a terrible couple. They might enjoy a few days rolling through a sexual fog, but when it cleared they’d both realize it was a mistake.
They hadn’t done anything that couldn’t be forgotten. Better to stop things now before they went further.
5
LENA WAS GONE when Colt woke up. Just as well, since he was sporting a rather obvious erection and probably would have done something stupid—like capture her mouth again—if he’d woken up next to her. However, when she hadn’t returned a little while later, he began to worry.
As if on cue, some animal let out a screech from the jungle.
Several frantic minutes of searching led him to a thatched hut down the beach. If he hadn’t seen her red-tipped toes peeking out of the structure he probably would have missed her.
“There you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” he said, his words sounding slightly accusatory even to his own ears. He tried to soften them with a bright smile. Something in his chest twisted for a moment before letting go, releasing a tension he hadn’t been aware of until it was gone.
Her eyes were slightly unfocused when she looked up at him. He might have wondered if she’d already started in on the fruity drinks, but as he watched, her eyes cleared. She looked around, slowly taking in her surroundings as if seeing them for the first time.
“What time is it?”
“Almost nine. I expect Marcy will be hunting us down soon.”
Lena shrugged. “I hope she has something fun planned.”
Colt crouched in front of her, his feet digging into the sand. He noticed she had a pile of shells and smooth stones in front of her. Some were whole. Some were broken. But all held a sort of wild beauty that came only from nature.
She’d arranged several—handpicked he’d bet—into a descending swirl that echoed the pattern of the shells themselves. The subtle shift of color gave the piece a feel of inherent movement, like sunlight filtered through water.
“That’s beautiful.”
Her hand fell on top, crushing the middle shells deeper into the sand and marring the perfection. “It’s nothing. My version of doodling.”
Colt frowned, but didn’t argue. Lena pushed up from the ground, forcing him to move back if he didn’t want to get knocked over. She ran her hands across the seat of her shorts, cleaning off the sand. Some stubborn grains clung to her legs. Colt thought about reaching down and brushing them away but caught himself just in time. The last thing he needed was to feel her smooth skin beneath his fingers, not if he expected to get through the day without embarrassing himself.
“I’m hungry. Any idea where we could get breakfast?”
They were rounding the curve of the beach heading back to the civilization of the resort when Marcy appeared before them. Her steps were quick and purposeful. Mikhail trailed behind her at a more sedate pace.
“There you are. We need to get started.”
Lena’s stomach growled and she and Colt glanced at each other, sharing a smile. The awkwardness that had settled over them disappeared. Colt let out a sigh of relief, feeling back on solid ground for the first time since he’d kissed her.
They walked around the resort, posing for photographs at various spots along the way. It was easy, comfortable, to wander around, laughing, touching, teasing each other. After a few hours—and a quick stop at the breakfast buffet—they ended up at the pool.
The midafternoon heat had set in and they were both starting to wilt. Changing into the bathing suits Marcy provided them was a welcome relief.
Mikhail set a scene with towel-draped lounge chairs, sweating glasses of some tropical drink and abandoned books sitting open at the foot of their chairs. For the next thirty minutes they worked, moving where Mikhail told them, smiling on cue, the temptation of the pool just a few feet away almost cruel.
A crowd of people gathered around them, not overtly gawking, but definitely watching as Mikhail put Colt and Lena through their paces.
“I think I’m melting,” Lena mumbled through a smile that was looking more fake by the second.
Her skin was flushed, glistening beneath the sun. His eyes raked down her body. He couldn’t help it. The turquoise bikini she’d put on revealed more of her than he’d seen in a very long time. Her flat stomach, pert little breasts, long legs…
Colt swallowed. A hard need twisted through him and his body stirred. Lena’s eyes sharpened. Her lips parted. She leaned closer to him and suddenly the heat was