Page 18 of Beauty
So much for distractions. I might as well be on my deck by myself, because it’s just as easy to freak out about Paris here as it was there. The show too, and my impending move. How I’ll be halfway around the world all by myself for the first time in my life.
No, instead, that’s all I can think about.
That and Noah. He’s probably groaning to everyone about the desperate young girl who won’t leave him alone.
Gah, this is embarrassing.
“Sienna,” Eddy sings as he bounces onto the netting beside me.
I paste on a grin and slide my glasses up, giving the flirty tour guide my full attention. The man’s muscles have muscles. He’s a delicious specimen, and I can’t help but preen when he discreetly checks me out.
“We’ve got a half hour until the first stop. Would you like another punch?”
I hold up the drink he made for me a few minutes ago, which is still pretty full. “I think I’m good for now.” Though in this heat, I will eventually want another.
His eyes wander, maybe a little too brazenly this time, reminding me that in my celebratorymy brothers aren’t coming on vacationpacking, I didn’t bring a single suit that covers my ass. This one is a hot pink string bikini. And when I say string, I mean it’s truly nothing but a lot of strings and the smallest bits of fabric. Whoops.
“The sun is very strong down here. Did you put on sunscreen?”
I did properly sunscreen my body before I left my villa. I’m twenty-four, not sixteen. But I can picture what it will look like from where Noah is standing if I tell sweet Eddy that I missed a spot. And after the shit Noah has pulled, I’m feeling like a petty bitch.
If he doesn’t want to see me, then he’ll look away. But even after all the signs he’s thrown out, I have an inkling that it isn’t so much that he doesn’t find me attractive as it is that he can’t make up his mind. And on this boat, surrounded by a crowd of people who are much older than we are—and Eddy, of course—his focus will be easily caught.
So I dig into my bag, pluck out the lotion, and hand it to Eddy. Then, propping myself up on my knees, I ensure I’m providing Noah with the perfect view of mysweet cheeks.
The man beside me hisses, then curses under his breath, but from the heat burning into my back from the attention focused there, he’s not the only one feeling that way.
When Eddy is finished lathering my shoulders and back, I take the bottle and thank him. “How long have you worked here?” I ask as I settle back into my spot on my towel.
He crosses his legs, resting his forearms on his knees and lacing his fingers, and tells me how he’s been with the tour company for a year. He’s polite, making sure to ask me about my job too, but I gloss over the specifics and turn the conversation back to him. By the time we arrive at the first stop, I’ve learned that he was raised by a single mom and has two sisters, and on his nights off, he loves to dance.
He jumps up with ease, going from sitting to standing in one move, and holds out a hand to me. “Let’s get you a mask and flippers.”
I polish off the last of my drink, then let him help me up. Though I’m not the teensiest bit tipsy, my feet get caught inthe netting and I lose my balance. Just as I’m certain I’m going down, Noah appears, stopping my fall.
He loops an arm around my waist and pulls me against his chest, then eases me onto my feet. “You okay?” he asks, his brows furrowed.
Annoyed, but well-practiced in the art of not letting such negative reactions show, I suck in a breath and nod. “Yes, thank you.”
His body is so much bigger than mine. His one arm wraps almost completely around my waist, his large hand practically touching my back.
Like this, with his forearm draped across my torso, his olive skin looks incredible against mine. I never hold a tan. My skin is always this creamy color. Though fortunately, I rarely burn.
He sucks in a quick breath, his chest expanding, and when I tip my head back to make sure he’s okay, I get caught on the most beautiful pair of eyes. Fuck, that was a bad idea. They’re endless, beguiling. The sparkling ocean surrounding us has nothing on their blue depths.
I may be drowning in the Caribbean pools, but he’s locked in on the space between us. Only then do I notice the way my practically bare ass is tucked up tight against his board shorts. It’s his fault, really, because he’s the one who caught me and pulled me in. Because he’s the one who hasn’t let go.
But he doesn’t step away, and neither do I.
I could say it’s because I’m not quite steady on this netting, but that’d be a lie, and if I can’t be honest in my own head, what’s the point?
I like the feel of him against me. I like how his lips have fallen open and he’s trying to breathe without making it obvious how hard he’s working for that simple necessity.
And I really like the sensation of his arousal against the globes of my ass.
It’s proof that I’m not alone in this moment.
He wants me. Maybe he doesn’t want to want me, but there’s no denying he does.
