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I stop dead in my tracks at the sound of my name. Who the hell knows me here?
Turning toward the voice, I almost want to swim out into the deep unknown.
“Braden?”
He grins and walks toward me. “What are you doing here?” he asks when he is closer to me.
“Oh, I, umm, I wanted to see the ocean since I’ve never been. I just drove around until I found one. What are you doing here?”
Holy crap I sound like an idiot. He’s just caught me so off guard.
“I live here.” He nods up to the beautiful house behind us.
“Holy shit you live here? What do you do for a living?” I blurt out, completely shocked to know someone who would actually live on the beach. Not near the beach, on the beach. He must make a fortune.
“Yep. I always wanted to live on the beach and after my divorce, it was the first thing I did. The girls love it too when they are here,” he says looking from the house back to me. “Companies hire me to build firewall security software on their systems.”
I have no idea what that means, but in an effort to look smart, I just nod my head.
Suddenly I remember I was trying to avoid him and feel awkward about the kiss and him seeing me practically naked yesterday. He doesn’t seem the least bit fazed by it as he keeps talking and talking about living on the beach. Not listening to him but focusing on yesterday is doing things to me. I try to shake the thoughts, but I feel my face flushing with embarrassment or maybe arousal.
“Braden, I think we need to talk about what happened yesterday,” I whisper, interrupting him.
He takes a deep breath and looks out to the ocean. “I know. Would you like to sit down?”
I follow suit and sit down beside him, a little too close to where the water is rushing up. Although he lives here, he knows where to sit.
I swallow a few times trying to find the right words. I want to just tell him how attracted I am to him, but I’m scared. He lives on the damn beach for Christ’s sake, I’m not good enough for him.
I try getting air into my lungs as I look into his green eyes. “I don’t know what to say. It felt so good, but it was completely unprofessional.”
He puts his hand on my knee and I close my eyes from the contact.
“I’m so sorry. I should never have put you or Kallie in that situation. It was definitely not the time or place. I talked to Kallie today and told her again that it was me and she was totally fine, just so you know. You didn’t blow your chances at modeling. Hell, I was there, believe me, you are going to go far.”
Hearing him say that sparks something in me. It’s something I’ve waited to hear, longed to hear for years. I can’t explain what comes over me, but the next thing I know I’m pressing my lips to his.
I know I’ve caught him off guard, hell I caught myself off guard, but after a second, he runs his hand up into my hair. Letting out a moan, he slides his tongue into my mouth and I’m on fire. I grab his shirt in my hands and kiss him with everything that I have. He growls and it just spurs me on.
Slowly he sinks down into the sand, never breaking contact. He is fully on his back and I’m angled half on his chest, half in the sand. I run my hands up and down his solid chest, wanting nothing more than to feel his skin on mine.
The kiss is slow, sweet, and we are both in no rush to have it end. He lets go of my hair and runs his hands down my back, stopping just before my ass. I dig my fingers into his shoulders, and he breaks the kiss. We are both searching the other's eyes for answers, none of which can be answered without words.
“Braden, I’m not good enough for you, but I’ve never in my life wanted someone more.”
He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear and pulls me down to place a soft kiss on my lips. “McKinley, you are far too good for me. You are stunning, sexy, and smart. You go after what you want without fear or reservation, and I admire that so much. Never in my life have I felt this attracted to someone, so please don’t say you aren’t good enough. If anything, I’m the one not good enough.”
It’s too much, too overwhelming. I don’t want to think because it makes me question too many things, mainly myself.
“So now what?”
He flips me over and I’m cushioned by the sand, with his incredible body caging me in. “Now I’m going to kiss you.”
And that is exactly what he does. We explore each other’s mouths and bodies, letting out soft moans. Having his hands caress my sides and back up into my hair. It feels amazing. I’m lost in him; in the way he is making me feel. I want more, so much more. Just as I’m about to wrap my leg around his waist, we are hit by a huge wave.
“Oh, holy fuck,” I yell, trying to chr atch my breath and blink the water away from my eyes.
Braden is laughing looking down at me. “That’s one way to get me off of you.” I’m still shocked and breathing heavily at the unexpected wave. “Here,” he says, pulling his shirt off and helping me sit up. He wipes his face with it and hands it to me.
