I paused when the first hint of upper thigh emerged, letting the fabric dangle dangerously close to the line of no return. The breeze played along, pulling at the fabric, making my hair billow out behind me as if it was part of the act, a hired extra. I didn’t need to glance over my shoulder, because I could feel his eyes on me, searing into my back with the same intensity I remembered from college. Back then, his gaze had always found me, no matter how crowded the room, and now, on this wide-open beach, there was no question about it . . . his eyes had definitely found me.
I inched my dress up higher, exposing the curve of my hips and the pastel yellow strings of my bikini bottoms. Then I lifted it higher, arching my back as I did. I hesitated for a moment, building anticipation ahead of the big reveal: the silly strings of my bikini top thatbarely held anything in place and covered only the bare essentials. I finally lifted the dress high enough for him to see my breasts. He’d told me over and over again how much he’d liked them that night we’d spent together.
And now we had come to thepièce de résistance, the moment that my dress made it all the way over my head. It was done with great pomp and ceremony, even the way I let it hang from my finger for a while before I let it fall to the sand below. For a moment I stood there pretending to admire the endless blue ocean in front of me. I stretched my arms above my head and arched my back, knowing full well what my body would look like in this position.
And then I decided to up the ante. I bent down to pick up the bottle of sunscreen, lingering there for way longer than necessary. This was to give him an adequate amount of time to admire my ass again, something he’d professed to liking rather a lot. In fact he’d claimed it was his favourite thing about me; he’d said that several times while sinking into me from behind, his voice low and rough as he thrust and ground. He’d also shown it to me in the way his hands had kneaded my flesh. The way he’d brought his hand down on my ass with one particularly hard slap, making my skin tingle and burn. It had not been gentle sex! Just the way we both liked it.
And then I sank the final nail into the coffin as I started to rub cream on my skin. The backs of my legs, my arms, my neck, between my breasts and everywhere else his hands had been. I touched myself the way he’d once touched me, and when I was done, I tossed the bottle onto the sand and strode into the sea.
The water was warm, and small crystal-clear waves lapped against my ankles, getting higher and higher with each step I took until they reached my thighs. When they got to my waist, I sank in slowly and disappeared beneath the surface. When I emerged again, it wasn’t just an emergence – oh no, it was a spectacle. I rose from the water like a seductive nymph, throwing my head back and shaking it, sending a cascade of droplets flying off me and glinting in the sunlight. They trickled down my body seductively, gliding over mybreasts, slipping along my stomach muscles, running between my thighs before blazing a trail down my quads.
I kept my eyes closed, letting the moment stretch out. Then, with a very deliberate flicker of my lashes, I opened them and strode back to shore. Picking up my things, I walked back to my lounger pretending he didn’t exist, and spread myself out on it in a way that made my stomach muscles tighten and my breasts push up. I closed my eyes again, but a millisecond before the world went dark, I got the slightest glimpse of Cam turning his head in my direction. And then my phone beeped.
She elicited a variety of feelings in me, always had. And although they might seem totally contradictory, for Lizzy and me they made total sense.
One, I wanted to walk over there in silence, slide onto the lounger next to her, drape an arm around her shoulders, pull her close and just sit there with her, no words needed.
Two, I wanted to throw her off that lounger, slam her into the sand and twist her arm back so hard she would need to tap out.
Three, I wanted to kiss her. Long and slow and soft. Kiss her right there and then on the beach until the sky turned black and the stars came out.
Four . . . well, that was the most powerful of all right now, especially after her little show. I wanted to walk over there, bend her over that lounger and fuck her senseless. I wanted to sink my teeth into her, bring my hand down onto her ass until it glowed red. Clamp my hand over her mouth while I thrust into her from behind so hard she forgot her own name. I adjusted myself in my seat, pulling the towel over my lap in case I gave myself away.
And five, I wanted to beat her. I wanted to win. After that slow-motion strip show she’d just given, she had flipped the tables on me and beaten me at my own game. But now I needed to find a way to beat her right back . . .
CHAPTER 17
I wiped my hand on my towel and picked up my phone excitedly. I was sure it was Philly, but my excitement was short-lived when I saw an unknown number on my screen. I knew immediately who it was. I opened the message.
Unknown Number:Oh, and if you think peeling your clothes off like that is going to distract me, then think again.
I didn’t bother asking how he’d got my number; he could have got it very easily in his line of work.
A second message followed.
Unknown Number:Are you trying to give every man on this beach a heart attack?
No. Just you, I replied.Is it working?
I heard a small laugh, but ignored it. I needed to know more about Cam. Why he was here. What the hell he was up to. So I sent a message to Captain Thuli Dlamini.
Hey, I’m in need of some info, let me know when we can chat?
I’d just finished typing when a shadow fell across me.
‘Hi. How’s the birdwatching?’ Blue Eyes asked, gesturing to my camera.
I looked up at the sky. ‘It’s a bit hot for the birds now, as youknow.’ I hoped this was correct; I thought it was. Didn’t birds go and sleep in the shade when it was very hot?
‘Of course.’ He nodded. ‘That’s why I was getting some swimming in.’
‘I just went in; the water is amazing,’ I said, and smiled at him.
‘Good to know.’
‘Well, have a nice day. Enjoy the water.’ I offered up another smile.
‘You too,’ he said, and started walking away. Then he suddenly stopped and turned. ‘I saw one, by the way.’
