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The thought walloped into her hard, as her mind conjured up an image of the bikini Nyla had shown her.
Was that why the beach and surfing had been in her mind?
Admittedly, the bikini was less of a swim piece and more of a swim bit.
Did she really dare?
She tried to imagine Liam’s reaction, and then caught herself. What was she doing, imagining eliciting some reaction from an old boyfriend?
Except that Liam wasn’t simply some old boyfriend. He was the only man she’d ever loved. And she was giving him a bodyboarding lesson because they were friends, and to help them in working well as colleagues. It wasn’t about anything else.
As many times as she seemed to remind herself of that fact, her brain seemed determined to ignore it. How many times did she need to learn the same lessons?
Talia blew out a long breath. If she wasn’t careful, she was afraid that she was more at risk of falling for Liam than ever.
CHAPTER NINE
HE DID NOT like her bikini, Liam growled to himself a few hours later. Or, more accurately, he liked it rather too much.
A gloriously vibrant yellow thing with bright green floral detailing, which appeared to be little more than four triangles of fabric connected with other narrow strips of the same energising green material as the flowers.
It made that feral beast inside him roar with approval.
Mine.
He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off Talia the other day when she’d been fully clothed. How the hell was he supposed to concentrate on his damned lesson with her looking like that?
So much for just trying to be friends. Apparently, it didn’t matter what his brain—or logic—dictated, his body seemed hell-bent on proving otherwise. His teeth actually itched—as if they were resisting some carnal urge to rip the flimsy swim-set off, right there and then.
He watched her manoeuvre the board. So graceful, so supple. Doing little to help him clear his head of the unwanted, unhelpful images. The way they had been together. That heat. That fire. Like nobody else.
Because that was the truth of it, wasn’t it?
There had never been anybody like Talia. Not before, and definitely not since. From the moment they’d met, that flame had burned within him. Hotter and brighter than anything he’d ever dreamed could exist. He’d lost himself in her more times than he’d been able to count, and the worst of it was that, deep down, he’d believed it was always going to be that way.
It was almost a relief when she stopped at the edge of the ocean and pulled on the surf top, covering a swathe of mouth-watering skin. Almost.
She looked up at him and flashed her trademark grin.
‘Okay, put your top on, it will help protect your body, though I don’t imagine you’ll be riding any serious waves to result in a real wipe-ou
t.’
Was it his imagination or was her smile even brighter—wider—than he remembered it from three years ago? Pulling on his top and heading towards her, Liam mulled the idea over.
She’d always claimed that she couldn’t wait to get away from St Victoria and see the rest of the world. Yet it seemed to him that she was more relaxed here than he’d ever seen her. Happier, somehow. As though this place fitted her better than she’d claimed it had.
‘Good.’ Talia dragged him from his internal ponderings. ‘Now, take your board and tie the leash around your upper arm. Great, now let’s practise. Lie down on the board with your stomach on the back end of the board and your hands on the nose.’
‘It might be more effective to get into the water first,’ he suggested dryly, but Talia only shot him a dark look.
‘It’s easier to practise on dry land than to try it for the first time in water. Look, I’ll show you.’
She dropped the board and moved agilely into position, showcasing her athletic build and, though he tried not to stare, her peachy round backside. It occurred to him that dropping down to lie on the board might not be the worst idea in the world.
‘So, when we paddle out, you’ll need to move yourself further up to the centre of the board and propel it with your arms like this...’
Dutifully, Liam obeyed, fervently hoping that by concentrating he could take his mind off Talia’s body and that undeniable chemistry that was once again arcing between them.
