Page 14 of Blame It on the Bikini (Ocean Shores #4)

He was relieved when she followed him because he didn't want to find anything in the darker portion of the cave that would change the tone of their adventure.

She took more angled shots of the light coming in from above, bouncing off the rocks with a shimmer. He moved toward the opening of the caves, pausing near the front to check the tide. It was definitely starting to come back in, but they still had some time.

As he turned back, he saw Lexie pointing her camera at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Shooting pictures of you," she said as she kept snapping.

"I'm not a wonder of nature."

"The light caught your silhouette in the most amazing way," she said. "I couldn't resist."

He checked his watch again. "We have fifteen minutes. Don't waste them on me."

She moved back into the deeper part of the cave, squatting down next to an unexpected patch of grass that was growing through part of the rock wall.

The fact that she'd even noticed that small detail impressed him.

In fact, watching her work was one surprise after another—her ability to see beauty in rough textures and shadows, the way she crouched to capture angles he never would have considered, how she found art in the smallest details.

He found himself completely mesmerized by her actions.

She looked beyond the obvious, searching for the unusual, for the contradiction.

As a gust of wind lifted his hair and brushed his face, his attention was drawn back to the opening of the cave.

When he moved toward the entrance, the breeze threw a watery spray into his face.

The ocean was getting closer. He checked his watch.

They had ten minutes before his safe-zone time ended, but he was starting to worry.

The wind was blowing hard, and that made the inrushing sea look a lot more threatening.

"Lexie, we should go."

"You said we had fifteen minutes."

"That was five minutes ago. But the tide is coming in faster than I expected, and the waves are getting bigger."

"Almost done," she promised as she clicked another three times in rapid succession. "The light is perfect now." She swung the camera back in his direction, taking several more photos before he realized he was the focus once more.

"I told you I'm not your model."

"It's the perfect contrast—man against nature. I can see the water behind you now."

"Exactly. It's getting too close. Let's get out of here."

"All right."

She reluctantly followed him to the entrance, gasping when a wave larger than the others sent water rushing toward their feet. "It's too soon," she said in surprise. "The tidal charts said we'd have an hour, and it hasn't even been forty minutes."

"I don't think the ocean cares about charts," he said, grabbing her hand as he pulled her away from the entrance to the cave. They still had to get across the wet sand and up the slippery, steep slope that was getting wetter by the minute.

They ran toward the path, getting caught by another swirling pool of water that soaked their shoes and ankles, which made it even more difficult to get up the first part of the hill. He'd only taken a few steps when Lexie slipped, almost pulling him down with her, but he hung tightly to her hand.

She gave him a terrified look. "I'm not sure I can make it up this hill in time."

"You can. We can ," he said forcefully. "We have to. I want to see what photos you took, and the world needs to see them, too."

She gave him a determined nod and tried to find a drier, rockier place to put her foot.

It wasn't easy. Every incoming wave sent seawater flowing over the rocks and the hillside, and it took all his strength and hers for them to stay together, to keep moving upward.

They were about halfway when she paused to catch her breath, and they both made the mistake of looking behind them.

"Oh, my God! The ocean is in the cave," she murmured. "Another few minutes…"

"Come on. We have to keep going."

The second half of their journey was as harrowing as the first part, the wind throwing water not only on the rocks but also on them. Finally, they climbed back onto the flat land at the top of the bluff.

"We made it," Lexie said, breathing hard.

"We did." Even though they'd only climbed a hillside about thirty feet high, he felt like they'd made it to the top of a mountain.

For a long moment, they just looked at each other, the intensity of what they'd just shared hanging between them.

Her hair had escaped its ponytail in damp, curly strands, and there was something wild and alive in her expression that took his breath away.

"That was scary," she said. "But also exciting."

The sun caught her flushed face, and she was practically glowing with exhilaration.

She was beautiful and completely alive, and before he could think about what he was doing, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her warm, salty lips, feeling a passionate fever that seemed to be consuming her as much as it was consuming him.

He didn't know how long they stood on the bluff and kissed, but it felt far too short.

When a gusty wind doused them with another ocean spray, they broke apart with a breathless laugh.

"That was..." Lexie began, then trailed off, her fingers touching her lips.

"Yeah," he agreed, his gaze meeting hers. "It was."

As she turned away from him and looked back at the ocean, he put his arm around her shoulders. Then they watched the tide continue its relentless advance until the water flowing into the caves was at the top of the crevice.

"It's hard to believe now we were in there," she murmured.

"I'm glad we're out."

She turned back to face him. "Thank you, Grayson. For coming with me, for watching the time, for helping me up the hill, and for not letting me fall into the sea and drown…"

"You're more than welcome. Although some of that was for me, too," he said dryly.

"I get a little distracted when I'm taking photos. If I'd been alone?—"

"Which you weren't. And to be honest, I'm glad I came, because this was…an experience," he said, knowing he would never forget it. And for that, he should probably be thanking her. As she shivered, he added, "Let's go home."

As they headed to the car, he was struck by the fact that he'd just thought of Ocean Shores as home, and that might be the most terrifying thought he'd had all day.