Page 30 of Memories By the Shore
I rub my lips together, staring back at him. “I think it is.”
“So, Arizona …” He takes a few slow steps toward me. “Can you swim at least?”
Did he just call me Arizona like it was an insult?
“Of course I can swim.” I cross my arms at my chest, cocking a hip out. “We have pools in the desert, you know.”
“Okay, good.” His sly smile lights up my insides. Then, suddenly, the breath is knocked out of me. I’m lifted into the air and thrown over Jasper’s shoulder. The pressure makes my stomach spasm, bringing out a full belly laugh.
I’m barely able to squeak words before he runs full speed into the ocean. “Jasper!”
“Hope you can swim!” he yells, diving us both into a low wave. We’re sucked under the water. I quickly plug my nose and try curbing my laughter so my nostrils don’t fill with salt water. Jasper’s stronghold on my waist never loosens while he pulls me into him right as we both break the surface.
“What the hell?” Laughing hysterically, I wipe the water and snot from my face while simultaneously pushing my hair back. “If you wanted me to swim with you, you could have just asked.”
“Will you swim with me?” Under the water, I feel his other arm wrap one of my legs around his waist. I let him move my body as he wishes, enjoying the gentle control. Then, I bring my other leg around to match. Our bodies are flush.
“Alright.”
His broad, dark eyes flare as they bore into mine. “Let me teach you how to surf.”
The intensity forces a hard swallow and a slight curve of my upper lip. Damn, it’s hard to be this close to him and not kiss hiswet lips. “If you really want to.”
“People pay up to a hundred and fifty dollars for lessons from me.” His gaze falls to my mouth, and the light dusting of his breath tickles my lips. “For only an hour. And I’m offering them to you for free.”
“When you put it that way,” I whisper, keeping my focus away from the only thought in my mind. “Do you have room in your schedule?”
Jasper’s thumb caresses the skin of my outer thigh while his other hand cups my ass cheek, clutching me like he’s afraid I’ll get carried away by a wave. “I have room foryou.”
“Okay.” I smile, my cheeks burning. “Let’s get started.” I gesture toward the beach, immediately regretting agreeing to embarrass myself. If this is what it takes to spend more time with him, so be it.
“Wait,” he says, his eyes following back to my lips. They tingle under his intense stare. Jasper tilts his head to the side and brings his mouth to mine. My eyes close. When we connect, a shock wave travels up my spine, causing my hips to arch forward and rub against his length. His kisses are soft and intimate. I melt into him. His tongue darts out to run along the seam before I open to let him in. He moves with purpose, exploring my mouth. The spots on the backs of my eyelids increase with euphoria. I swing my arms around his neck, urging him into me and craving more. But he slowly pulls back, resting his forehead on mine. “I want to spend more time with you.”
With my eyes still shut, I rub the tip of my nose across his. “We will be, you’re giving me lessons, right?”
“I want more than this,” he smoothly demands, softly kissingthe corners of my mouth and tracing along my jawline.
I smile, my heart skipping every other beat. Thank god he’s gripping me tightly because I would have been carried away by a wave. “I would like that too.”
Clutching my hips, he urges me further into him, rubbing his hardness against my throbbing core. There are only a few pieces of thin fabric between us, and it would be so easy to push it all aside and take him in. But I’ve never slept with anyone before, and I’m not going to lose my virginity in the ocean of all places.
“Ready to surf?” His demeanor returns to playful as if he picked up on my hesitation with our close contact.
“Let’s do it.”
“Awesome.” Jasper releases his hold around my waist and slips his hand into mine. He pulls me along as we both swim toward the shore. Soaked, we both trudge through the sand and under the tree.
“The water is a bit chilly this morning,” I comment through chattering teeth.
He laughs. “The waters of the Pacific Ocean are not as warm as the Indian Ocean but are a close second.”
Giggling, I lean over to shake out my wet hair. “Is that so?”
He smiles confidently. “Yes, it also has the largest heat reservoir, which helps the top layers of the water stay warmer.”
“Of course you would know that.”
He shoots me a quick smile, showing all his teeth. “I love the ocean.”
