Recipe for Satisfacton(43)

Black board shorts hung low on his hips, that chiseled V her favorite thing about his body, a natural indicator pointing to her second-most-favorite spot.

He removed a bottle of water from the bag and set it on the blanket. He patted the space next to him. “Get comfy.”

Sterling gathered the sarong in her hands as she sat down.

A gentle breeze blew across the beach, a welcome respite from the glaring sun. Light waves lapped along the shoreline. Beach umbrellas were stuck in the sand, and windsails dotted the horizon as far as she could see. Men and women pranced around, no shame in baring their goods. He’d been right—not everyone had their junk out, and some of the ones who did were in desperate need of a mirror.

“There is quite a wide range of people at this beach,” she said.

Just then, a topless blonde walked by their blanket, her eyes connecting with the beautiful man beside Sterling. She was the type of woman Sterling expected to see at a topless beach. Blond, svelte, beautiful, a Sports Illustrated model for sure. But when she looked over at Jack, he was staring at Sterling, his gaze curious.

She fidgeted. Was there something on her face? She swiped at her cheeks. “What?”

Without a word, Jack leaned over and captured her lips. Instantly, she heated up. Funny how the hot summer weather was no match for Jack Vaughn.

He inhaled deeply and bent his head, strengthening his hold on her, deepening the kiss. Her hand rested on his chest, and she curled her fingers into his skin when he withdrew, still giving her that curious stare.

“What was that for?”

“No reason.” He shrugged. “You just looked really beautiful sitting there. I couldn’t resist.”

Was it a cosmic joke that the perfect man was an unavailable man? A man who only existed for her on the weekends? Four weekends, to be exact. Two dates with Jack had already demonstrated his superiority to every man she’d ever been with.

But this was what she wanted. Fun. And it didn’t get much more fun than being naked on a beach with a hot man knowing that at any time, you could have him in a bed, up against a wall, or even on a sandy towel.

And you may never get this chance again.

She looked from side to side gauging the other patrons. Everyone seemed to be minding their own business. Maybe being nude wasn’t such a big deal.

She counted to three in her head then untied the sarong at her breast, letting the fabric fall away.

Immediately, Jack looked up from where he was rummaging around in their bag. But she didn’t acknowledge him. Leaning back, she rested her hands behind her body, soaking up the warmth of the sun. Letting it infuse her with strength.

She would embrace everything this mini-trip had to offer, everything the man beside her had to offer, because soon he would be gone and she wanted no regrets.

This time, she counted to ten before she pulled at the strings at the base of her neck and back.

…

The water lapped over the edge of the blue raft Jack had rented for Sterling. He enjoyed the sight of her wet body, and he especially enjoyed lathering the sunscreen on her exposed bottom. Bringing her to a nude beach was really just an acceptable excuse to touch her in public.

He waded through the water, each step taking him closer to the beautiful woman. One hand lay on the raft, the other floated to her side, her fingers tickling over the water as though it were a piano. The sight of her on that blow-up raft, naked on top, utterly relaxed…she wasn’t nearly as cautious as the Sterling he had met on the yacht two weeks ago. He liked to think he had something to do with her transformation, but in reality, he was just the means. Ultimately it was Sterling who had to make the changes. Jack dove into the water and came up beside her. He rested his forearms on the raft and shook his head to rid the excess water.

Sterling squealed. “You’re like a shaggy dog.”

“You looked like you could use some cooling off.”

He swam to the end of the raft and jumped up, laying his body over hers. She thrashed around when the water dripped over her body, but she couldn’t move much with him on top of her. The middle of the raft drooped, and for a minute, Jack thought they would tip.

“Be still.”

She stopped squirming. The raft settled.

She snorted. “You’re cold.”

Her laugh was infectious. Although they hadn’t spent tons of time together, he’d never heard her laugh so hard. He glanced down and groaned at the sight of her exposed, stiffened nipples. Dipping down, he covered one with his mouth.

Sterling moaned. Her hands tangled in his hair and pulled him close. “Jack. What are you doing?”

“What? It’s a nude beach.” A brilliant plan if he did say so himself.

“A nude beach, not a sex beach.”