Page 5 of Built

She ducks her head, and it’s hard to tell in the fading light, but I think she’s blushing. “Never.”

“Fuck me.” The stupid words again. Can’t seem to stop saying them. It’s taking everything I have not to push her down into the sand and kiss her so soundly she stops thinking about her deadshit ex or anything else except how badly she needs to cum on my hands and my tongue.

I shift restlessly. I’m growing hard just thinking about her like that.

Mia finishes her beer and sets down the empty bottle in the sand. I set mine down, too, and stand. Turning, I hold my hand out to pull her up. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk. There’s a cave around the headland and it’s just about to be low tide.”

She takes my hand, letting me pull her to her feet. I love the way her hand feels in mine. Small and warm and trusting. Instead of giving in to temptation and hauling her against my body to feel her curves, I steady her and release her, turning to lead the way down the beach.

It’s getting really dark now and the moon has risen on the horizon, brushing against the ocean like a ghostly ship or whatever that dumb fucking poem they made us learn in school said.

Fuck, I feel like I’m back in school again. Flustered and clumsy, and with a dick that won’t stay soft.

I’m surprised when Mia slips her hand back into mine, but I don’t complain. I’m not an idiot.

It’s windy until we get around the headland. Mia’s hair whips into her face.

“The wind will ease off when the sun’s all the way down,” I tell her.

She just squeezes my hand.

She’s laughing by the time we round the corner and pick our way over the dark rocks. I know this beach like the back of my hand and it’s safe down here for a few hours, but I’m marvelling she trusts me so much.

I help her down into the section where the sea has scooped away the sand and rock and we duck our heads and enter the cave. It’s not really a cave, since there’s a whopping hole in the roof. It’s more like a room with a view. Looking up, you can see the stars in the sky through the gap.

“It’s beautiful.” She’s gazing up through the hole and I take the opportunity to look at her as best I can in the dim light.

“You should paint it. In the day obviously,” I add, like an idiot.

She smiles at me. “I finished my sketch. Wanna see?”

I nod. I want nothing more except to wrap my arms around her and bring her body next to mine.

She reaches into a pocket of her dress I didn’t even know she had and pulls out a folded piece of paper. My first instinct is to feel sad she folded it. When she holds it out to me with trembling hands, I realise just what this is costing her.

I take it carefully and unfold the paper, tilting it so the light catches it better. I don’t say anything for a moment. Instead, I take it in. The combination of fine and dark lines, the curves and shading, and the way she’s captured my parent’s hotel even better than a photo. Something about her sketch gives a sense of the place a photo never could.

“Mia, you’re amazing. I can’t believe you could think different. This is incredible.”

She’s looking up at me with an expression I can’t interpret. I fold it gently and go to give it back, but her hands close over mine. “Keep it? I mean if you want to.”

“Of course—” I’m about to say more. About to tell her how lucky I feel to be given a gift like this, but she leans up on her toes, and her lips brush mine, and I have just enough sense to tuck the picture into my pocket before I give in to the urge to do exactly what I’ve been dreaming about and pull her firmly against me so I can kiss her how she deserves to be kissed.

I lose myself in it for a moment.

She’s so impossibly sweet. Her taste, anyway. The way she kisses me is hungry, like she needs me just as much as I need her. Which seems unlikely.

As her soft lips tease over mine, her body rubs against mine and reminds me of all the places I still want to touch and kiss. My cock is rock hard and pushing against the seam of my jeans so hard she’s got to feel it.

She only leans into the kiss more, wrapping her arms around my neck until I’m staggering back and bracing against a rock. Before I know it, she’s in my lap, grinding in a way that has me half out of my mind while I try to keep up.

Eventually, she breaks away—and thank fuck. No way I had the willpower to do it.

“Sorry.” She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and my heart clenches in my chest.

“Hey.” I take her chin and direct her eyes back to me. “Don’t be. I promise you just made about one tenth of my best dirty thoughts come true, so there’s no need to apologise.”

She smiles and catches her bottom lip between her teeth. “Only one tenth, huh?”

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