Page 13

My heart is still pounding in my chest, except I’m not sure if it’s because we could’ve lost her just now or that she’s looking at me in a way she never has before. Her big doe eyes are soft, her plush lower lip being tortured between her teeth, and her hands are idly brushing sand off her legs even though more gets washed up with each wave that crashes against us.

Raff’s words play through my head, and I realize this is exactly what he meant. Make a move. Take the risk.

She. Is. Worth. It.

“You really okay?” I ask, trailing my fingers along her jaw and wrapping them around the back of her neck.

I need the physical connection to soothe my inner Alpha who is still wound up way too tight, demanding things I know she isn’t ready for. This is that within reason caveat Rafferty threw out there.

“Yeah. I’m just glad you guys were close by. No way in hell was I hauling his lame ass all the way up this beach. Jesus.” She’s shaking her head, eyes on anything but me, while my thumb strokes her cheek.

“Did you at least get some usable inspiration for your column?”

She makes this sound in her throat that’s half chuckle half snort. “Unless a wave sweeping you and your date out to sea and the Omega having to save the macho Beta is somewhere in the Romance Handbook…not even close.”

“Hmmm. Too bad. But, you know, maybe this wasn’t a total waste. There’s something I’ve always wanted to try but never gotten a chance.”

Uncertain eyes meet mine. “Oh? What?—”

My mouth presses into hers before she can finish, and a tiny gasp slips from those lips that are unbelievably soft beneath mine. Her scent takes on a sweet edge that makes me want to lose myself in her, but that’s not what this moment is about. No, right now my only goal is to make another crack in her seemingly impenetrable armor and pray that with enough of them, we might be able to chisel our way right to her heart.

“Flint,” she murmurs against my lips.

Her hands fist in the fabric of my shirt, and I’m already way too damn close to losing the tight grip on my control.

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

One hand tentatively trails up my chest, over my collarbone, and along my neck until her fingers thread through my hair. “More.”

That one simple word is all it takes for the leash holding me back to snap.

Leaning in, I push her body back until she’s lying against the damp sand and smash our lips together. This isn’t the tender, sweet kiss from before. This is hungry and nearly feral, our tongues greedily sliding against each other, needing more and more of the other’s taste. She groans as my body comes down on top of hers, her breasts pressing into my chest while her knees skim up my hips until her legs circle my waist.

The water is lapping against us, coming all the way to our waists before trailing back into the ocean. Each time, the momentum rocks my dick, which is hard as steel inside my thin swim trucks, into the soft apex of her thighs, and it’s like we’re fucking right here on the beach.

“Holy fuck,” she murmurs, arching into me as my lips trail along her jaw and down her exposed throat.

“Feel how much I need you, sweetheart?” I whisper in her ear, enjoying the small whimper in reply.

I pull back just enough to look down at her, face flushed and eyes glazed with lust. She’s never looked more stunning than she does wet and wild beneath me. When my eyes scan down her body, I can see the dusky nipples beneath her white crop top that’s damn near translucent from the water. My growl is low and deep, and when her tongue peeks out and she drags her lower lip through her teeth, I almost say fuck it and take her right here.

Instead, I’m able to maintain a sliver of my sanity. I press my hips a little harder into hers, and she mewls like a fucking kitten, fingers fisting in my hair. With each advance and retreat of the ocean, I’m edging closer and closer to exploding in my pants.

“Fuck. I think… I mean, I might actually…” She’s breathless, wide eyes staring up into mine with a combination of surprise and lust reflecting back at me.

“You going to come for me, Elle?” I growl, my head dipping so I can skim my teeth over the smooth expanse of her throat, wishing restraint wasn’t a word in my vocabulary.

“Y-yes. Flint… Oh my god. I’m coming. Don’t stop.”

“Not a chance, sweetheart,” I rasp, letting my teeth bite down on her damp skin.

It’s not hard enough to break the skin, just enough to partially satisfy the deep need welling up inside me. When she screams my name, I swallow it down with a kiss so hot I’m surprised steam isn’t rising up from the water around us.

My forehead drops to her shoulder as my balls draw up tight. For the first time since my teens, I come in my pants like a rocket, my entire body tensing at the pleasure that rushes over me, and I’m not even inside her.

When I’m finally able to breathe, I feel the tender strokes of her fingers through my hair.

“As much as I don’t want to move, the water is starting to come up to my chest. I’ve inhaled enough ocean water for one day.”

I chuckle into her ear and force myself up to my forearms, my hands cupping the sides of her face. I almost expect to see her already working to shut me out, but for now, at least, she’s smiling up at me with an open expression that I’ve longed for years to see.

“We should get you back up to the villa.”

“We should. I just…”

“You just what, sweetheart?”

Her eyes are the color of a stormy sea when they meet mine.

“I don’t want to lose this moment. The second you’re not above me, surrounding me with, well, you , I’m worried the old doubts and insecurities will rise up and…” She takes a deep breath in, then lets out the saddest little sigh I’ve ever heard. “I know you all deserve better, but the selfish part of me that wants you anyways is getting harder and harder to ignore.”

She says it all so softly that I almost can’t hear her over the crashing of the waves around us, but I do, and for the first time ever, a purr rumbles through my chest.

“I think you’ve got it all wrong, sweetheart. You deserve more than we can begin to offer, but if you let us in, I promise we’ll do our damndest to work through whatever it is that’s standing in our way, and we’ll do it together .”

Her fingers grip each side of my face, and she draws me down for one last kiss. “C’mon, Romeo. Let’s get cleaned up. We can see where things go from there.”

Pushing myself up and onto my knees, I fight against the current until I’m standing over her, offering my hands. Cool fingers slip into mine, and in seconds she’s on her feet looking small and fragile in front of me.

“So far so good?” I ask, allowing a hint of a grin to curve my lips.

One haughty brow raises as she fights her own smile. “It’s a little too early to tell.”

I hum, grabbing her hand before she can put distance between us, and begin to lead us toward the boardwalk. “I’m curious. Did that earn a place in your romance column inspo?”

“I mean… It was okay, I guess.”

My eyes snap to her. She’s sucking her lips between her teeth as she struggles not to laugh.

“Oh, c’mon. You didn’t have to perform the Heimlich or rescue me from drowning. It was definitely better than okay. ”

Her laughter makes my sticky dick twitch in my trunks. “Fine. If you really need the ego boost that bad, it was probably the best two-person orgasm I’ve had in months.”

I smirk. “Yeah? Imagine how much better it would’ve been without our clothes on.”

Her hand grips mine a little tighter as her whine fills the air around us. “Okay, dial it back a notch, Romeo. My vagina might be more than willing to see if that theory is correct, but my muscles are screaming for a shower and my belly needs some food.”

This woman never ceases to surprise me. On one hand, she’s this strong, opinionated, intelligent Omega that I want to sink my teeth into. On the other, there’s hurt buried deep inside that manifests so rarely that my inner Alpha just wants to wrap her in my arms and never let her go. The juxtaposition of the two is enough to give me whiplash.

“That’s easy. We sent over a request for groceries when we arrived, so I can throw together a quick snack when we get back. As for the shower, I’m more than willing to assist with that too if you’re willing to share some space. Then we could kill two birds with one stone, if you will.”

I know I’m pushing it, but that’s the point, right? The only question is, how far will she allow me to go before she shuts down again?

“Oh boy. You’re a dangerous one, aren’t you?” she purrs.

“I’m actually the least intimidating one out of all of us. What a great place to test the waters, no?”

Her soft gasp hits my ears right as the scent of her perfume assaults my nose. An odd half purr, half growl booms from my chest, and I’m suddenly backing her up against the front door to the villa, caging her in with my hands landing on each side of her face.

“Just say the word, sweetheart, and I’m yours.” I know the minute the words leave my lips they're the wrong things to say. Her eyes widen in what looks close to panic, and her body goes rigid beneath mine. “Breathe, Elle.”

“I…” She swallows harshly. “I should go in and get cleaned up. You should probably do the same since… You know…” Her hand motions lamely toward my crotch.

“Don’t shut me out, Elle. Remember, we can work through whatever this is together.”

Her eyes nervously dart between mine, her shoulders just starting to relax when the sound of flip flops echoes up the path.

“I’m just gonna…go.” She ducks under one arm, fumbling with the code to the door then pushing the handle as soon as the little light turns green. She’s through the opening, the heavy wood closing in my face, before I can even get my feet to move back.

“Bad timing?” Nixon’s deep voice asks.

I run a hand through my hair, frustration and something that feels a helluva lot like hopelessness swirling in my gut.

“The worst,” I mutter.

“But you two were awfully close, and I can’t help but notice you’re both wet. That can’t be all bad, right?”

Turning, I find Raff’s eager eyes trailing over my obviously disheveled appearance. With a sigh, I nod toward the door, re-entering the code and pushing it open. They follow behind me, all the way to the kitchen where I begin to relay the clusterfuck of the afternoon to them.

I desperately need a shower, a change of clothes, and a good look at my girl to feel even remotely settled again. My instincts are in an uproar, demanding we do something. I’m just not sure what that is since she won’t let me in. But I was close. I could see it in her eyes. I had almost talked her back off the ledge. I just need to employ the patience I’m usually known for and keep chipping away at those cracks I can see forming. Maybe then we’ll actually stand a chance.