Page 27 of Masked Secrets
“Absolutely. Consider me your genie. Your wish is my command.”
“You’re too much. I can’t believe we’re doing this. You’re going to ruin your suit at the beach.”
“Don’t worry. I have a plan. Just sit back and relax.”
“I’ll try. For some reason, I’m suddenly tired.”
“It’s likely the aftereffects of stress. Close your eyes. Last time we were in a tough situation, I seem to remember you found my shoulder to be a good pillow. You’re welcome to use it again, if you’d like.”
“Thanks. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not. Rest will be good for you,” he says, reaching for my arm and gently tugging me against his side.
I give in, letting my head rest on his shoulder, shutting my eyes and daring to hope for a short, peaceful nap.
As I start to relax, his arm wraps around my back and his hand begins gently massaging my shoulder. “Mmm. That feels good.” I snuggle closer, letting him softly knead the stress from my overly tight muscles.
My eyelids grow heavy with the warmth of his body and tenderness of his soothing touch. As I drift asleep, it hits me thatI could fall for a guy like this. It’s too bad we live on different continents. There’s no way it could work.
A light,warm breeze is kissing the side of my neck. It tickles in a pleasant way. I don’t want it to stop, so I don’t dare wake up yet. Keeping my eyes tightly shut, I’ll lie still and enjoy the tingly feeling a little longer.
“Wake up. We’re arriving.”
How did the breeze learn to talk? This must be some magical dream. “Mmm. It feels good.”
“I’m glad you like me whispering in your ear, but you need to wake up now.”
“No. I like my dream.”
“Brooke, it’s not a dream. I’m happy to whisper in your ear again later. But we’ll be at our destination in less than fifteen minutes.”
My eyes pop open to find Stuart gazing at me with mischievous eyes. Oh my god, I’m practically lying in Stuart’s lap. Did I just tell him he feels good? Yep. I think I did.
Before I can pull away, he places his free hand on my cheek, saying, “I’m going to kiss you now unless you tell me to stop.”
He searches my face for an answer. I should definitely tell him to stop, but I don’t. Instead, I move my lips closer to his.
Our mouths collide. His hand slides behind my head, pulling me closer. My fingers thread into his hair, holding on as he deftly maneuvers me onto his lap.
My heart races as I gasp for breath between kisses. His tongue softly teases the seam between my mouth, gradually increasing the pressure. When I can’t wait any longer, my lipspart and our tongues tangle in desperate need. Our pent-up desire bursts out in a whoosh.
A voice from a nearby speaker says, “We’ll be arriving in 3 minutes.”
I instantly pull away from Stuart, breathing heavily as heat colors my cheeks.
Stuart nudges my face against his solid chest, whispering, “He can’t hear or see us unless I push the button to speak.”
“That’s a relief,” I murmur, struggling to catch my breath after that toe-curling kiss.
“Stay quiet, and I’ll answer him. We have plenty of time to look sorted before we arrive. Okay?”
I nod against his chest while inwardly shaking my head. It’s impossible to understand what it is about Stuart that draws me in so easily. No matter how hard I try to resist him, I can’t keep my distance.
“Thank you for the update,” Stuart says to our driver.
Stuart kisses the top of my head before carefully slipping me off his lap and back onto the seat beside him, saying, “I’m excited for you to meet a couple of my friends from uni. We’ve been planning to meet up while we’re all in LA. Until now, our schedules haven’t worked out. When you mentioned the beach, I instantly thought of bringing you to their house in Malibu.”
“Oh no! I’m meeting your friends, looking like we’ve just been ... you know ... umm ... in the backseat of a car ... like teenagers.”
