I frowned, still not sure if I believed either version.
“Which is it?”
He took another sip. “Whichever you prefer.”
My face folded with a grimace. I wasn’t used to being on my heels around guys, and I didn’t like the feeling. Not one bit. Also, his teasing had me so off guard, I realized I still didn’t know his name. I turned away from him and eased into the chair, stretching my legs and feeling a twinge of muscle soreness in my thighs after ninety minutes of volleyball.
“I’m Taylor,” I said, brushing some tiny grains of sand off my midsection. “What’s yours?”
Of course, he didn’t respond.
When I turned to look, expecting an introduction in return, I noticed him finishing the last of his beer, sudsy traces swirled along the neck before they vanished with a gulp. After placing the empty bottle down on the table, he gave me a wry smile.
“That wouldn’t have been my guess.”
“What are you talking about? Your guess?”
As I questioned him, he leaned away from me, reaching in his cooler. The half-melted ice clanked against the new bottle as he fished it out.
How many beers did he have in there anyway?
“Yeah.” He looked at me again, twisting the cap off. “Your name. Wouldn’t have guessed Taylor. Not in a million years.”
“Oh, really?” I couldn’t wait to hear this. “What would you have guessed?”
“Shh.” He lifted a finger to his lips. I tried not to swallow in a way he’d notice. “It’s coming to me.”
He rattled off his ideas… Priscilla, Beatrice, Eleanor, Grace, Rosalind and probably a half-dozen more eye roll worthy examples.
“Yeah, yeah.” I cut him off. “Hilarious. Next thing I know, you’ll give me some cheesy nickname.”
Almost as soon as the words crossed my lips, I slammed my mouth shut out of fear that I might just encourage him to do it.
Yeah, too late.
He chuckled. “Already have one.”
I so did not want to hear this.
“What?” I asked anyway. “Might as well get it over with.”
“Sparkle. Like that sea glass you picked up.” He said it with a satisfied exhale.
I still held the stone in my hand. Sea glass? I’d never heard of it before.
“Sparkle?”
“Yeah, Sparkle,” he repeated. “I think it suits you, or at least, it could. I mean, if you weren’t so uptight.”
“Uh, excuse me?” If he wasn’t careful, I’d throw it at him. “How am I uptight?”
“Well, you’re at a nude beach.” He gestured with a lazy flick of his hand. “Still wearing your bikini top. Why don’t you try loosening it up, it’ll help you fit in.” He paused, and with all the subtlety of a caveman, looked right at my breasts. “Sort of looks like you want to anyway.”
I suddenly became all too aware of his point of focus. Almost as the dare tumbled from his lips, my body betrayed me. Shifting my attention, I looked down to see my nipples hardened like pebbles, straining against the fabric of my top.
Fine.
Whatever.
You want a show, buddy?
I’d give this swaggering hunk of a Neanderthal something to remember all right. After taking a defiant swig of my beer, I put it down on the table and sat up. To be clear, this wasn’t something I made a habit of doing for many men and never, ever, for a complete stranger. But at the tail end of an eighteen-month train wreck of a trip, I figured what the hell.
I’d never see him again.
Reaching behind my back, I pinched the string between my fingers and gave it a gentle tug. The straps fell away, but I grabbed them, shooting a smoky glance his way.
His eyebrows tented with expectation.
Pinching the strings between my fingers, I eased them off my shoulders, but not before draping my hand across my chest and giving him a few more seconds of frustrating buildup. My lip curled into a smirk as I moved my hands aside.
You’re welcome.
For the first time since I’d spoken to him, I saw a chink in that macho armor. His expression flashed with lust before he regained his composure, trying to act like he’d hardly noticed.
“Okay, mister. You got what you wanted.” I licked my lips, asking him the question he’d evaded earlier. “Now, out with it. What’s your name?”
Those hard, unforgiving features softened. With a look of playfulness in his eyes, he lifted a hand, beckoning me with a curl of his index finger.
“Come close. I’ll whisper it in your ear.”
5
Just One Night (Dalton)
She glared at me, making narrow slits with her eyes.
You’re pushing it.
Yeah, I probably was, but between her interloping friend and the rapidly fading sunlight, I had to move quick. Opportunities like this are rare as the deep-sea relic she clutched in her hand, and I wasn’t about to let this one slip from my grasp.
The satisfied smile she wore after her impromptu strip tease faded. I held my ground in silence, not backing down from my demand. Only the distant rumbling of surf and sporadic chatter from the volleyballers nearby kept the tension growing between us somewhat at bay.
Easy, just a little while longer now.
I’d spent countless hours on missions over the years. When you’re dug in, surrounded by enemy combatants who’d gut you if they had the slightest clue as to your whereabouts, you learn two skills above all others - patience and silence. While this battlefield might’ve been different, there was still a war of wills to win.
Steady.
A few more seconds ticked by, and at last, she blinked.
Literally.
Sparkle moved her body with feline fluidity, shifting to the edge of her chair and lowering her head my way. Since the moment I’d set my sights on this supple vixen, it was that first touch of her lips I craved above anything else. Once our mouths met, strangers would become intimates, and the anticipation of crossing that divide had me on the edge.
Almost there.
Her thin fingers snaked through strands of her honey-blonde hair as she pulled it behind her ear. The gentle floral fragrance of her scent entered my awareness once more. I sensed a bit of hesitation from her. Leaving no room for chance, I angled my mouth straight toward those perfect, supple lips and crashed into them.
I felt her go stiff, muscles coiling for an instant and then in the next, she melted, her hands lightly pressing against me. I swept my tongue into her mouth, exploring and tasting. Sparkle let loose with a little groan, a tantalizing feminine sound that ripped right through me. A swell of desire, stronger than the ocean itself and almost as deep, rocked my body.
Her lips were like heaven-sent velvet, made expressly for my pleasure, and as we separated, I knew right away it hadn’t been long enough.
She didn’t pull back. Instead she lingered there, gazing into my eyes with her mouth slightly parted and taking a swallow of courage before asking me the same question for the third time.
So cute.
“What. Is your name?” This time she whispered the request.
It sounded more like a plea than a demand. I blinked softly and upped the ante, cupping her chin softly in my palm.
“Is that the first time you’ve ever kissed a man without knowing his name?”