Page 28 of Until We Break

I held a finger to my lips. “Shh. You’ll ruin it.”

We rounded the base of the largest dune on the beach. I held her firmly in place by the shoulders, constraining her from taking another step. My fingers lightly dug into her skin. A salt breeze lifted her hair, and I smelled summer wrapped up in that moment. Coconut. Sunscreen. Her shampoo. She leaned back into my chest just as my arms wrapped around her.

How was it possible to feel this comfortable with someone? To want her as much as I did and never kissed her. Every part of Margot was a fucking mystery to me. I craved the unraveling. Peeling back the layers. Getting to know her one smile. One kiss. One whisper at a time.

“Are you going to tell me why I’m staring at the sand?” she whispered.

I held her closer. A little tighter. “Look right there.” I pointed fifteen feet ahead.

“Okay, more sand?”

“Nope. A turtle nest.”

“What?” she gasped.

“One of my buddies told me about it. It’s earlier in the season than most, but this is the time of day they like to hatch, and I thought just maybe…”

“Are you saying the nest could hatch? Tonight? Right now?”

I didn’t have a chance to respond when the sand began to sift and dance around. We held our breath. It wasn’t my first hatching but watching it with Margot made it feel like it was.

Then it happened. We saw the first tiny head pop through the sand and kick its way free. It wasn’t alone for long. They scampered out of the nest two, three, five at a time.

“They know what to do?” she asked.

“Watch.”

On cue, the hatchlings pointed toward the ocean and filed in line flopping and rolling toward the surf. The sun was sinking fast. It took a while for the entire nest to break free and make their escape, but Margot and I waited until every single turtle had been swooped up by gentle twilight waves and swept out.

“That was incredible.” She turned toward me. My fingers grazed along her waist, tugging her toward me.

I knew this was the moment. All the push and pull, the waiting, the agonizing hours of frustration—they built and created the energy I felt hammering my entire body.

My hand slid to the side of her face. I felt the warmth of her skin heated from the sun. I didn’t think I had the control I needed for a first kiss. Fuck. I’d never had much self-control.

My lips grazed against hers. Slowly at first, then I gripped the side of her hip with my other hand as her arms circled my neck. She tugged as her hands slid into my hair, sealing my lips against hers. Our mouths moved quicker, faster. It was as if I’d been starved and all I could think about was tasting her. A little purr escaped her lips as my tongue slipped inside, tangling and dancing with hers.

She perched upward on her tiptoes. Damn if she wasn’t cute and sexy all rolled into one. I nipped at the corners of her mouth just as her head rolled back. I continued a trail of kisses along her neck and to her collarbone. Every inch of her was golden and warm. And fuck me. She wasn’t wearing a bra in this little dress.

I gulped. We were alone on the beach. For now. But that could change quickly if the surfers jumped on the changing winds.

My hand trailed to her knuckles, lacing our fingers together.

“What if I told you I know there’s somewhere we could go?”

She bit her bottom lip. Her gorgeous green eyes twinkled with lust and mischief.

“I’d say maybe you should have taken me there first.”

I winked. “And I thought I was the one trying to surprise you.”

We began to walk back over the dunes to collect our shoes. “Thank you for bringing me to the turtle nest, Caleb. Really.”

I held the door of the truck open for her. “I wouldn’t have wanted to show anyone else,” I answered.

I climbed in behind the wheel. That’s when I knew no matter how great the sex was going to be or the nights we would have together I still had a chance to back out of this. I could drop her off at the Blue Heron and never call her again. I only had five minutes or less to make that decision. Five minutes to determine if I was going to let this girl into my life. Take a chance. Let myself drown in her. Five minutes to decide if I was willing to open up to someone again. Even fucking fall in love. I put the truck in reverse. Who was I kidding? I knew from the moment I met her exactly what I was going to do.

FOURTEEN

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