Page 27 of Pursuing Desire

The white top is just as sexy as the bottom. She stretches her arms up to remove the cover-up, and the bottom of her breasts peek through the edge of the bikini top. I wonder what she’d do if I reached out to adjust it for her. Probably stab me.

“There’s plenty of women out here. Why are you staring at me?” Jess snaps with her hands on her hips. “It’s not like you’ve never seen a woman in a bikini before.”

That knocks me right out of my trance. “I’m just paying you back. You were staring at my chest like you were starving, and I was the buffet,” I say smoothly.

“Ha! Wishful thinking on your part. There’s at least a dozen men with better bods out here on this beach.”

“If you say so,” I taunt. “Come on. Let’s go.”

I try to take her hand, and she resists for a second but then seems to recall we’re likely being watched. She smiles up at me, but I see the warning look in her eyes. “Sure thing. But keep your eyes to yourself.”

I take off running while pulling her along behind me. I splash into the shallow water. The warm water feels so good on my feet. “Let’s go for a swim.”

She shakes her head at me. “I don’t want to get wet. I’m just going for a walk. Maybe see if I can find some shells or something. You go swim, and I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”

“Okay,” I readily agree. However, when she turns to start walking along the shoreline, I come up behind her and swoop her into my arms. She squeals and tries to beat on my chest with one arm while wrapping her other around my neck.

“Let me down, you ass.”

I hold her tightly against my chest and walk deeper into the water. “Now, now, that’s not how to talk to your loving fiancé.”

“This isn’t funny, Dax. Put me down. I told you, I don’t want to get wet again.”

“I find bossy women attractive. If that’s what you want, I’ll put you down.” I grin evilly at her before tossing her deep into the water.

She goes completely under and stays there for a couple of seconds. Suddenly, she flies up with a mouth full of water and spits it directly into my face.

I wipe the water out of my eyes in time to catch the superior smile she’s wearing.

“Now you’re going to get it,” I threaten playfully before lunging after her.

She takes off. She’s trying to run through the water while screaming, and then she ducks under the water and begins swimming. She’s fast, but I’m faster. I easily catch up with her. She’s flying through the air again, but this time, my arms are around her. We crash into the ocean together.

When I release her, she comes up from the water sputtering. “You’re so going to pay for that, Dax.”

I’m laughing my ass off and fighting to get control so that I can speak to her. “Tell you what. I’m going to turn my back and count to ten. I’ll give you a chance to get away.”

“If I can make it to shore, you’ll leave me alone?” she asks, suspicion laced in her sweet voice. Rivulets of water are cascading down her chest, and I try not to notice.

Try being the operative word.

“I give you my word,” I say solemnly, knowing there’s no way she’ll make it back to shore before I catch up to her.

I turn my back and quickly start my countdown. I’m almost to ten when I hear a sound in the water directly behind me. Jess suddenly jumps up onto my back and starts trying to drag me backward into the water. She doesn’t have nearly enough strength to drag me down, but I let her do it anyway. I go backward and under. I do a fast turn under the water and capture her around the waist and drag her down under, too.

We both bounce up from the water, laughing and sputtering.

When Jess finally gets her laughter under control, she pokes me in the chest. “That wasn’t nice.”

“You look like a drowned rat. An adorable drowned rat,” I say, grinning. Her curls are plastered to her head, and her sparkling eyes are glowing.

I’m trying desperately not to look down at her bathing suit again. But it’s too late. I’ve already noticed that the thin, almost transparent white material is not hiding much. I can see the faint dark outline of her hardened nipples.

“I’m soooo paying you back for this.” She pokes me in the chest again, but I grab her hand this time.

“Don’t look, but we have an audience,” I say in a low voice.

Jess doesn’t move her head, but her eyes dart to my left. “I see her,” she says through barely open lips.