Page 29 of Promise Not To Fall

“Do you take all the city girls who come through your bar back to their place?”

He arches an eyebrow. “Ah, now what makes you think there’s girls?”

I give him a look, intentionally letting my eyes drink in his strong physique, which captured my attention from the first moment I saw him. Tight, dark skin, hard lines, and sky blue eyes shadowed by jet black lashes. “C’mon, Jake. Look at you. There’sdefinitelygirls. You probably have a bar harem.”

He gives me an annoyed look, so much hidden in his eyes. “I’m only with one girl right now.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls too.”

Jake regards me for a moment, his eyes sweeping down my body. Every inch. “Mmmm, perhaps.”

Think about it, Kendall. Is this what you want?He’s a player. I’m not going to lie, my curiosity about his statement nags at me. I want to know if there’s a lot of girls. I want to know how many he’s treated this same way, but at the same time, I don’t want to know. I want to remain oblivious to this and enjoy it for what it is. A one-night stand that might possibly turn into an eleven-night stand if I play my cards right.

My head and my heart battle with what to do next, so I ask more questions. “You’ve lived here since you were two?” Jake nods, keeping pace with me. “And you live here on Paradise Island?”

“No. I live in Nassau with Zain and Nash.”

I nod this time, trying to keep up with the conversation. We are a mile from my hotel, and I don’t want things getting awkward by not talking.

With all my talking, I’m not exactly paying attention to where I’m going. Which is easy to do when you can’t see a goddamn thing other than the moon and the lights of the hotels. Forget about seeing your own feet.

“Hey, there, watch where you’re walking.” Before I can do that, I’m face-planting in the sand, only to be caught by two strong arms.

“You’re the one to blame for my inability to walk in a straight line. Your drinks suck,” I say, wiping sand from my lips and cheek.

“You know goddamn well my drinksdon’t suck,” he says, cupping my cheek, and his thumb grazes my mouth, toying with my bottom lip. He props me up so that we’re both on our knees in the sand.

I want to lean forward, get that first kiss over with. Neither of us move. It would be perfect, surrounded by moonlight and water, waves crashing around us in paradise. For whatever reason, I can’t move.

He reaches over and cups my other cheek, his voice playful. “For someone so controlling of her surroundings and life, it’s taking you an awfully long time to kiss me.” His eyes, smoky blue, call to me. His fingers find the bare skin of my collarbone.

Despite the sun giving way to the moon, the intensity of the humidity hasn’t let up. It’s like a blanket, thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe. Or maybe it’s this bartender holding me here under his stare that’s making it hard to breathe.

“I’m waiting for you to make the move,” I breathe out. “I’m working on being less controlling, and I think I need a man to show me how good being told what to do might be.”

His jaw clenches, his body does too. “You want to be told what to do?” I nod. He leans in further, his voice rough with need as he whispers, “Then fucking kiss me before I rip your clothes off and fuck you on this beach.”

Then, without any more hesitation, his mouth is on mine, and mine seeks out his. I suck his bottom lip between my teeth, biting down softly and pulling him into me. The kiss intensifies, eager and everything I knew it would be. His mouth presses against mine more firmly, and then his tongue slips into my mouth. He tastes so good, a sweet mixture of his drinks.

One of his hands slide around my neck, the other holds me still for him to kiss. He groans into my mouth, the delicious sound evoking a full-body tremble from me.

This kiss. It sets fire to what he sparked by his teasing tonight.

With fire in my veins, I go a little crazy. My hands fist in his hair. I want my body all over his. I want to cling to him like a spider monkey and never part. And all the while, waves crash against my legs, soaking my dress and his shorts.

With my sudden assault on his mouth, Jake chuckles, not fighting me off at all, and kisses me deeper.

I can’t wait to get him back to my hotel. If he can set my mouth on fire with a kiss like this, imagine what he can do with that tongue to other parts of my body.

Oh, the possibilities.

Needing air, he pulls back, gasping and taking a deep breath, his hand moving from my hip to my breasts he’d been eyeing all night. Oh, yes. He definitely wants it, and I’m sure if I don’t stop him, he’ll fuck me on the beach.

Not happening. Sand…. Me? Nope.

“Let’s go back to my room,” I whisper, my lips at his ear as he hungrily scrapes his teeth and tongue along my neck. He nods, but he doesn’t move his mouth. He bites my skin, just a little bit, but enough that I squirm. Pulling at the straps of my dress, he’s already working on getting it off and out of the way.

My hands seek his, pushing them away as I stand. Jake remains on the ground, water and sand covering his legs as he looks up at me. Oh, God, he’s so pretty. Long, thick eyelashes shadowing his eyes, why is he so damn beautiful?

I reach for his hand. “Let’s get you naked.”

He grins and takes my hand. “I’d much rather see you naked.”

“Well, you’re in luck, Island Boy. I tend to strip when I’m drunk.” I laugh, backing up one step, and he finally rises from his knees to follow me.

We stop about a half dozen times on the beach. He wants to do it on the beach. “Fuck the room,” he tells me, nearly convincing me we don’t need one. He even tries a couple of times, but I will not be having sex in the sand. I refuse to.

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