Page 28 of Beautifully Wild

He makes his way to the water. Are onesies still a thing? He has no idea, no idea of where the world sits in the fashion industry. He’s in tune with the planet yet out of touch with society. It concerns him if their conversation is guided by modern-day trivial news since he has no idea what’s happening and what is current.

Eden dives into a wave, surfaces, and swipes her face. She straightens, and the seawater streams over her curves. “The ocean is different here. Warmer,” she says as she wades closer to shore.

He dives beneath a wave. A safe fluid membrane lies between them. When he surfaces, he feels the pull, caught in her current. It’s like she’s created her own riptide. She glides closer, barely making a ripple in the water.

Soft hands land on his chest.

“Kiss me. I want you to kiss me,” she murmurs. Her hands slide to the back of his neck, and she guides his lips to hers.

For years he’s fought the release of what men need, trained his mind not to be tricked by desire and lust.

With her, he feels every sensation tenfold.

He doesn’t fight it. He knows the kiss will be different from when she was drunk, even though he remembers how she tasted and how much he wanted to take more.

She moans into his mouth the moment their lips touch. Her kiss is delicate and slow. He follows her lead, and it turns frantic and needy.

Eden cups his face. Her tongue finds his. Her hands slide into his hair and grip the ends. In response, he lifts her until she straddles him.

She gasps as she slides down against the length of him.

He dips beneath the water and adjusts her position so she’s not riding his groin. Hell, that will send him over the edge quicker than he could control.

She breaks the kiss, gasps for air, and offers him her neck. He dots kisses along her moist skin. Dizzy with the taste combined with salt, he craves more. Supporting her back, he sucks his way to her breast. His nose moves the flimsy material aside so he can take her breast in his mouth. She moans in pleasure, the sound causing him to thrust against her.

“Yes,” she whispers.

He moves to the other breast, her whimpers goading him on. He flicks her nipple with his tongue before taking her breast into his mouth and sucking until she moans, “More.”

More.

Samuel chose a secluded beach. The younger version of himself would be on a home run, taking her on the sand. “Not here,” he whispers. “I want you to know who I am. And I’m not a guy who has sex with women on a beach.”

She leans back. There’s sadness in her eyes. “Okay. We’ll talk first.”

He nods. “We need to make our way to the streets. It’ll be dark soon, and I don’t want you on the beach.”

“I’ll be with you.”

“You will. I’d be more than happy to spend the night alone with you on the beach, a fire burning, only I wouldn’t be getting any sleep.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing. What are you afraid of?”

“It’s more what you’d be afraid of. Snakes? Thieves? Or if the police found us? This isn’t the place.”

“The police finding us? Doing what? It sounds like you’ve thought it through.”

He leans in and plants another kiss on her lips. “I have. Unfortunately, we need to leave. Not far ahead, there is a path leading to a quiet street. From there, we can arrange for transport back to the resort.”

“And then?” she whispers.

“We’ll have dinner and talk.”

Yet, in his mind, he has already surrendered to her.

17

Eden

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