Serenity (Inevitable #5)(90)

Sasha had regarded Elena quizzically. "Well, I know it's not lunch since we're supposed to be meeting Ian and Tessa Gregson today."

Elena had shook her head. "Not food, no. Go, look. And don't argue with him about accepting this, okay? He's so excited he reminds me of my kids when they were little on Christmas. So don't burst his bubble, chica."

Sasha had been even more confused after Elena's warning, and had entered Matthew's office warily - only to gasp in astonishment at the sight of half a dozen shopping bags piled on his sofa. The bags all bore the Neiman Marcus logo, and from the twinkle in Matthew's eye as he'd stood to greet her, Sasha had known that the bags were for her.

"Since you wouldn't let me take you shopping for our Hawaii trip," he'd told her as he picked up one of the bags, "I decided to do it for you. Well, I might have asked Tessa for the name of the personal shopper she uses, but I picked out most of this stuff myself. I, uh, hope you like it all."

"Matthew. I can't - " she'd begun to protest, until she had remembered the warning Elena had given her moments ago. And since she had zero desire to piss off the rather terrifying PA, Sasha had merely sighed as she'd begun to look through one of the bags.

He'd bought her everything and more than one could need for a week in Hawaii - bathing suits and cover ups, sundresses, shorts and tank tops, jeans and T-shirts, flip flops, espadrilles, trail running shoes, hats, sunglasses, beach bags. He had thought of absolutely everything, including three new yoga outfits and a beautiful robe of sage green silk.

"I won't tell you that this is far too much and that you really shouldn't have done this," she'd begun. "Especially since I'm guessing Elena is eavesdropping right about now and will chew me out big time if I don't accept all of these things gracefully. So - thank you, Matthew. Everything is perfect."

She'd twined her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to meet her kiss - a long, leisurely meeting of lips and tongues. But, as she'd lifted her head, she had whispered in his ear, well out of Elena's hearing, "Even if it is way, way too much!"

Sasha smiled at the recollection now as she emerged from the surf. She was wearing one of the half dozen new bikinis Matthew had bought for her - a tropical print of yellows, oranges, and pinks with a strapless bandeau top and low-cut bottoms that tied on each hip. All of the price tags had been carefully removed from all of the things he'd bought her for this vacation, but Chad, who had helped her pack, estimated that just this one simple bikini had probably cost upwards of two hundred dollars. Sasha had been appalled at that revelation, and had half-threatened to return everything to the store and then donate the money to charity. It had been Chad who'd gently reminded her that buying her these things obviously meant a lot to Matthew, and it was his way of giving back to her for everything she'd done to help him. Sasha had uttered a sigh of resignation, and continued packing her suitcase.

She was toweling herself off when Matthew finished his swim and began to walk across the sand towards the suite's secluded veranda. Four days in the Hawaiian sun had already given him a tan, darkening his previously pale skin. He'd been a little self conscious on their first day here while stripping down to his swim trunks, admitting that he had spent precious little time outdoors over the past few months.

Her gaze traveled slowly from his stubbled face, then down to his naked torso. There was a sprinkling of light brown hair across his chest, just the right amount for her taste. He was lean and toned, with a defined six pack and chiseled biceps, but wasn't overly brawny or muscled. Thanks to the changes he'd made to his diet - he was practically a vegetarian by now and carefully limited his alcohol intake - his abs were flat and hard, and there wasn't a spare ounce of fat anywhere on his body. He reminded her yet again of a triathlete - strong and lean and super-fit.



       
         
       
        

As he reached for a towel, he met her gaze before breathing in sharply. There must have been something in the way she was staring at him - lust, admiration, desire - because suddenly those very same emotions were mirrored in his own eyes.

"See something you like?" he asked in a husky voice as he tossed the towel over the veranda railing.

Sasha stepped in close enough to place a hand on his chest. "There's a whole lot of things I see that I like," she replied suggestively, then tugged playfully on the waistband of his trunks. "And even more things that I can't see right now."

Matthew's hands bracketed her hips, holding her still as he rubbed his erection against the notch of her thighs. "I second that opinion. Though in your case this bikini isn't hiding very much." He bent his head until his lips touched the side of her neck. "You were right earlier. You should definitely wear nothing but bikinis ninety percent of the time. Especially since your body was specifically designed for them."