Bedding the Wrong Brother(40)


“Yeah. That's an understatement.” And with that, he backed away from her, eyes locked with hers until the last possible moment, then he turned and cannonballed into the water, splashing her with a huge wave that made her yelp even as she laughed out loud.



* * *



“Come on in. The water's great.”

Melina stood uncertainly at the edge of the water as Rhys motioned her closer. She wanted close. Closer. She wanted it until her teeth ached. Her body was on fire, and she wasn't sure how much more teasing she could take. There was only one problem.

She was a coward.

She'd been too much of a coward to wear the bikini, and she was too much of a coward to strip down to her bra and panties. Not white, but a pale peach that was so sheer it left nothing to the imagination.

Maybe she squirmed at the thought, because now Rhys was staring at her oddly. She needed to get in that water and fast. What other choice did she have?

“I've already seen everything there is to see, remember?” he asked gently.

Not everything, she thought hysterically. He'd never seen her trying to be the femme fatale. He'd never seen her naked body in full sunlight, every ripple and extra pound of flesh visible. Last night had been different. Last night had been in the dark. Last night, she hadn't known it was him and she'd been buzzed. Why hadn't he brought any wine to go with that romantic picnic?

She jolted when she realized she'd spoken the question out loud.

“Because we're going to take full responsibility for what we're doing. No hiding behind misunderstandings, fuzzy vision, or inebriation. The next time I get between your legs, Melina, you're going to know full well who's there.”

“I-I—”

He cocked an eyebrow at her inability to form a comeback.

That made her mad again. Death by frustration, she vowed. He’d be well acquainted with the term before she was through with him.

Taking a deep breath and raising her chin defiantly, she pulled her tee over her head. She heard Rhys's sharp inhalation for breath immediately. Before she could change her mind, she shoved down her shorts, kicked them off, and prepared to dive into the water.

“Stop.”

She froze at the intense command in his voice that was accompanied by distinct splashing sounds. He was coming out of the water fast, his hand raised to echo his command. His gaze was riveted on her scantily clad body, the dark heat of it burning her in the best way possible.

He stopped a few feet away from her, water dripping from his hair and shoulders in sinuous streaks that she longed to lap up. All thoughts of teasing him into a frenzy vanished. She stumbled forward, wanting only to fall to her knees, drag his sodden suit down, and take him in her mouth. Instead, she said the first thing that popped into her head. “I bought a bikini at Holiday Harbor, but I'm not the bikini type so I thought I'd just—”

He snorted and moved toward her until he was right in front of her. “You are so the bikini type, Melina.” Gently grasping her wrists, he uncrossed her arms and held them out wide. The sheer appreciation on his face made her thighs clench with need. “But I love your lingerie. God, your skin looks so soft. Like cream. And your breasts…” He groaned.

She glanced down at her chest, where her breasts were cupped and lifted by her demi-bra. Her curves were average in size, but her nipples were hard and visibly straining beneath the fabric. Dropping her wrists, he reached out, cupped her breasts in both hands, then pinched her nipples between his fingers, rolling them gently before releasing her.

“Rhys,” she whimpered as he dipped his head, suckling first one nipple and then the other. He sucked them hard, as if he wanted to swallow her whole, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, ready to offer her entire self to him. With a groan, he moved to kiss her cleavage, nipping at her skin in a way she knew would leave her bruised. Marked in the best way possible. But then he was backing away from her. Again.

No, no, no.

“The only thing that would be more beautiful than you like this is you like this and wet. Emphasis on the wet part.”

Before she could respond, he turned and jumped back in the water.

“You coming in?” His question sounded strangled. As if he'd had to force the words out.

Despite the frustrating ache that he'd caused to buzz through her body again, she smiled. The ache was so much better than the nerves had been. Plus, she was starting to see what Rhys meant about unpredictability and sex being fun even when you were just playing at it. Granted, he had more experience, but that just gave her more to work with.

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