Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Arch didn’t need telling twice. He set her down so that her feet touched the cool tiles and then dove under the water. She felt him pulling at the waistband of her leggings and then at her panties. When he came up for air, he looked very pleased with himself.
He flung her soaked leggings and panties to the edge of the deck and then slowly, looking into her eyes the whole time, peeled the T-shirt from her wet skin. She lifted her arms, happy to have him take control as he pulled the wet fabric over her head, tossing the shirt to the pool deck. Immediately, he buried his face between her breasts, kissing one then the other through the lace of her bra.
The sensation was heavenly. The water made everything feel like silk on her skin.
He spent forever worshipping her breasts. Kissing her skin, rolling the taut peaks where all of her pleasure seemed to center. Finally, she felt his hands move around her back to unhook the clasp of her bra.
It was so good to be skin to skin with him. She wanted more. Her fingers instinctively played around the elastic of his swim trunks, and then she tugged them down. He wriggled free, but stopped just short of tossing them to the side to reach into the pocket and pull out a condom.
She smiled at him. “Always two steps ahead, aren’t you?”
“No,” he said, “that’s you. But I was hoping that we would end my workout with my new favorite thing in the whole world.” He gazed hungrily down into her face. “Making love with you.”
Once protection was on, he was inside of her. And she swore nothing had ever felt better than their two bodies naked in the water.
Together, they began to move. It was slow and intense, a gentle, rhythmic rocking. And then it was fast and hard and oh so good.
The pleasure from her climax was so strong it felt like it came from the deepest part of her. A part that refused to believe that what they were sharing would inevitably have to end. The same part of her that wanted to believe their connection was too true, too real, for their relationship to ever end.
And though she knew better, just for these few moments when he called out her name as he fell over the edge into pleasure, she let herself believe that the two of them—and the deep connection they’d forged—could last forever.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Arch was floating on cloud nine. Everything about his weekend with Tessa had been perfect. The way she fit into his family, how independent and creative she was going off to the beach to paint for a couple of hours, and then the incredible way her rehab exercises had turned into the best sex of his life. Afterward, she’d made another of her delicious meals, and they’d cuddled up on the couch to watch a movie before some more hot sex.
Talk about bliss.
And now here they were, on the beach early Monday morning. Everything about Carmel-by-the-Sea’s picturesque beach set his imagination on fire. The air was different at this time of day—cool and crisp, with a breeze off the ocean. If only he could get in and surf with his siblings, he’d be flying over those waves without a care.
But Tessa had insisted he stick to pool exercise only.
There was a time when her telling him he wasn’t ready would have been enough for him to get on a board to prove her wrong. Maybe he’d learned a thing or two since he’d broken his leg. Or maybe he was too besotted to ignore her wishes.
No, not besotted. The word might be enchanted.
Or maybe… just maybe… what he felt was even more than that.
It wouldn’t be long before he’d be able to join his siblings and get back on a board again. He’d managed to walk from his house to the spot where his brothers and sisters were surfing without linking arms with Tessa for support. Although secretly he’d wanted to reach out and hold her hand and show everyone on the beach that they were together together, he was respecting her wishes about keeping their relationship private.
The thing was… he didn’t plan to keep it private forever. At some point in the not-so-distant future, he hoped she’d change her mind about going public. Otherwise, there would have to be a day of reckoning—one where he hoped like hell that he could allay all her concerns about being with him.
He followed Tessa’s gaze and saw an Irish setter chase a yellow ball across the sand. The dog was majestic and lithe, and it caught the ball between its teeth in no time before happily bounding back to its owner to do it all over again.
“I love dogs,” Tessa said wistfully. “I always wanted one growing up, but we were never allowed. ‘Too much mess,’ my mom said. ‘You kids would leave it all to me.’ But I knew I’d love whatever dog we got with all my heart and would spend my time taking care of it.” She paused. “I’d love to have a dog now. But given that I live in my clients’ homes, I couldn’t exactly bring it with me.”