Page 104 of Lost & Found

My cheek twitched as I tried to keep my shit together and not destroy her in the process.

Breathe, fucker, and say something nice, damn it. She’ll remember this shit for eternity.

For the first time in my life, there was an angel and devil hanging out on my shoulders. One wanted to claim. Kill. The other wanted to revel in her beauty. Share it with others.

I inhaled and willed her to look at me. When she finally did, it was like someone punched me in the gut. The confusion, insecurity, and hurt that filled her eyes crushed me. I ran my hand through my hair in frustration.

What the hell is wrong with you? Asshole.

She swallowed, and her bottom lip trembled.

I leaned in and spoke. “How many times do I need to tell you? Undressing you is my job?”

I didn’t give a shit that anyone could hear. I cared even less that it was a fucking straight-up lie. All that mattered was building her back up. One finger slid down the curve of her waist, and I marveled at the goosebumps erupting in my wake.

She trembled beautifully. My touch drifted to the waistband of her jeans. I took my time, letting the tension rise between us. My finger circled her bellybutton. She stumbled forward into my chest, gripping my forearms.

“Oh,” she breathed.

The button gave under my fingers. A steady smile settled on my face—controlled and calm. I channeled Nik’s calm, cool demeanor even as my pulse hammered. The zipper lowered inch by inch. I forced myself not to rush, not to put my hand down her pants and trail a finger down the front of her suit.

Everything in me wanted to find her sweet clit and rub it. Her thighs pressed together instinctively. I leaned even closer to whisper in her ear this time to keep it between us.

“Relax for me. You wanted them off, yeah?”

Her answer wasn’t verbal. Instead, she unclenched her thighs. The smallest shift of her stance had her hips widening beneath my hands. Our eyes locked. This time I made sure she saw what I was truly feeling.

Not the flash of temper from seconds ago, not the possessive surge that had nearly hijacked me—but the truth—desire. The tent in my shorts was probably broadcasting it clearly enough, but she seemed blissfully unaware.

“Really?” Hannah asked, somehow sounding offended. “She needs help getting undressed? What is she, a baby?”

Without looking back, I answered calmly, “Nah. That’s Kinsley. This right here is a princess. My princess.”

Amusement replaced uncertainty, and her spine straightened again. Whatever doubt had crept into her eyes vanished. Crisis averted. She widened her stand a fraction more, and the short slipped down her legs.

“I think going forward,” I murmured close to her ear, “I need to approve any outfit you plan to wear around my friends. Now be a good girl for me and step out of them.”

She obeyed. Her nails dug into my forearms as she stepped free of the denim. When I stepped back, the breath left my body in a slow exhale. Seeing her in a photograph had been one thing.

Seeing her here, with the sun warming her skin, ocean wind teasing loose strands of hair across her shoulders—that was something else entirely.

Golden and soft in places that begged to be touched, defined in others, hinting she took her workouts seriously. The curve of her stomach, somewhat contained by the red fabric, drew my attention in a way I hadn’t expected.

The silky smooth texture drove me insane. I wanted to lay her down and place my head on those curves and experience every part of her. Her thighs were thick and muscular. My gaze lingered longer than what was proper, and the longer I looked, the harder it became to maintain control.

Her breasts were stunningly displayed, nipples barely covered. Tight buds formed as I stared. What I wouldn’t have given to untie the top and pay homage to them with my hands and mouth. There was something so cute about the way the fabric bulged across the front where the top couldn’t quite cope with the task it had been given.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hannah drag Trent toward the water. He slid his sunglasses on, pretending indifference. Lisa and Chase followed shortly after.

“Reg,” I heard Shelia say, already rising. “I’m going to head up. This sun is a bit too much. I want to be present tonight, but I need to lie down for a while.”

Bless that woman. I breathed a sigh of relief as he offered to accompany her.

Alone. At last.

“Do I look that bad?” Isabella asked.

A stream of Russian spilled from my mouth before I could filter it—praise tangled with disbelief, admiration laced with something dangerously close to devotion. I might have even asked her to marry me at one point.