sparkling turquoise water was like a magic balm that soothed everyday stresses and worries.
She looked up from the water to see Leo standing a few feet down the beach, watching her, and her face heated under his gaze. He was wearing a loose-fitting white cotton shirt with the sleeves pushed up and the first several buttons undone, showing an enticing bit of his hard chest. His linen pants were rolled up so he could wade in the water without soaking them and his feet were bare. Rachel normally saw Leo in business suits, all serious and formal and buttoned-up, and while he filled the suits out very, very nicely, the casual look was unbelievably sexy on him. He was fit and toned, and Rachel could see his muscles flex and ripple underneath the lightweight fabric of his clothes. He was strong and hard everywhere; she had felt it when they danced and she kept catching herself running her hands along his arm or down his back.
Rachel smiled at him and he returned it with a look that made her heart pound. He looked at her like he was staking a claim, like he wanted to stalk over to her, throw her over his shoulder, and take her back to his cave. It sent a thrilled shiver of desire through her.
“Do you surf at all?” Rachel asked as she walked over t o Leo. It was a random question and she’d asked it mostly to distract her from staring at Leo before she embarrassed herself.
“Yeah. I don’t have as much time for it now, but I’ve surfed the big waves in Hawaii and Australia. Have you ever done it?”
“No, I’ve never surfed, but I think it would be cool to learn. Maybe you can teach me.”
Leo laughed. “I would, but I’m kind of afraid you’d kill me in the process.”
“Oh, come on , I’d be good at it!”
“I don’t know,” he said with exaggerated skepticism. “ For someone who moves like you do on the dance floor, you sure have a klutzy streak.” Rachel gasped in mock outrage and stalked toward him. Leo laughed and backed up a few steps into the water, out of her reach. “Besides, every beginning surfer falls a lot, and we both know you don’t go down easy. I’m not sure I want to be near enough that you can drag me down too.”
“I’ll show you going down easy,” Rachel muttered with a laugh.
She lunged at Leo and gave him a gentle shove. She’d meant it only as a playful gesture but her ankle twisted in the sand and she fell into Leo with more force than she intended. Leo reached out to steady her but a wave crashed against their legs just then and knocked them further off balance. Suddenly, Leo was on his back in the wet sand, waves pooling around his legs, and Rachel was on top of him.
“See?” Leo asked teasingly. “You can’t even stand on the beach without almost drowning someone.”
Rachel dipped her fingers in the water and cupped her hand, splashing Leo with the cool, salty water.
“Siren,” Leo growled. He captured her arms and rolled over, pinning Rachel beneath him. He had both her hands in one of his and he raised her arms above her head, holding them gently but firmly into the sand. He held some of his weight off her with his other arm, so she was trapped but not crushed. “Dangerous woman,” he said huskily as his gaze locked on hers. He spoke in a teasing tone but Rachel heard the note of seriousness in his words, like he was admitting a reluctant truth.
Rachel’s heart pounded harder. She felt frozen in place, pinned down not just by his body but also the desire burning in his stare. Even if Leo were to get up, she wasn’t sure she would be able to rise from the sand. “Dangerous, eh?” she said, trying to make it a casual challenge. “And what are you going to do about it?”
Leo stared at her, his eyes cloudy, like he was trying to figure out that very thing. “This,” he said. He bent his head to hers and kissed her, his lips an explosion of fiery heat on her chilled skin. Rachel strained against him and he released her arms, moving his hand to her neck.
She looked up from the water to see Leo standing a few feet down the beach, watching her, and her face heated under his gaze. He was wearing a loose-fitting white cotton shirt with the sleeves pushed up and the first several buttons undone, showing an enticing bit of his hard chest. His linen pants were rolled up so he could wade in the water without soaking them and his feet were bare. Rachel normally saw Leo in business suits, all serious and formal and buttoned-up, and while he filled the suits out very, very nicely, the casual look was unbelievably sexy on him. He was fit and toned, and Rachel could see his muscles flex and ripple underneath the lightweight fabric of his clothes. He was strong and hard everywhere; she had felt it when they danced and she kept catching herself running her hands along his arm or down his back.
Rachel smiled at him and he returned it with a look that made her heart pound. He looked at her like he was staking a claim, like he wanted to stalk over to her, throw her over his shoulder, and take her back to his cave. It sent a thrilled shiver of desire through her.
“Do you surf at all?” Rachel asked as she walked over t o Leo. It was a random question and she’d asked it mostly to distract her from staring at Leo before she embarrassed herself.
“Yeah. I don’t have as much time for it now, but I’ve surfed the big waves in Hawaii and Australia. Have you ever done it?”
“No, I’ve never surfed, but I think it would be cool to learn. Maybe you can teach me.”
Leo laughed. “I would, but I’m kind of afraid you’d kill me in the process.”
“Oh, come on , I’d be good at it!”
“I don’t know,” he said with exaggerated skepticism. “ For someone who moves like you do on the dance floor, you sure have a klutzy streak.” Rachel gasped in mock outrage and stalked toward him. Leo laughed and backed up a few steps into the water, out of her reach. “Besides, every beginning surfer falls a lot, and we both know you don’t go down easy. I’m not sure I want to be near enough that you can drag me down too.”
“I’ll show you going down easy,” Rachel muttered with a laugh.
She lunged at Leo and gave him a gentle shove. She’d meant it only as a playful gesture but her ankle twisted in the sand and she fell into Leo with more force than she intended. Leo reached out to steady her but a wave crashed against their legs just then and knocked them further off balance. Suddenly, Leo was on his back in the wet sand, waves pooling around his legs, and Rachel was on top of him.
“See?” Leo asked teasingly. “You can’t even stand on the beach without almost drowning someone.”
Rachel dipped her fingers in the water and cupped her hand, splashing Leo with the cool, salty water.
“Siren,” Leo growled. He captured her arms and rolled over, pinning Rachel beneath him. He had both her hands in one of his and he raised her arms above her head, holding them gently but firmly into the sand. He held some of his weight off her with his other arm, so she was trapped but not crushed. “Dangerous woman,” he said huskily as his gaze locked on hers. He spoke in a teasing tone but Rachel heard the note of seriousness in his words, like he was admitting a reluctant truth.
Rachel’s heart pounded harder. She felt frozen in place, pinned down not just by his body but also the desire burning in his stare. Even if Leo were to get up, she wasn’t sure she would be able to rise from the sand. “Dangerous, eh?” she said, trying to make it a casual challenge. “And what are you going to do about it?”
Leo stared at her, his eyes cloudy, like he was trying to figure out that very thing. “This,” he said. He bent his head to hers and kissed her, his lips an explosion of fiery heat on her chilled skin. Rachel strained against him and he released her arms, moving his hand to her neck.
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