He twisted towards her. “You’re not seriously considering that, are you?”
“Um, why do you sound so incredulous? After the last few years maybe I do want a bit of peace and quiet. What’s wrong with that?”
“Because you’re not a quitter. Yes, you’ve had a rough time, but you’ve also achieved a lot. You’ve worked hard, made sacrifices. Don’t waste it all because of Nick.”
The fierce glint in his eyes made her draw back. Part of her had been secretly hoping that this kayak trip would result in a few more kisses with Dion, even though another part had warned her not to get carried away, but now he seemed to be actively pushing her away. He’d kept his distance from her while swimming – a perfect opportunity for some horseplay, she would have thought – and now he was telling her she didn’t belong here, that her place was back in Sydney a safe distance away from him. An unexpected lump formed in her throat. Not trusting her voice, she stared silently out to sea.
Sand squeaked as Dion shifted his legs. “Tell me something,” he said, his voice gentler. “When you found out about Nick having an affair, why didn’t you come straight back? Why did you stick it out in London for another six months?”
Drawing her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs. “Three reasons. One, it was quicker to get a divorce over there; two, I had a complex project to wrap up; and three, I didn’t want people to think Nick had driven me away. I wanted to leave on my own terms.”
“Good. You didn’t let him ruin your career. You enjoy your work, don’t you?”
She nodded. All bad jokes aside, she did derive great satisfaction from her job and couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather be doing.
“Well, then, you deserve a serious job with good prospects,” Dion continued. “And the best place for that would be Sydney.”
“You seem suddenly keen to get rid of me,” she couldn’t help blurting out.
“What?” He stared at her, his throat working as he swallowed. “I don’t want to get rid of you.” He hesitated then added, “I want you to be happy.”
She gazed down at an ant struggling across the sand. To the tiny insect the beach must seem an impossible moonscape but still it soldiered on, following some invisible path back to its nest.
“You don’t know what you’re asking.” She watched the ant negotiate a piece of driftwood that would seem like a small mountain to it. “I can pass exams with flying colours, I can analyse billion dollar portfolios, I can remember a large amount of facts and figures; but when it comes to happiness I’m as clueless as the next person. My parents always drummed the same old mantra into me – study hard, get a degree, go after a good job. That was the path to success in life. Achieve that and everything else will fall into place. But now I know that’s not how it works, at least not for me.”
She paused to take in a breath then scrubbed her hands across her face, letting out a shaky, deprecating laugh. “Jeez, I didn’t mean to sound so self-pitying. You’re right. I’m just kidding myself I could move back here. I belong in a big city like Sydney.” Not waiting for his reply, she pulled herself to her feet and started dusting sand from her bottom. “Come on, we’d better head back or you’ll be late with your prep work.”
He stood too, his gaze still fastened on her face. “Toni.” He stepped towards her. “You know how to be happy. Maybe you’re out of practise, but you never forget. It’s like riding a bicycle.”
This. This was what she’d missed for so long. His down-to-earth compassion, his light-hearted teasing masking his concern. Why had she ever allowed them to drift apart? She’d never make that mistake again. Her heart began to pound as she realised what she was about to do. It tattooed even faster when she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Two nights ago I was too chicken to do this,” she whispered, looking him straight in the eye. “But now I’m not.” Rising up on her toes, she pressed her mouth against his.
For a second he remained still before his lips warmed and he began to kiss her back, folding his arms tight around her and thrusting his fingers through her hair. This time there was no hurry. They exchanged soft kisses, exploring each other with their lips, tasting, licking, nibbling. He felt so good, tasted so divine, she wanted so much from him. She traced her hands over his shoulders and neck, the short hairs at his nape tickling against her palms. This man she had known all her life, yet now she was making so many discoveries – like the delicious curve of his spine, the salty tang of his skin, the smooth firmness of his pectorals, and the way he gasped when she touched her tongue to his nipple, his response exciting her even more.
“You little devil,” he muttered, his face flushed as she teased him some more. Both his palms closed over her butt, bringing her pelvis into close contact with his. Warm fingers slid beneath her damp bikini bottom to explore her curves.
“Kiss me some more,” she said, and he obliged. With the length of his body plastered against hers, she could feel every inch of his torso, his hips, his thighs. As the kissing grew hotter, so too did the bulge in his board shorts, the thrust of his erection against her belly filling her with an indescribable sensation of power. That she could arouse this man to such a state so quickly thrilled her and also scared her.
His fingers skated up the length of her spine before gripping the knot holding her bikini top together. Moments later he tugged the fabric free. Balmy sunshine enveloped her bared breasts, followed quickly by his hand. Air caught in her throat as he stroked her lovingly, his knuckles brushing back and forth across her nipples, making them stand to attention. When he lowered his head to suck, he lit a fuse of lust which streaked through her body. Desperate for him to suckle her more, she arched herself against him so urgently they began to topple over. Just in time he caught her before lowering them both to the ground. With his lower body pinning her down, he continued to caress her breasts with his hands and mouth until her brain began to spin from hyperventilation.
She pushed her hands beneath the waistband of his shorts to find his buttocks cool from his swim. In contrast, the front of his shorts pressing down on her felt hot, his engorged groin nudging into the apex of her thighs. Dear God, she thought hazily, I’m about to have sex on a beach with Dion Chan. No doubts, no questions, no holding back. It seemed as inevitable as the tide.
Dion must have had the same realisation. Lifting his head from her breast, he stared down at her, his breathing laboured, the smouldering arousal in his eyes so electrifying it caused her to lift her hips and thrust against him.
“Sweetness …” He gasped, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow. “I don’t suppose you brought a condom with you?”
“Oh … no.” Her hormones yelped in protest. No, she couldn’t survive if they didn’t consummate things soon. She’d go mad, mad with lust if they stopped now. “Dion, I – I’m going crazy here.” She rolled her hips again, felt the tip of his penis burn through the thin layers of cloth and a responding wetness flood the dip between her thighs.
“Uhn.” He groaned, briefly closing his eyes. “What about me? I’m not exactly sane myself. But if we don’t have a condom …”
“You could just, uh, y’know, ease yourself in.” She licked her lips desperately. “I just want to feel you inside me. We don’t have to move or anything.” She couldn’t believe what she was suggesting. How had she suddenly become such a raving sex addict?
He groaned again. “You know that’s not going to work. Don’t tempt me, please.” He swiped the back of his arm across his perspiring brow, the cords of his neck straining under the tension. He gazed down at her a while longer, then burst out, “Oh, fuck, I can’t stand it any more.” With lightning speed he hooked his fingers into her bikini bottoms and pulled them right off. She let his knees spread her thighs wide apart. His hands traced the shape of her mound, his fingers brushing her pubic hairs before seeking the moistness in her folds. Kneeling over her, he bent his head, his mouth following where his fingers probed.
A strangled gasp hissed from her lips. Did he know she’d never had sex this way? Her fingernails clawed at the sand. Everything was molten hot – the sand beneath her, the sun above her, Dion on top of her, and most of all his mouth. His tongue was searing as he lapped at her, penetrating her, opening up new pathways of desire she’d never experienced before. Her body responded instinctively, her back arching to give him greater access, her fingers tousling through his hair, her hips rising in time to his licking and sucking.
Through the thudding blood in her ears came a vague pulsating noise from elsewhere. It sounded mechanical, and it was getting louder. Dazed, she lifted her head to see an enormous white boat rounding one of the headlands. It was one of the dolphin watching cruisers, and it was packed to the gills with sightseers as it prepared to motor past their beach.
“Dion … Dion …” she panted.