CLIO
“You mean other than saving a beautiful woman from the current?” He smiled, and I felt my blush all the way down to my toes. He chuckled softly at my reaction and continued, “I found myself suffering from work burnout and decided I needed to get away for a while, recalibrate. You?”
“Same. I mean, not from work or anything. Maybe I’m just burned out on life? It’s just been a really hard few months, and I’m looking to work on myself-recalibrate like you said,” I told him.
“And what is it that you’re trying to work on exactly?” he asked, looking a little skeptical but still good-natured.
“I’m working on being more assertive, of taking charge of my life…not worrying about what other people think and doing more things that scare me,” I told him, surprised at how easily I opened up to this man.
“Is that what the swimming was about? Doing something that scared you?” he asked, floating closer toward me.
“Yeah. I don’t want to miss out on opportunities just because of fear,” I said.
“Are you feeling like you missed out on a lot because of that?” he asked.
I thought about it for a moment, and I was surprised by the answer that came out of my mouth. “Actually, not really, not yet anyway. I feel like there’s a lot of people around me who make me feel like I’m not where I’m supposed to be or like I’m a late bloomer, but to tell you the truth, I don’t feel like I’ve really had the opportunity to explore.
I just never felt comfortable enough with anyone. At the same time, I worry that my shyness will keep me from experiencing things I want to experience.”
“And just what are those things you’re wanting to experience so badly?” he asked.
“Love, adventure, someone to share my life with,” I said, and that was the first time I’d actually spoken the words out loud-the things that I wanted so desperately but was so afraid would never happen to me. Somehow, it seemed safe to say it to this stranger.
He appeared to be nonjudgmental. I realized then that I’d never really felt like I was good enough, or enough of anything for that matter, to deserve those things. Michael doing what he did and the way people on campus had reacted had just seemingly proved that.
Now, floating in the water with a man I just met with gorgeous eyes and a body that was making my own body react in ways I’d never known before, I realized that all those feelings of low self-worth were just that-feelings. Feelings weren’t always facts.
And the fact that was becoming glaringly obvious in that moment was that Aidan, my impromptu lifeguard and swim instructor, was watching me carefully now, those beautiful, slate eyes falling to my mouth.
There was no one standing behind me I could attribute his stare to. There was no denying for once that this beautiful man was staring at me with want in his eyes. What he said next made something clench inside my chest.
“The very same things I want, Clio.” He swam closer, but he was still respectful enough to maintain some distance between our bodies.
“And I was recently told by somebody very wise that if I was ever going to have those things, then I needed to be willing to put myself out there. I’ve been pondering for the last few days if I’m brave enough for that. So, I guess the question is: are you willing to be brave enough to go after what you want?”
He was right in front of me now, his eyes darkening as they lingered on my mouth. My heart thudded in my chest as I did something I’d never done before: I reached for him. “Yes, I think I am,” I said softly as I placed my hands on his forearms. He bent down then, anchoring one large hand on my waist possessively and cupping the side of my face with his other hand, bringing me flush against him. He was hard everywhere, and I shivered at the sensation.
“You’re shivering,” he said huskily.
“Then warm me up,” I told him, having no idea where that boldness even came from. It must have worked, though, because he smiled at me sexily before bending down all the way and laying his mouth across mine. His lips were gentle at first, teasing, but they turned more passionate in a matter of seconds as I tilted my head and opened my mouth, allowing him access.
He took quick advantage, nibbling at my lips and causing newfound sensations to surf through my body. It wasn’t like I’d never been kissed before, but somehow, when Michael and I had kissed, I’d always felt like an imposter, like I was playing a part and worried about whether I was doing it right. In Aidan’s arms, which had tightened around me, I wasn’t the least bit worried. I was just enjoying the moment and how he felt.
When he swept his tongue against mine, I moaned before I could stop it. I’d never moaned during kissing before, but this moment felt so right. I could feel him harden even further beneath me.
I felt a surge of power at the evidence of his arousal, and it spurred me on to rub my palms up over his well-defined chest. I swear I could feel his groan rumble up from his chest and into my mouth, and it made him taste all the sweeter to me.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my breasts to him in the process, and my nipples tightened in response.
We were both so consumed in the moment that we didn’t notice the shift in the wind or how the waves were growing, so the crash of the wave took us by surprise and swept us off our feet. At that point, we’d already been close to the shoreline, and so, the wave took us and swept us the rest of the way to the warm sand, knocking us together in each other’s arms.
We lay there laughing at how perfectly the water moved us to the shore, still clasped in each other’s embrace. I found the slight lines around Aidan’s eyes unimaginably sexy, especially when he laughed.
He was hovering over me, the side of his mouth tilted upward as his eyes took in my face. “You said you want to be more assertive, so tell me, Clio. What do you want?”
I took in his handsome features hungrily and said possibly the most honest thing I’d ever uttered. “I don’t want you to stop.” My voice sounded breathy to my own ears.
His face turned serious. “Yes, ma’am.” Then, he leaned down to kiss me again, delving his tongue deeper this time. I met him stroke for stroke, feeling drunk off the taste of him. His hands began to wander, and my back arched off the sand when he palmed my breast, my nipple beading almost painfully at the contact.
I whimpered beneath his mouth, and he broke the kiss, murmuring against my mouth as his hand kneaded my breast. “You feel so good, Clio. Do you have any idea just how beautiful you are?”