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“No, I don’t blame you.” She traced back up his body and cupped his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now.” She smiled, a gleam in her eye now. “And I’m pretty happy that wound wasn’t a couple more inches to the left.”
A faint smile crossed his face. “Yeah, one doc liked to joke how I came pretty close to singing in the Vienna Boys’ Choir. Though I wasn’t very grateful at the time.”
Hope shook her head. “I was an empty shell when I got here. I left nothing behind in Chicago, and I really needed a new start.” She paused. “I haven’t had the best experiences with men, and I tried to resist you from the start. But when the boat sank, and I thought I might have lost you, all I could think about was how stupid I’d been.”
“Then I acted like a complete idiot after I got back. I still can’t believe I made you cry like that. I’m so sorry.”
She smiled. “You’re starting to make up for it now.”
“I’m sure going to try.” Relief rolled over him like a warm blanket. Alex rolled her over and kissed her deeply.
The relief was quickly replaced by something much more urgent as the heat between them grew again.
* * *
After they had finished the second time, Alex turned them onto their sides, fitting himself tightly behind her. Hope could feel every inch of where their skin touched. He used one hand to slowly stroke the side of her breast. Over time, it became slower and slower until it stopped altogether mid-stroke and his breathing deepened and steadied.
Hope inhaled a shaky breath, coming to terms with the feelings inside her. Alex had just shared the innermost facet of himself with her, the part of him kept deeply hidden and protected. Her breath was building, emotion surging as she thought about what he had been through. Then she tamped down on the emotion hard.
Stop it. He made it clear he doesn’t want your tears.
“Everything ok? I can hear you thinking from back here.” He snuggled closer to her and cupped his hand around her breast.
“Yes, everything’s fine.” Hope placed her hand over his, and within seconds his breathing deepened again. She now knew this man better than anyone else did, and he trusted her completely. Still, she thought he hadn’t shared everything yet.
He’s not the only one, is he?
The thought brought disquiet with it and she took a deep breath, pushing it from her mind. What she’d experienced on this beach with Alex had been different, very different. Hope was falling more deeply for him than any man since—she stopped the thought in its tracks.
That’s the last thing you should be thinking about right now.
But the seed had been planted.
Would she only get hurt again? Hope cleared her mind and relaxed. Listening to Alex’s deep, regular breathing and the steady sound of the ocean waves lapping on the beach, her eyelids grew heavy.
Sometime later, she awoke. The sun was well past its zenith, hot and merciless now. Hope was uncomfortably warm but still reluctant to move. Her mind was fully present and fully conscious of the man with her. She didn’t want their escape to end, but she was feeling decidedly hot and sticky now. Alex was close behind and had moved her hair aside so he could rest with his lips against the back of her neck.
Hope stretched, and Alex pulled her tighter against him and nuzzled her neck. The sun continued to beat down. Sighing, she said, “Alex, we should probably get back to the boat soon.”
“Yeah, I know.” He made no effort to move.
“I’m afraid I might be getting sunburned. We’ve been here a long time. I put sunscreen on before we, uh, before, um . . .” Feeling his lips widen into a smile, she dug her elbow into his side. “You enjoy seeing me uncomfortable, don’t you?”
Alex rolled her over onto her back, serious. “I never want to see you uncomfortable.” His face widened into a grin. “But I love seeing you flustered.” He kissed her and jumped up, right leg strong and steady. “Let’s go back to the boat.”
Hope folded the blanket while he gathered their swimsuits. She handed it to him as he finished putting their clothes in the dry bag.
“Wait,” she said as he zipped the bag shut. “I need my swimsuit, you know.”
“No, you don’t. I said we were going back to the boat. I didn’t say we were done yet.” Alex pulled her to him, and his kiss seared through her. “Every boat needs to be christened, you know.”
* * *
As they swam toward the boat, Hope luxuriated in the warm water, sensuous against her bare skin as it washed her clean. As they approached, Alex pulled himself up onto the stern platform. Hope followed, her arms flexing, and the appreciation in his eyes was evident.
It was also evident he wasn’t finished with her yet.
He went over to the dry bag, then returned with her towel and wrapped it around her naked body. He whispered in her ear, “I get to wrap it around you this time. I’ve already told you what this towel does to me, and now I’ve finally got you alone without the swimsuit underneath.”
