feel like it’s wrong. There is nothing I want more than this but with everything she’s been through, I need to be sure we are taking this at a pace she’s comfortable with. I need to know she won’t regret anything she does with me. Sure, a handsy makeout session isn’t anything crazy but I know where it’s headed. Most of all I’m not sure I can pump the brakes if it goes any further.
“Should we stop?” I ask and I hate myself for it. What a stupid fucking thing to ask. She leans back, getting a better look at my face. Hers is twisted with confusion.
“What? Why?” She slides out of my grip and stands in front of me. Confused is fine but when she looks hurt, that’s when I know I messed up.
“I just don’t want to mess this up by rushing it, you know? You’ve been through a lot and I don’t want to push you,” I admit. She lets out a sigh and looks up at the sky before speaking again.
“You’re probably right,” she says, nodding to herself. Being right should feel better than this. It doesn’t though, it feels like an arrow through the gut. It doesn’t feel right. What felt right, was kissing her. I just nod though, agreeing. She grabs a hold of her board and she looks like she’s going to make her way back to shore. It feels a little too much like the night that she left me here at the beach when I kissed her.
“No, wait,” she says, whipping around to face me again. “You’re not right. This is stupid. I don’t want to pump the brakes and I don’t think you do either. So why are we doing it?” she asks, throwing two defeated hands in the air.
“I don’t know. I just want to take things at your pace.”
“Thisismy pace,” she says, stepping forward and pulling me down to kiss her. The kiss is quick before she pulls away. “Take me home,” she whispers against my lips. I was trying to do the right thing but I can only do so much. If Audra Hart is asking me to take her home, to take this at her pace, I’m doing it. I waste no time grabbing my board and stuffing it under my arm, making my way to the shore. She is right behind me the entire time and my heart is racing in my chest. I don’t know exactly what comes next here, but I know it will be damn good.
“We have to get out of these wetsuits,” I tell her. “I’ll get the keys to the shop and we’ll get ready in there, sound good?” I ask.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
I walk around to the Jeep and get the keys. When I walk back around she’s just standing there waiting on me and I wonder if she is buzzing with excitement and anxiety the way that I am. I don’t ask her though. I just unlock the shop and let us both in.
Chapter17
Audra
My back is turnedto Roman and I feel the zipper of my wetsuit slowly come undone. Taking off a wetsuit should never be this fucking erotic. The zipper is finally down far enough I can slide it off my shoulders and it folds down my body where I can peel it off my legs. It’s a bit of a fight to drag it off my body, but once it’s off I’m left in just my bikini. I turn back to face Roman and his body hasn’t moved an inch, leaving us just inches apart.
I clear my throat, forcing myself to think straight and speak. “Thank you,” I say breathlessly. I keep my eyes locked on his and his eyes flick down my body then back to my eyes, holding my gaze.
“No problem,” he replies but his eyes are still locked on mine and no one has moved a muscle.
Anticipation burns in my chest. I know what’s coming next, I know it with every cell in my body. The.Last. Fucking. Thing. We should be doing. Yet I know it’s coming. I know he’s going to kiss me, and I know without a shadow of a doubt I’m going to let him. That’s why I feel a million emotions swarming in my chest but not one of them is surprise when he wraps a strong hand around the back of my neck and crashes his lips right into mine.
This isn’t the first time Roman has kissed me, but it’s just as addicting as the first time—and the second. His tongue swipes my bottom lip and I part my lips to let him in. His tongue slides against mine and then I feel him suck on the tip of it and I moan against his mouth.
I should stop him, tell him we shouldn’t be doing this. Tell him I just got out of a really messy relationship. Tell him we can’t do this without talking to Ares. I don’t though, instead I reach behind my back and pull the strings holding my bathing suit top together and let it fall between us. Roman pulls back to get a good look at me, raking his eyes from mine to my lips then to my tits.
“Jesus Christ, Auds.” He groans, rolling his head back before craning his neck and taking one nipple in his mouth and the other between his fingers. Now I’m standing in this empty surf shack panting with a hand tangled in Roman’s hair. His tongue flicks over and back and my knees almost give out.
“I want more,” I pant against the top of his head. He lets my nipple go with a pop and straightens his back standing over me again. He’s staring down at me, chest heaving and I’m staring right back up at him doing the same.
I’m waiting for him to lay me down on the couch in here or throw me up on the counter but instead he takes a knee in front of me, then a second.Jesus. I had never given any thought to what this man might look like on his knees but it’s a fucking sight to see. A sight that will be burned into my head forever.
“What are you doing?” I ask on a heavy exhale. His eyes flick up to me and I could come just seeing him looking up at me from the floor like this. Big brown eyes peering up at me from his new position on the floor is enough to drive me wild.
“I want you to know you’re completely in control. I’m putting the power back in your hands, pretty girl. Just ask and I’ll give you everything,” he says dropping a kiss to the center of my chest. My heart warms and so does the spot between my thighs. I feel completely out of my element. I’m not experienced enough to be leading us here. Yet, the offer sparks something in me that makes me want to try. I’m filled to the brim with confidence. Confidence I have never felt in my life. Who knew all it would take is a pretty boy on his knees offering to give me anything I ask for?
“So you’re going to be a good boy and do what I say?” I ask raising a brow at him. A sickly seductive grin wipes across his perfect lips. No one should look this fucking good on their knees.
