Isaac places his hand on my lower back and leans over my shoulder to peruse the book I’m reading. His touch could be classified as friendly, but my body reacts as if it’s a sexual one. I haven’t seen him since breakfast. I assumed he must have been agitated from our conversation this morning and was avoiding me, but the fact he is sitting so close to me, I'd say my assumption was wrong.
“Phew, I was getting worried it was another Mills and Boons book.”
Smiling at his huff, I roll over to face him. Because he doesn’t move his hand splayed on my lower back, it brushes past my hip bone and lands on the bottom half of my stomach when I roll.
The veins in my neck thrum as my pulse surges just from the sheer closeness of his god-gifted body. He is more casually dressed than he was previously, his muscular physique well-displayed in a tight-fitted white shirt and a pair of black running shorts.
When I spot a trail of sweat running down his cheek and detect the slight aroma of his delicious manly scent, I assume he must have just returned from a run.
“What are you reading?” His tempting purr makes my insides warm.
“Thoughtless by S. C. Stephens.” I’m breathless from his close proximity. “It’s about two people who shouldn’t be together, but are destined to be together. I’ve read the entire series three times already.”
His brow arches high as his mouth etches into a firm line.
“You just don’t understand the wondrous entrapment you feel when you read about a character like Kellan Kyle,” I reply cheekily. “He’s my number one book boyfriend.”
Isaac's lips twist. "It's guys like him who make it hopeless for a man to date these days. All girls are expecting a guy like Kell. . ."
“Kellan Kyle.”
“Yeah, and instead, they get a guy who comes home stinking of B.O. after working ten-hour-plus days. He drinks beer that smells like it was fermented in old college socks, and snores louder than the freight trains running through Philly,” he jests.
My cheekbones lift as the grin spreads across my face. Even a rowdy giggle manages to escape my lips. I can’t help but laugh. A man like Isaac Holt would never have to worry about being compared to a book boyfriend. A real-life man would have a hard enough time competing against him, let alone a fictional character.
Air snares in my throat from the intense look radiating from his exquisite eyes. My giggles halt as my body stiffens. When he remains quiet, I tilt my head and cock my brow in silent questioning.
His eyes appraise my face before he says, “That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh.”
My cheeks enflame and another grin furls my lips high. Our intimate gathering plummets into silence, but it isn't uncomfortable or awkward. It's electrifying. The intimacy bouncing between us is so sharp it feels as if we’re being invisibly bound.
I sigh when he stands from the chair; I’m disappointed by his hasty retreat. My disappointment doesn’t linger for long when Isaac thrusts his hand out in offering.
He pulls me up from the daybed. We stand across from each other with only the merest portion of air between us.
His enthralling eyes study my face before skimming my body. Once they return to my face, he smirks. “Did you pack a swimsuit?”
Unable to form a reply through my dry, gaped mouth, I nod.
“Go and get changed.”
“Okay.”
I reluctantly pace away from him.
* * *
I clench my fists at my side before begrudgingly turning around to face the full-length mirror in my room. I've spent the last ten minutes debating on whether I should wear the semi-indecent string bikini or the full one-piece suit I packed. Stupidly, I listened to my lust-fueled heart and put on the tiny bikini.
“Okay, it’s not too bad.”
No nipples are showing, and most of my breasts are covered. Turning around, I frown. There is more of my backside exposed than I would have liked. My apprehensive eyes dart over to my hideous Hawaiian print cover-up and my more conservative suit.
Before my rational thinking head overrules my naughty inner vixen, a knock sounds at my door. Panicked, I yank my denim shorts up my legs before advising my caller they can enter. My body fails to breathe and time slows to a snail pace when Isaac walks into the room wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks.Holy shit!
His body is just as good, if not better than I'd remembered. I gulp harshly, aiming to soothe my dry, scorched throat as my eyes absorb every spectacular muscle, dip, and plane of his perfect body. His eyes assess my body just as thoroughly, and my insides cheer when a broad smile etches on his face.
No words escape either of our lips as he encases my hand within his and walks us toward the expansive beach that stretches each way for miles. Although it is fall, the weather is beautiful, and my shoulders happily absorb the the warm sun.
