The air seemed thin suddenly, and their harsh breathing eclipsed the sound of the waves. They stood, frozen for a long moment, until she tipped her head up, almost imperceptibly. He swallowed hard and bent low, his lips just touching the softness of hers, and her arms slipped around his hips—
“You guys coming or what?”
Cyrus’s voice calling from ahead dragged him back to reality with a jolt and he reluctantly pulled away. Lacey’s lashes fluttered and she shook her head.
“W-we shouldn’t do that anyway.” She sucked in a ragged breath. “Or anything else. Probably.”
He pursed his lips together to keep from smiling. “Okay. Then you might want to get your hand off my ass.”
She snatched it away like he was on fire and took a leaping step back. “Right. Sorry. I want to…kiss you. But I’m married.”
Hearing those words come out of her mouth sent an irrational spurt of jealousy coursing through his veins. “Semantics,” he said. “You won’t be soon, and considering the circumstances, surely you don’t feel like you’re bound to those promises.”
“I don’t know how I feel.” She bit her lip and slowly shook her head. “Yesterday morning I was a newlywed. Today I’m a separated, soon-to-be divorcée, and I’m not really sure how to be that.”
“You need to learn to live for you and do what you want to do.” He brushed the hair from her face. “We’re here together now. In thirteen days, it’s back to life. I, for one, would love to spend those thirteen days with you. Touching you. Kissing you. Showing you all the things Marty couldn’t.”
Her face crumpled, and he swore under his breath. He’d pushed too hard. Just because it was obvious to him that she didn’t owe Marty a damned thing didn’t mean it was obvious to her. If and when she realized that, and recognized that she wasn’t suffering from a broken heart, but from a bruised ego, he’d be there, ready to blow her mind. The thought of teaching her about the pleasure her body was capable of made him ache. He pulled away. “You’re right. Let’s take a step back here. I want you to know that I’m here. For whatever you need.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Thanks,” she said softly.
“Hello-o-o?” Nikki yelled.
He took her hand and they jogged toward the other couple. “Sorry, we’re right behind you,” he called.
A little ways farther down the beach, Cyrus stopped in front of a sprawling villa made of white sandstone.
“This is you?” Lacey asked with a nod to the house.
“This is us.” Nikki grinned. “Pretty nice, right? Cyrus’s boss owns it and offered it up for the whole month after Cyrus closed a huge deal for them.”
“Nice,” Lacey agreed.
Cyrus unlocked a whitewashed wooden gate and they stepped into what looked like a miniature rain forest. Calling this setup a patio was the understatement of the millennium. It was an oasis. A slice straight out of The Blue Lagoon. The pool, which was illuminated from within by ethereal lights, was the irregular shape of a natural spring, encased in ochre-colored stone. A waterfall flanked by towering palms flowed over a shelf of heather gray boulders.
“Wow.” Lacey gasped. “Our villa has a little pool, but nothing like this. It’s breathtaking.”
“I know, right?” Nikki chuckled. “It’ll be hard going back home after this. You guys can get in or hang while Cy and I make some drinks.”
The couple went into the house, leaving him alone with Lacey.
She shook her head in amazement. “This place is ridiculous. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Let’s go in then,” he said.
“I don’t have a suit on under this, and I don’t want to borrow one from Nikki. I already shared lip gloss with her,” she confided. “It was in a little pot and I used my finger, though. You think that’s okay?” she whispered, shooting a glance to the patio doors to make sure their hosts didn’t hear.
“What do you mean, okay?” he whispered back, trying not to grin.
“I mean, I’m not going to get mono or something, am I? All this spontaneity is a little scary, if you ask me.”
“I’m thinking you’re probably okay on the mono thing. As for a swimsuit, a bra and underwear is no more revealing than a bikini,” Galen reasoned. “And we’ve already established that you’ve gone skinny-dipping, not to mention you flashing half of San Juan this morning. This should be a cinch.”
She groaned and covered her cheeks with her hands. “What are the odds of my living that down anytime soon?”