Page 22 of Rescuing Rebel

We wander across the rocky beach as the rays of the setting sun shine down through tufts of golden clouds. The thunderous roar of the ocean envelops us, matching the quickened beating of my heart.

I relish the sun’s warmth kissing my skin and the crunch of small pebbles shifting under my feet. Gulls cry overhead, circling an untouched beach that seems made for romantic getaways.

I want this to be my life.

As for the beach? It’s an amazing beach. A secluded beach. A perfect beach to seduce Ethan.

I slip my hand into his, savoring the contrast of his calloused palm against the softness of my skin. We’re going to do a whole hell of a lot more down here than enjoy the beach.

We meander to the tide pools, the fresh salty air filling my lungs. I trace my toes through the frigid water, watching tiny crabs skitter away.

“It’s beautiful here. Wild and untamed.” I meet Ethan’s conflicted gaze, feeling the heat building between us.

I point out crabs and anemones in the tide pools while subtly guiding us into a secluded nook away from prying eyes. Here, nestled between the craggy outcroppings, it feels like we have this stunning strip of coastline all to ourselves.

I take Ethan’s hands, pulling him closer. “Kiss me.” I gaze up at him invitingly.

Ethan inhales sharply, conflict plain on his face. “You’re vulnerable, and it’s not professional for me to take advantage of that.” His protests sound feeble, and his gaze flicks down to my lips.

The air between us thickens with tension, a magnetic attraction that neither can deny. The heat of his gaze sears me, and I know what he’s thinking. It’s written in the intensity of his eyes, how he swallows hard, and the faint tremor in his hands.

I slowly close the gap between us. “Put me out of my misery. Ethan, kiss me.” Each word drips with challenge and invitation, the tease making my heart race.

I slide my hands along his forearms, feeling the solid muscle rippling beneath my fingers, and continue up to the curve of his biceps. “We’re alone. It’s one stolen moment. One kiss…” I let the implication hang between us. “Where’s the harm?”

Leaning in, I ghost my lips over his stubbled jaw, a feather-light fluttering, feeling the warmth of his skin and hearing his breaths quicken. His musky and inviting scent wraps around me, drawing me close.

The groan in the back of his throat is low and guttural. His hands instinctively find my hips, pulling me against him with a yank. The hardness of his body contrasts deliciously with the softness of his voice.

“This is unwise...” he murmurs, though the plea in his voice is more a wish than a warning. “You shouldn’t tempt me.”

With his resistance crumbling, I press my advantage. “One kiss.” I drag my fingers from the corner of his ear, down the angle of his jaw, and press them lightly over his lips. My voice drips with seduction as I coax him to give in to his desire.

With a sound that’s half sigh, half growl, his resistance finally shatters. His lips crash into mine, fervent and hungry. It’s a mingling of breaths and souls, a frantic dance of lips and tongues, a blend of sweet surrender and powerful conquest. He grips me tighter, pulling me close as if trying to meld our bodies into one.

And just like that, the world fades away. The rhythm of our hearts, the heat of our bodies, the taste of him—everything converges into this one stolen moment.

This kiss, the melding of our bodies, is as inevitable as the tide and as relentless as the sea crashing against the shore. We are the primal dance of nature, lost in waves of sensation.

There’s nothing else but him and how our bodies come together in a searing connection.

The intensity of the kiss escalates, and a mixture of pent-up longing and raw desire releases like a dam breaking. The world tilts and swirls around us, but all I’m truly aware of is Ethan.

The way his mouth moves against mine, gentle but demanding. It speaks to a depth of feeling he keeps buried.

His fingers splay across my lower back, anchoring me to him, and I sigh into his mouth, allowing myself to get lost in the sensation. His other hand slides up my spine, sending tiny electrical sparks dancing on my skin. When he buries his hand in the tangles of my hair, his possession turns primal.

The slight tug of my hair elicits a moan from me, which seems to fan the flames of his passion even more.

I loop my arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. With our bodies flush against each other, every hard line of his frame, every rapid beat of his heart, is imprinted on mine. The heat between us escalates, a tangible force of nature threatening to consume us both.

His taste is intoxicating, a blend of warmth and a hint of the salty air. Each brush of his tongue against mine sends jolts of electricity through me, setting every nerve ending alight.

Talk about a great kisser.

Pulling back slightly, Ethan rests his forehead against mine, both of us panting, trying to catch our breath. His eyes, dark with desire, search mine, seeking and finding a reflection of his own passion.

It’s a raw, unspoken acknowledgment of the connection between us.

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