Page 22 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

Carly pulled in a shallow breath, tuning into the wonderful sense of euphoria washing over her. Tiny grains of sand shifted beneath her, as if they too were drawn to his presence, longing to be even closer.

His leg brushed lightly against her thigh, and suddenly the bright sun was replaced by cool shadows behind her lids. A drop of water splashed onto her chest; another landed on her chin. He was hovered over her!

The euphoric sensations swelled through her anew, multiplying as his hand grazed the side of her hip.Yum.

A thrill sparked hot in her belly as she took in the sensation of his touch. She hoped the crazy increase of her madly beating heart wasn’t visible.

“You’re beautiful,” Gage mumbled under his breath, his voice deep and alluring.

It felt as if an entire flock of birds fluttered wildly in her chest. Carly wrestled with herself in the heated moment of anticipation. Should she look up at him, give him some encouragement to kiss her, or just lie there with her eyes closed like Sleeping Beauty?

And what about onlookers? Would that group of surf boys see them? Probably not. They were beyond the sand dunes now. In the more private area of the beach.

Besides, she’d been dying to kiss Gage since their first lunch date at The Mini Palm—a date they’d turned into a regular thing since then. After the many hours she’d spent in his company, Carly wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on hers.

Tentatively, she let her lids drift open, blinking a few times before taking in his expression. She’d expected to see that teasing smile on his face, the one he always pulled when she held his gaze. But that’s not what she found at all. There wasn’t so much as a hint of humor on his handsome face. His brown eyes were fixed on her, looking over her with what could only be called desire.

Carly felt it too. She lifted a hand, the drops of water cool against her palm as she rested it on his well-defined bicep, hoping it would encourage him to lean in and kiss her right there on the beach.

Please, Gage. I want to know if what I’m feeling is real.

A furrow creased his brow as he searched her face. Another drop of water fell from his hair and onto her cheek. Gage brought a hand to her face, smoothed the water with his thumb, and leaned in to close the gap.

Carly shut her eyes a moment before his lips grazed hers. A soft, testing kiss.

Yes,it was real all right. And sosogood.If the moments leading up to the kiss were enchanting, the kiss itself was a magic spell of its own. One she’d long to be under again and again.

A spark of unwanted awareness barged into her brain at the thought—she was an employee of the Royal Palm. And didn’t they have some sort of no-romance-on-the-job policy? If so, Carly hadn’t paid much attention; she’d been safe assuming it wouldn’t apply to her.

Until now.

But I’m not on duty now.

The wordscame to her just as Gage kissed her again. And thank heavens for that. This one was longer, slower, and more heavenly than anything Carly had known.

She eased into the rhythm of his kiss—a lingering succession like the lapping waves. A gentle push here. A hypnotizing pull there.

Carly lifted her head off the sand to take more, moving her hand up his smooth, muscular shoulder and up the back of his head when she heard the sharp and sudden catcall.

Gage must’ve registered the sound before her. At once the wonderful weight of him was gone. The shade from his figure was too. Carly lay there blinking as he hurried to his feet and shaded his face with a hand.

“Hey there, Christian.”

Christian?Crap.

“What are you two doing?” Christian’s words were laced with all the accusation they carried.

Crap. He was going to really get after her now, wasn’t he? Give her a lecture about getting involved with the patrons. But no one had said anything up to this point, and they’d been seen together all over the resort.

“We were just uh…don’t worry about it, dude.” Gage leaned forward and held his hand out for her.

Carly squinted to focus in on the offered hand before she took hold of it. Gage cupped her wrist with his other hand and lifted until her feet were planted back on the sand.

He brought his lips to her ear and mumbled under his breath. “I’m sorry.”

Carly’s eyes widened as she pulled back to look at him. Sorry for what? For kissing her as a staff member of the resort or for kissing her in general?

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Christian came from behind.