Page 87 of Beneath the Blindfold

Our meals had been prepped for us, but it was nice he offered. Jamie had money and fame—which could easily go to a guy’s head—yet it seemed like it hadn’t touched him.

“Sure, if you don’t mind,” I said. “I was going to lay out for a bit and dry off, but I can come help.”

He stood and wrapped his towel around his waist, which of course gave me the visual of him being naked beneath it, and my brain went fuzzy again.

“Stay as long as you like.” He collected his snorkel gear. “It won’t take both of us to turn on an oven.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I got it.” He shot me a boyish smile, and then he was off, trekking up the stairs over the rocks and onto the grassy lawn. I spread out my towel and lay down on my stomach, watching him as he rounded the stone wall and disappeared into the outdoor shower.

Birds chirped in the palm trees nearby, and the sun was warm on my skin. I was on a tropical vacation, lying on the beach, while my next project was already lined up, so I shouldn’t have a care in the world. But all I could think about was surviving the rest of this trip without falling for a man who wasn’t interested in more. It was probably already too late for me.

Was there a chance he was interested?

I groaned quietly in my frustration and rolled over onto my back, then lifted my hand to shield my eyes from the sun.

This was silly. I wasn’t going to waste any more of our time together without finding out. I’d said yes to this trip as soon as he asked. We had great chemistry online, and I’d needed to know if the same was true in person—which it absolutely was.

I hadn’t imagined the heat in his eyes just a few minutes ago. He’d cracked the door of opportunity for me, and I was going to nudge it open. I launched upright, gathered my gear and towel, and made my way up the slope to the house. I stacked my snorkel stuff beside his in the grass, then padded on my bare feet across the stone walkway that led to the secluded, open-air shower.

The walls were carved out of black lava rock, and since the balcony was overhead, it felt cave-like as I moved closer to the shower. I pulled up short at the sight of Jamie. He had his back turned and one arm out, his hand flat against the wall, and his head hung. Water from the rainfall showerhead drenched him, running in rivulets down his strong back, his powerful legs, and disappeared into the river rocks bordering the tile he stood on.

My heart wasn’t beating in my chest, but my feet still worked. I took a silent step closer.

The mist coming off him was... cold? Now that I was closer, I could see the goosebumps dotting his skin.

He lifted his head, slicked back his hair with a hand, and froze when he saw me. I felt flushed under his gaze, and the longer he stared at me, the thicker the air became. Oh, I definitely hadn’t imagined his heated look from before, because this one . . .

It was hotter than the sun.

My chest was tight as I inched forward, my toes in the cold water pooling on the tile. My voice nearly failed me. “Is the hot water not working?”

He broke our gaze, so he could grab the shower handle and crank it up. The water grew warm instantly. Or maybe it just felt that way because his blue eyes locked onto mine. My heart restarted, only it was in my throat now.

“Why were you taking a cold shower?” I asked.

His eyebrows tugged together, and he rested his hands on his hips. “Because.”

“Because . . .” My tone was soft and hopeful. I had a theory but needed to hear him say it.

He stepped out of the water, bringing us chest to chest. My knees threatened to buckle as he set his hands on my elbows. His palms smoothed up my arms, glided over my shoulders and neck, and came to a stop cradling my face.

“Because,” he whispered, tilting his head down and bringing his lips a breath away. “I was thinking about doing this.”

He lowered his mouth the final inch and kissed me.

SEVEN

Anna

I gasped against Jamie’s mouth and threw my arms around his neck, holding on like my life depended on it. His kiss was even more than I’d hoped it’d be. Urgent and greedy and dripping with desire.

His hands slipped down my body and settled on the small of my back, and as he stepped under the stream of water, he pulled me along with him, not letting up on our fiery kiss.

He adjusted the angle, and when my lips parted, his tongue dipped inside my mouth.Yes, every inch of me chanted. His tongue stroked against mine, and a bolt of heat shot down my legs. The water was warm, but I had goosebumps now too.

His kiss traveled down the length of my neck, and I heaved air into my lungs. “Do friends,” I panted, “kiss in the shower like this?”

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