Page 35 of Beach Bodies

Daniel yanks open one of the poolside doors into the hotel, fighting the wind. We tumble into an empty hallway by the laundry room. As soon as the door closes behind us, the silence rings in my ears.

‘Thank you,’ I say, and then suddenly I’m looking into Daniel’s eyes. Damn it, I’ve been avoiding eye contact for a reason. The chill of the air conditioning sizzles coldly on my wet skin.

‘So. What did I do?’

The rain beats against the glass door. My muscles are clenched like a boxer before a round, and my back teeth grind together. Daniel Black is the most maddening individual I have ever met.

I throw down the gear. ‘Why can’t you let it go?’

‘Because if I did something wrong, I have to own it.’

Well, fuck. I know how that feels.

‘There’s something between us,’ he says.

‘Exactly,’ I say, relieved he said it first. ‘Unfortunately, I’m not into flings.’

‘OK.’

‘What do you even want from me? An island romp?’

‘Is that what you want from me?’ A tiny grin appears on his lips, and I can read what he’s thinking.So youareattracted to me.

‘How could you know what I want?’

‘I’ll know if you tell me.’

I put my hand on my forehead and release a growl of frustration. ‘Fuck, Daniel! I don’t know how to…’

Be myself and hide myself at the same time.

Remain guarded when he makes me feel so safe.

I’ve already revealed so much to this guy that I never planned on sharing. If I let myself get closer, what the hell else will I spout out? What if I slip up?

‘What are you scared of?’ Daniel says.

I sink back against the wall with a sigh of defeat. I don’t want to fight this. I don’t want to fighthim.

‘You.’

He holds my gaze for a moment, then nods. He takes a step closer, so close I can smell the salt on his skin. He lifts a hand and grazes my jawline with it, sending shivers down my body.

‘Am I really that scary?’

My heart pounds. With my eyes, I say,Yes.

With his eyes, he says,Why?

I try to send back,It’s not you. It’s me, but I’m not sure if he gets that part because then he leans in. It’s like the past few days of orchestrated avoidance on my part have been a mere delay, a tiny hiccup as we rush towards what feels like the inevitable conclusion: my eyes slip closed in surrender and our lips meet. His mouth searches mine, and I feel my body arching against the wall, our hips grazing. He cups one hand against my face, the other at the small of my back, guiding my body closer to his.

I don’t know if the kiss lasts five seconds or five minutes, but when I pull back, I’m breathless, shaking, somehow pulled out of time and place, like I’m not at the Riovan any more but somewhere both undefined and more real than wherever it is I’ve been living for the past five years.

In other words, the opposite of detached.

I was right. This isn’t just someone I could spend a fun night with.This is someone I could fall for.Fuck.

My mind is chaos, bumping along like an empty can tied to the back of the speeding car that is my body.

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