Page 25 of Six Nights in Paradise

I had no idea what would happen once we got home. We couldn’t just go back to the way things were. I didn’t want that, and I imagined Taylor didn’t, either. We’d need some time to figure out how we fit together once we were back in the real world, before we took the terrifying step of telling her brother and the rest of our friends and family.

My mind raced with all the possibilities and scenarios as we waded out into the water to cool off after our day spent in the sun enjoying every activity and adventure we could find. I pulled Taylor into my arms and kissed her gently, needing to feel connected, needing her comfort. My hands tangled in her hair as I deepened the kiss, angling my head to better seal my lips over hers. She moaned in response and I felt myself growing hard.

“I wish this beach was completely private,” she said when we broke apart. My forehead rested against hers and I let my eyes drift open. Hers were still closed, her pretty pink lips glistening from my kiss. “There’s so much I want to do to you, right here, right now.”

Her hands slid down my front, her fingers hooking into my waistband. I sucked in a breath, every abdominal muscle tightening with her touch. Damn, this woman knew how to get my engine revving.

My fingers curled into her hip when her hand slipped inside. We were in waist deep water, but it was clear enough that anyone who looked hard enough would be able to see what she was doing. I just couldn’t make myself care enough to stop her. She licked her lips like she wanted a taste and I was dying to let her have it. Her dainty hand wrapped around my cock and immediately, she began to stroke me. She would be the death of me, but at least I would die a happy man.

“Taylor,” I growled in warning. The corners of her lips tipped up in a devious grin. I loved this naughty side of her, loved that she wasn’t afraid to let loose and let our passion take over. Dierks Bentley’s “Somewhere On A Beach” began to play in my mind. If our trip had an anthem, it would be that. I was sure Gianna thought I was still heartbroken and moping over her. She texted me on Saturday, the day we were supposed to be wed to let me know she was thinking of me and hoped I was doing okay. I nearly threw my cell phone across the room.

Oddly enough, thinking of her now barely caused a stirring of emotion. I was focused solely on the woman in front of me with her hands all over my body. This trip was ten times more fun with Taylor than it would have been otherwise. We connected in a way I hadn’t experienced before. And the sex… it was explosive. All those years of pent-up yearning and frustration built up like a powder keg, and our first kiss became a lit match.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and pulled her hand out of my shorts, scooping her up and carrying her out of the water. She wrapped her legs around my waist like it was instinctual, like our bodies fit together just like this and there was no other way to be held.

When I dropped her onto the bed, she leaned up on her elbows and her hooded eyes scanned down my body, stopping at the tented material just below my waist. I crawled over her and she dropped back onto the bed. My mouth fused with hers, muffling her moans as I pressed my erection against her center. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring and appreciating each other’s bodies as I wished for just a little more time with her before heading back home.

Taylor

“What made you decide to take a break from school?” Dalton and I were lying tangled in the sheets, his fingers running softly up and down my arm. My relaxed and sated body instantly tensed with his question. I’d been able to brush everyone else off when they asked, giving them some line about being burnt out and needing a break, but the truth was far more shameful. I’d hoped never to have to confess my sins to anyone else. It was bad enough the dean and Vice President of the university knew. I didn’t need my friends and family finding out what a horrible human being I’d been. But the secret was eating me up inside. I needed a confessional. I needed to bare my soul and be absolved of my sins, but I couldn’t bear to see the disgust in Dalton’s eyes when he learned what I’d done.

A tear slipped down my cheek and before I could swipe it away, he cupped my face, forcing me to look at him.

“Taylor, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

His voice was so sincere, his tone laced with concern, that it broke my resolve to take this secret to the grave.

“I got in trouble,” I sobbed, the tight knot of guilt that had settled in my chest a month ago starting to unravel. I’d let myself forget for a little while. I allowed myself to get lulled into a false sense of hope and innocence while Dalton and I were enjoying our little slice of paradise, but I could no longer bury my head in the sand, pretending I hadn’t done something unforgivable.

“Tell me what happened,” he urged gently, stroking his thumb over my cheek.

It took a few shuddering breaths to regain my composure and speak without my voice cracking. “You can’t tell anybody,” I pleaded. “Not my parents or my brother. They don’t know. Theycan’tknow.” I whispered the last part, shame flooding my entire being. They would never look at me the same again. Dalton probably wouldn’t either, but if we were going to continue with this— whateverthiswas— when we got home, he had a right to know, didn’t he? I wanted my sordid past to remain a secret, but it was eating me up inside and I needed to let it out. Would it free me or bind me even tighter in shame and regret?

“I slept with my professor.” My voice was barely audible, the guilt tightening my throat, my airway nearly closing in on me. “Mymarriedprofessor,” I elaborated. Dalton sucked in a breath and his body tensed.

Oh, shit. What have I done?He was going to think I was a terrible person. I had to tell him the rest. He needed to know I hadn’t been aware of Jason’s wife, or…

“I didn’t know he was married.” My words came out in a rush. “He never wore a ring, never talked about her, never let on that he was attached in any way to another woman.” I closed my eyes against the disappointment and disapproval I knew must be written across his face. Would he ever be able to look at me the same after this?

“Start from the beginning,” he said gently, brushing the hair from my face.

I took a deep breath. “Last fall, I took one of his classes. We hit it off instantly. He was funny and charming, and very attractive.”

My stomach churned at how readily I’d lusted after him. He was tall and handsome, young to be a tenured professor, but also incredibly intelligent. He had messy brown hair and bright blue eyes framed by stylish, modern glasses. He had that sexy nerd vibe going for him that I found irresistible. When he’d roll his sleeves up during a lecture, his toned forearms would flex and I’d find myself wondering what he looked like under that perfectly buttoned up dress shirt. He was obviously very fit, but he didn’t show it off. His clothes weren’t too form fitting. He was unassuming, which only added to the allure.

“He asked me to stay after class one day to talk about one of my assignments. I was nervous, thinking I had messed it up and gotten a poor grade. I was pleasantly surprised when he told me how well I’d done.” Dalton’s hold on me tightened, but he remained silent. His tension was palpable, thickening the air around us. It suddenly felt hard to breathe, but I continued as best I could, pushing through the pressure in my chest.

“We struck up a friendship and he continually praised my work. If I got something wrong, he’d offer to go over it with me after class. One afternoon, he asked me to stop by during office hours because he’d left our assignments on his desk. When I finished my last class for the day, I raced across campus to catch him before he left. We started talking about the assignment, and he gave me some pointers on how to improve my work. The conversation flowed easily and before I knew it, we’d been in there nearly two hours. He was sitting in the chair next to me and we were talking like old friends instead of student and teacher. Of course, I had a huge crush on him, so it took me a long time to loosen up, but he eventually put me at ease.”

Looking back, I knew I was an easy target. I fell right into his trap. He knew he made my heart flutter every time he walked into the lecture hall and stood behind the podium. I sat in the front row, just off to the right so I could be closer to him. I watched and listened with rapt attention during every class, and he took notice.

“When he walked me to the door, his hand stalled on the doorknob.” I closed my eyes and wished the next part had never happened. He’d said my name, his voice low and husky. When I looked into his eyes, I could see the desire shining behind his lenses, his blue eyes burning even brighter. Our bodies leaned into each other and he closed the final gap between us. “We kissed,” I said simply. Dalton didn’t need to know the details. He didn’t need to know how Jason had gripped my waist and pressed me against the wall beside the door. He didn’t need to know that he tasted like coffee and French vanilla creamer, or that his hard body pressed against mine had me panting against his lips.

“He apologized and said he shouldn’t have done that because he was my teacher and it wasn’t fair to me.” Little did I know just how right he was about that. “Nothing else happened for a couple weeks, and then he asked if I’d ever consider becoming a teaching assistant for one of his lower level classes. I jumped at the opportunity. He helped me with the application, and I started sitting in on one of his freshman classes shortly after. We spent a lot of time in his office going over lesson plans and grading tests. I was a little disappointed he didn’t try to kiss me again, but by then, I’d signed up for the next semester’s classes and knew I would have him again.” I cringed at how obsessed I became. I wanted to be close to him, and even though there was another teacher who offered the same class, I coveted a spot in his.

“We were there late one night grading tests when he confessed that he wished I’d taken the other teacher’s class instead of his. I couldn’t believe he said that. My feelings were hurt because I felt like we got along great and I really liked him. But then he told me that he’d been counting down the days until he was no longer my teacher because it was a conflict of interest to date me.” I swallowed past the bile rising in my throat. The next part solidified my position as an easily manipulated, naive airhead. I practically tackled him when he said that.

“That was the first time we hooked up.” I looked down, focusing on a thread poking out from the sheet I was playing with to avoid Dalton’s gaze. He cursed under his breath and the sound made tears well in my eyes again.

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