She inhaled deeply. For the past three days, she hadn’t seen Noah. Since they’d spent so much time together the week before, she was surprised they hadn’t run into each other. She hated the fact that she looked for him all the time but didn’t want to sink to the level of asking Sam or Martha about him, so she avoided them, too.
Grabbing a quick bite to eat, she checked out homemade bread recipes online. It would go wonderful with the lasagna. She cleaned up from lunch and started making the bread. Kneading the bread got some of the frustration she felt about Noah out of her system.
While the bread rested, she went out to play catch with Pepper. Unfortunately, they got a little too rambunctious and Lexi ended up in the ocean. Out of nowhere, Noah came splashing through the water to help her stand up. She could tell by the look on his face that he was trying not to laugh.
“Go ahead, I wouldn’t blame you. I’m sure I look like a drowned rat.” She frowned at him, pushed her hair out of her eyes, and glanced at Pepper who was jumping around, dry on the shore.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, babe,” he grinned.
She was trying to look at anything besides his face but lost the battle. He was shirtless. She should be immune to it by now, but it’d been three days since she’d seen him. It felt like years. Her eyes tracked his broad shoulders and sexy, strong arms then followed the tattoo that went across his body and down into his low-slung, black board shorts. They barely clung to his hips. Her fingers itched to trace along the ridges. She clenched her fists in the sand so she wouldn’t reach out and run her fingers over his body.
All the tattoos, oh so sexy. She wanted to know about and lick each and every one of them. His legs looked so powerful. Then his feet. Really, feet should not be that sexy. She licked her lips wanting to taste every inch of him.
By the time she got back up to his face he was grinning wickedly. “Like what you see? I can arrange for a private viewing.” He waggled his eyebrows.
She felt herself blush at being caught. “For now I’ll just get up out of the water.”
He extended his hand to help her up and she looked at it for a moment before taking it. He pulled her up just as a wave broke behind her and it pushed her into his chest. She stayed still breathing in his fresh scent mixed with the ocean. Her eyes closed and she gripped his shoulders before she could finally bring herself to look at him, “You planned that, didn’t you?” Lexi glanced up at him through half-closed eyes trying to keep her breathing normal. He was so strong, his muscles hard as a rock.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Noah said. “It’s not my fault the wave decided to break at the same time I was helping you up.” He smiled down at her. “But while I’ve got you here, I don’t think I want to let you go.” Lexi’s eyes went wide as he slowly moved in closer, his lips less than an inch from hers. “Maybe I’ll just take a kiss or two. Or three.” He tilted his head to the side bringing his lips even closer.
“Noah, we can’t stay here forever.” Her body came alive being this close to him. She half-heartedly wiggled to try and free herself but his body felt so warm and she wanted it wrapped around her, to finish what they started the other day.
Noah sighed. “Speak for yourself, this feels like heaven to me.”
Lexi cleared her throat. “Yeah, well in a few hours when the sun goes down we’re going to get really cold. And, yes, I’m sure you know ways to keep us warm but it’s not going to happen.” She needed to get her traitorous body away from him.
“Lexi, really, you think I’m that kind of guy?” He sighed, “I don’t know what to say.” He looked down into her eyes.
“There’s a first. When have you ever been at a loss,” she said sarcastically, trying to keep this from going any further, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from his. She was powerless, locked in his gaze. It shouldn’t turn her on, but it did.
Engrossed in each other, they weren’t paying attention to the ocean and another wave broke behind them. This one was much larger and it knocked them off their feet. Arms and legs intertwined, hands grabbed, sliding over each other as they tried to get separated and reach the surface.
She came up sputtering first. “We almost drowned in three feet of water!” Lexi was relieved. The wave had broken the spell and cooled her off.
“You’re going to blame this on me aren’t you?” he asked.
“Well, you didn’t have to get all grabby. I can take care of myself.” Lexi stood up, poking a finger in his chest. She tapped into her anger to keep from jumping into his arms.
“Don’t get your panties in a knot. I was just trying to help.” He looked all sexy, standing there with his hands on his hips, water dripping off of him and a scowl on his face. With every word he spoke, Lexi grew angrier and… more turned on.
“Really, why don’t we just blame it on Pepper since I was playing ball with her and she bumped me in the ocean?”