Page 41 of Reckless Kiss

“No looking now then,” she said, pushing up to stand.

She shimmied her shorts over her hips and kicked off her shoes. Standing barefoot in the sand with a string bikini, Erica looked over her shoulder at Archer. He had stuffed part of her top in his mouth to muffle his groan.

“You’re wearing a wet suit for our practice sessions, right?” he said, throwing the blouse into the space she’d vacated.

“I thought I could try naked, but I don’t think your aunt would approve.”

“She most certainly would not.”

Archer stood to join her, toeing off his shoes as he pulled off his t-shirt.

“The water here is too shallow toswim, but we could paddle around or sit at the water’s edge,” Archer said, holding out his hand.

Erica took it and joined him at the water as it lapped over their feet. He explained the tides were too strong over this side of the island to go any deeper, especially for a novice swimmer like her. She accepted what he was saying, and they stood hand in hand, with the water up to their knees, looking at the cliff face.

“Archer?” Erica asked.

“Yeah?”

“How are we going to pull this off without anyone getting hurt? We have to make sure everyone believes us, and then when this ends, I’ll feel horrible for fooling everyone. How will your siblings react?”

“It’ll be fine. We’re not going to meet many people up at the house. Just the staff. Jason, Luke, and Daisy know the deal, and Aunt Cynthia won’t care.”

“And the wedding, what about the guests?”

“We’ll keep it low-key.”

“Okay,” Erica said, not convinced in the slightest.

He turned her to face him while the water ebbed and flowed around them. “It’s not going to be hard to fake falling in love with you,” he said.

Erica could’ve melted on the spot as he cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips to hers. It didn’t take long before he wrapped her in his arms, peppering her mouth with soft butterfly kisses. His hand went down her back and into the back of her bikini bottoms. She canted her hips to push against his, encouraging him to pull her tighter against his hard-muscled body. They stayed like that for eternity, with her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands holding her in place. Erica made no plans to stop kissing him. It was her new favourite pastime.

He lifted her under her arms, and she wrapped her legs around him. Archer carried her back to the blanket and laid her down, him covering her body with his. They continued their make-out session until she heard a consistent beeping noise.

Archer pulled back half an inch from her mouth. She could feel his smile.

“We need to pack up and head back. Tide is on the way in.”

Archer’s breath feathered over her mouth. She was dazed by his passion and the sun, in no mood to move out of his arms.

“If we have to,” she said.

“Getting stranded over here would not please my aunt. Bailey would bring the motorboat across, but I prefer not to alert her to any inappropriateness.”

Erica pecked his lips just before Archer moved away. She watched as he pulled on his t-shirt, marvelling at his side, back, and torso muscles. He looked strong and powerful. Erica knew without a doubt he would protect her while she was in his care. A sudden wave of melancholy overcame her as she thought about the time she would walk away in three months and return to her Hollywood life. Erica considered giving it all up for this man for the first time in her career. A man she barely knew. These thoughts never crossed her mind when she married Gregg, her ex-husband.

Getting up and dressed, she folded the blanket for Archer to stuff into the basket. Archer helped her up from the sand and brushed her down, taking extra time to ensure the sand was off every inch of her legs. The roughness of his hands sent tingles throughout her body. The tips of her nipples began to harden. Erica was insanely attracted to theman ensuring she was sand-free. How would she cope with being married to him that wasn’t real?

“I think you got all the grains,” she said, laughing as she pushed him away.

He gave her a sheepish grin, telling her he enjoyed it as much as she was.

It was less than five minutes since the alarm had sounded, and they were on the move across the sand pathway back to their fake lives to begin. The water was lapping at her feet when they had reached the sand on the other side of the causeway. It astounded her how quickly the tide came in.

“No wonder you set the alarm. Another five minutes, and we’d be wading the last hundred yards.”

“Yep,” Archer said. “No messing about with the water around here. But, until you’re experienced, I’d say the swimming pool is a better option for you.”

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