A Secret Between Friends: A New Zealand Sexy Beach Romance (Treats to Tempt You Book 6) (13 page)

Genie’s heart hammered, but she kept her cool, forcing herself to wait for Niall’s reply.

He hesitated and looked out to sea. Was he worried she was pushing him for a relationship? If so, he’d got the wrong end of the stick.

 She took a step back from him. “You don’t have to reply now. And don’t worry if the answer’s no. I just thought it might be fun as we’re here together tonight, and we had such a good time earlier. But no worries if it was just a one-off. I don’t mind! Anyway, I’m going for a swim.”

Without further ado, she placed her small clutch bag on the sand, caught her dress by the hem, and pulled it over her head. Niall’s eyes widened when he saw she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Trying not laugh, she dropped the dress on top of the bag and waded out into the water.

She didn’t want to get her hair wet and so didn’t dive under, but instead swam out leisurely, enjoying the feel of the silky, cool water on her hot skin. When she was out of her depth, she turned and looked back toward the shore.

Niall stood there, hands in the pockets of his jeans, watching her. His head was tipped to one side, and a small smile played on his lips. He looked so gorgeous, smart and yet casually sexy in the white shirt, the long sleeves rolled up to just below his elbow.

It had been such a lovely evening. Of course it wasn’t the first time she’d ever been to dinner with him—as kids they’d gone out with Sinead and Garret on a regular basis, and as adults they’d often dined with the rest of their friends. It wasn’t even the first time she’d gone out with him alone, as they’d occasionally caught lunch together in the past when she was home on leave and the others had been busy.

But it was the first time they’d had dinner together, the first time they’d both been single when they’d dined, and it was definitely the first time they’d eaten together after having sex. It had been an interesting experience. She’d tried hard to concentrate on what he was saying as he talked, but her traitorous mind had repeatedly strayed and replayed memories of their lovemaking. And now, even though she’d only meant for it to happen once, she couldn’t stop thinking about taking him to bed, having his lips on hers, and feeling him inside her again.

Did he regret sleeping with her? When she’d mentioned Ciara, he’d gone quiet. Did he think Ciara would have disapproved? Or was he worried what Sinead would think if she found out? Genie turned around in the water, looking up at the stars beginning to appear in the darkening sky. She really hadn’t meant this thing with Niall to overshadow her plans to honor her best friend. Surely Ciara wouldn’t have been angry with her?
I love you
, she whispered to the air, hoping Ciara could hear it, wherever she was.
I miss you. Please don’t be mad at me.

 She turned back to the shore, inhaling sharply at the sight of Niall unbuttoning his shirt. The sand was empty, the restaurant far enough away so the diners couldn’t see them, and besides, apparently it was common to find people on this beach skinny-dipping at all hours of the day.

His fingers moved slowly between the buttons, undoing them until the shirt hung loose, at which point he let it slip from his shoulders onto the sand.

Genie bit her lip as he started work on his jeans. His smile widened as he slid the zipper down, and then eased the denim over his hips before letting it fall to the floor, leaving him in just his black boxer-briefs.

Her eyes widened. She’d already seen him naked in full daylight so it shouldn’t have come as a shock to her, but the obvious erection that strained at his briefs made her catch her breath. So he was still interested in her.

He stepped out of the jeans, then eased the elastic of the briefs over his erection before stepping out of them too. Genie waited, heart pounding, as he walked toward her into the shallows. Unembarrassed by his nakedness and his state of arousal, he waded up to his knees, stood and stretched, then dived into the water. He emerged just before her, coming up to shake his head and scatter her with droplets.

His mouth was on hers before she could say anything, and they exchanged a heated kiss, his tongue sliding against hers in an erotic dance that made her heart race even more. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him, and for a while they just kissed. Genie felt tingly with pleasure, the swirl of the cool water teasing her skin. Strains of jazz music from the restaurant filtered down to them, along with the call of a morepork from a tree farther up the beach.

Had she ever felt this sensual, this heavenly? She would have said it was purely to do with swimming naked in the sea under the stars, but in reality it was more than that. It was all connected with the man whose arms were wrapped around her, and whose lips appeared reluctant to leave her own. She’d loved him for so long and worshipped him from afar, and it really was a dream come true. Whatever the future held, whatever happened when they returned to their normal lives, she was thrilled that right here, right now, he wanted her, and she wasn’t going to pass up on the opportunity to make the most of him.

He tore his lips away from hers and took her face in his hands. “I need to get you back to the lodge,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “I’d take you right here in the sea, but it’s cold, and besides, I want to make it last this time. I want you naked in my bed where I can kiss every inch of you.”

Just his words aroused her, and she kissed him again, half-wishing she could wrap her legs around him and let him slip inside her. But she was sure the cool water wasn’t particularly conducive to maintaining an erection and there was the issue of the condom. Anyway, the notion of returning and letting him “kiss every inch” of her was appealing, to say the least.

They swam to the shallows and made their way onto the sand to collect their clothes. Not having brought towels, they let the warm night dry them as they walked back to the lodge. Genie’s held onto Niall’s arm, although she was pleased to be coping as well as she was without the cane. It had purely been a matter of confidence, and she was touched he’d made the effort to help.

Their feet sinking in the sand, they climbed the slope to the grass in front of the lodges. Genie tried not to giggle and failed at the sight of Niall clasping his clothes to his front to hide his erection from any diners.

“Sucks to be a guy,” she said, letting her hair loose as he unlocked the door.

“Oh, I don’t know. It has its advantages.” As soon as she stepped inside, he shut the door behind her, dropped their clothes on the floor, and swept her up in his arms.

“Don’t drop me!”

Carrying her through to the bedroom, he pretended to trip and threw her onto the bed. She bounced and squealed, but before she could get up he was on top of her. She sank back onto the mattress, pinned beneath his weight, and threaded her hands into his wet hair as he kissed her.

After a while he lifted his head and kissed her cheek and around to her ear. “Do you always taste like this?”

Her eyelids fluttered as he sucked her earlobe. “Like what?”

“Sweet. Like strawberries.”

“I’ve no idea. I don’t lick myself very often.”

He kissed down her neck, his tongue warming her skin. “Now that’s something I’d pay to see.”

Her laugh turned into a wince as he shifted on top of her, and she pushed him off her knee. “Ouch.”

He kissed her nose. “Sorry.”

“You’re so heavy.” It was only half a complaint—they’d left the air con on when they went out, and the icy air on her ocean-cooled skin meant his body was supplying welcome heat.

“Aw. Poor Gin. Squashed flat by the naked dude.”

Any sarcastic reply she was going to give evaporated as he kissed down to her breasts. In spite of the cool air, her nipples were relaxed and soft, but when he closed his mouth over one and sucked, it tightened immediately to a peak. She groaned.

“Fuck,” he said. “You have a fantastic body.”

She opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. “Even with the scars?”

He lifted up to look at her. “Especially with the scars.”

“Is this a speech about how they’re like stretch marks and they give character blah blah?”

To her surprise, he didn’t laugh, but instead he moved on the bed so he was level with her hip and traced his fingers over them. “Actually, yes. They’re a part of you now. They’re a symbol of your courage, Gin. Don’t be ashamed of them.”

His reply was so unexpected that emotion welled inside her. She bit her lip as tears pricked her eyes and then, as that failed to stop the tremble of her bottom lip, raised an arm to cover her face. Shit, what was wrong with her? She hardly ever got tearful. She’d had a couple of glasses of wine—that must be it.

He didn’t say anything. He kissed each scar, gentle and loving, moved across to her stomach and touched his tongue to the graze. Then he kissed down her belly.

Genie wiped away one of the tears that had escaped as he shifted on the bed. He settled between her thighs, and she felt the warmth of his breath on her sensitive skin. He slid his tongue down into her folds, and she closed her eyes and groaned.

He stroked his thumb up through her inner lips and parted them with his fingers, and she felt the swirl of his tongue around her clit, warm and comforting.
Aaah
, was there anything as blissful as a man’s tongue teasing a girl to ecstasy? He continued to arouse her with slow, thorough licks, while at the same time using his fingers to circle and stroke. Once she’d fully relaxed, he slipped two fingers inside her, exploring with his expert touch. Bringing them up coated with her moisture, he made sure she was fully lubricated before sliding them back inside her, curving them to stroke the button on the inside and tease her further toward the edge.

Pleasure began to spread through her, and she lowered a hand to his head, tightening her fingers in his hair. In response, he slowed the stroke of both his tongue and his fingers, drawing out the moment for her. She sighed and groaned alternately, her climax approaching as if from way off in the distance. Her thighs loosened, and Niall murmured his approval as she opened up to him, giving herself over to him completely.

His warm tongue swirled and flicked across her clit while his fingers pressed and stroked, and deep inside her muscles began to tighten, the blissful feeling threading right through her body. Her fingers clenched of their own accord in his hair as the orgasm spread, smooth as melted chocolate, and she cried out, gasping with each pulse.

The pleasure was just dying away when he removed his fingers, and she sighed with disappointment that it was over, wishing it could have gone on forever.

But to her surprise he didn’t stop. Instead, he kissed down her legs to her feet, flicked his tongue over her ankle bone, then licked between each toe, making her giggle and twitch. Ignoring her protests, he did the same to the other foot, then kissed up her calves and thighs, slow and thorough. He trailed his lips up her stomach, between her breasts to her neck, and back to her lips, and plunged his tongue into her mouth, his own carrying the taste of her arousal.

Finally lifting his head, he surveyed her with smiling eyes and twirled a finger in a circle. “On your front.”

She knew she should take over now and return the pleasure he’d given her, but as she hesitated, he gave her a mock glare before demanding, “Turn. Over.”

So she did, shifting onto her front, resting her cheek on her folded arms. “That was nice,” she said as way of encouragement. “Thank you.”

He kissed her neck and touched his tongue to her ear. “Oh, we’re not done yet,” he whispered into it before pressing his lips to her nape and then proceeding down her spine.

Ooh, another? Genie closed her eyes and sighed. This was turning out to be the absolute best day in the entire history of the world.

Niall planted soft kisses around Genie’s neck, lifting her hair to touch his lips to her nape before travelling down her spine. She shivered as he traced his tongue across her skin, and he smiled, pleased she was enjoying herself.

“You have the softest skin,” he said, brushing his lips down over her hips to her bottom. “Especially here.”

“Soft as a baby’s,” she said with a sigh, giving a little wriggle of her hips as he nibbled at the plump muscle.

“Mm.” He was hard as a rock, but he wanted to make this last, determined to draw out the moment as long as he could. He had the feeling once they left the lodge tomorrow she was going to say that was it, and they shouldn’t see each other again. Either that, or his guilt would overwhelm him, and he’d have to call it a day. This was a time out of time when the real world didn’t matter, when they could put aside their families and friends and concentrate on the desires of the flesh. Tonight, the worries of the next day could wait.

He kissed down the backs of her thighs, drew circles with his tongue on the backs of her knees until she squirmed, then planted kisses up to her bottom. Parting her cheeks, he ran his tongue up, pausing briefly to tease the puckered skin there with the tip of his tongue. She squealed, and he laughed and continued kissing up her spine.

“I knew you’d be wicked in bed,” she said breathlessly as he reached over to collect a condom and rolled it on.

He lay on top of her, nudging up her left leg. “Normally, I’m not.” He slipped a hand down to guide himself between her thighs and into her hot, swollen flesh. “But you do something to me, Genie Sharpe. You bring out the animal in me.”

She didn’t say anything, just rested her forehead on the pillow and lifted her hips so he could slide inside her. She was so wet that he was up to the hilt in one smooth thrust.

They both groaned.

“Jesus.” He paused, letting her adjust, and delighted in the feel of being enclosed in velvet heat.

“Oh. You feel amazing.”

“You too.” He nuzzled her ear, then kissed down her neck. Although her muscles were toned, every part of her felt soft, from her silky hair to her smooth skin. Pulling his hips back, he slid out of her until just the tip remained, then pushed forward again. The sensation of burying himself in her warmth was so fantastic he had to fight hard to hold onto his self-control.

Steadying himself above her on both hands, making sure to avoid her bad knee, he set up a slow rhythm, wanting to give her time to reach another climax. It soon became clear he wouldn’t have to wait that long. She pushed back against every movement of his hips, and more and more moisture eased his thrusts. He loved how vocal she was too, every moan and sigh a confirmation he was on the right track.

“Yes,” she said, and groaned. She lifted a hand to slip into his hair, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. “Harder.”

That one word flicked a switch inside him, and he felt a rush of feral desire at the notion of owning this brave, sexy, passionate girl. He kissed down her neck, big, hungry kisses using his lips and tongue, and when he reached the place where her neck met her shoulders, he took a chance, sank his teeth lightly into the soft muscle, and sucked.

She squealed. “Fuck! Niall!” Her fingers tightened in his hair, and he felt another flood of moisture around his erection.

He thrust hard, as she’d instructed, and she dropped her hand and buried her face in the pillow. Lifting her hips, she widened her thighs and opened to him, and he lost himself in her, plunging into her soft flesh as his body took over and demanded fulfilment.

He was vaguely aware of her orgasm overtaking her at one point when she clenched around him and emitted a string of
oh oh ohs
, but by then he couldn’t have stopped if an earthquake had struck. He continued to thrust until his climax slammed into him with the power of a steam train. Pushing forward, burying himself in her, he held on for dear life as his body tightened with exquisite pulses.

His heart continued to race for a while, and he sank onto his elbows and nuzzled her ear until he was breathing normally and the room had stopped spinning.

 “Mm,” she said. “That was nice.”

“Understatement of the year.” He should withdraw, but she was warm and comforting, and he wanted to stay there all night. “Thank you.”

“Mm. Thank you.” She yawned, then moved her hips a little underneath him, tightening her internal muscles.

“Ouch.” Sighing, he withdrew, disposed of the condom, and shifted onto the bed beside her.

To his surprise, she immediately rolled toward him and curled up, an arm across his chest, her head on his shoulder. He hugged her close. “You okay?”

“Mm.”

“I didn’t hurt you?”

She lifted her head and tried to look at the crook of her neck. Niall saw the red mark and winced. She rolled her eyes. “Thanks.”

“Sorry.” He felt a twinge of guilt. Tamsin would have gone ballistic if he’d done that to her.

But Genie just laughed and snuggled up again. “Branding me, huh?”

Relieved she wasn’t angry, he kissed her hair. “I like to leave my mark. Keep other dudes away from my women.”

She chuckled. “Very territorial. I didn’t expect that.”

“I’m not normally like that,” he said without thinking.

She shifting to rest her chin on his chest and studied him. “No?”

He didn’t reply. Lifting a strand of her hair, he curled it around his finger. It was soft and slippery, like silk ribbon. Tamsin’s hair had sometimes felt like straw.

Letting it go, he lay back and rested his arm across his closed eyes. It wasn’t fair to compare the two women. Why was he doing it? Maybe it was because he’d had relatively few partners. If he was like Jonah, out with a different girl every five minutes, he’d have grown used to the way women were so different. The couple of girls he’d been with before Tamsin were distant memories, so he only really had his ex to compare to.

It fascinated him how different Genie was. Tamsin was so thin, her ribs and hip bones had been clearly visible, and she’d had small breasts with pale nipples only a shade darker than her light skin. In contrast, although it was clear that Genie was used to physical exercise, her toned form was curvy and feminine, her C cup breasts bearing attractive rosy nipples. Did it make him a terrible person to compare them and find Tamsin wanting? He wondered if he’d ever get over the guilt he felt at breaking up with her. She’d cried so much. He doubted that her accusation of him wasting the best years of her life would ever leave him.

“It’s okay,” Genie said, causing him to open his eyes.

“What?”

“It’s okay. To think about Tamsin. It’s natural, Niall. Don’t worry about it.”

He raised his eyebrows. “What makes you think she’s on my mind?”

Genie shrugged. “Women’s intuition.” She traced a pattern through the hairs on his chest. “Do you think you’ll get back with her?”

Her words implied she wasn’t expecting to see him again after this.

“No,” he said, his sharp tone betraying his disappointment. “Tamsin and I are done.”

Genie pressed her lips to his chest and held them there for a moment, nuzzling the curling hairs. What was she thinking?

She sat up and turned, then pushed herself up. “Back in a sec.” She limped into the bathroom and closed the door.

Niall looked out at the evening sky. The sun had set completely now and the dark sky was filled with pinpricks of light. He could see Orion’s belt, and Betelgeuse flashing red not far away.

Would she want him to go to his own room to sleep? Not wanting to assume anything, he got up and left the room to find his toothbrush, went into the other bathroom to clean his teeth, then found a clean pair of boxers in his bag and put them on.

Finally he went back to the front bedroom. Genie had stripped the thick quilt off the bed leaving just a sheet, but was currently standing by the window, naked, looking out at the sea.

He cleared his throat. “Well, I guess it’s bedtime.”

She looked over her shoulder at him, then raised a hand to beckon him close. He walked over to her, and she slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

He hugged her. “You okay?”

 She nodded and pulled back. “Niall…”

“Mm?”

“You want to sleep in here tonight?”

Pleasure spread through him. “Sure.”

“Just for company,” she said. “I miss sleeping with someone.”

“Yeah, me too. Come on, then.”

They climbed into bed and pulled the sheet over them. Genie faced away from him, and he pulled her up close, keeping her tight to his body. She fit perfectly, like she had been made to be there.

“Sleep well,” he said, fighting the urge to nuzzle her neck and push his hips against her butt.

She mumbled something, but he couldn’t make out what it was, and soon he was asleep.

*

He woke sometime in the night. He’d rolled over and was facing the window. They’d forgotten to draw the curtains, and the sky was full of thousands of bright stars. Outside, a kiwi cried in the bush, high and mournful. Was that what had awoken him?

Beside him, Genie twitched, and he shifted and turned to face her. Her face was in shadow, but he could tell by her breathing that she was dreaming. When he moved to let the starlight fall on her face, he was alarmed to see beads of sweat on her forehead, her features twitching with pain.

She mumbled something, quiet and unintelligible, and twitched again. A bad dream, then. He reached out and smoothed her hair from her face, murmuring consoling words, trying to comfort her. She was obviously too deeply entrenched to be reached, though. Her eyelids flickered, and her head tossed from side to side.

Should he wake her? He called her name softly and shook her shoulder. What was she seeing—the accident all over again?

She twitched once more, and then she cried out, loud enough to startle him. Her eyelids flew open, and where his hand rested on her ribcage, he felt the frantic pounding of her heart.

“Hey. It’s okay.” He gathered her into his arms and stroked her hair. “It’s all right. It’s Niall. You’re safe.”

To his shock, though, she turned her face against his shoulder, pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle her sobs.

“Ssh,” he said. “It was just a dream. I’m here.”

“I couldn’t save her,” she whispered. “I couldn’t save her.”

So she was dreaming about Ciara. His gut twisted. “It’s okay. Go back to sleep.”

She mumbled something, then gradually stilled. It wasn’t long before her breathing quietened. She’d dozed off again, if she’d ever truly woken up.

 Niall lay awake for a long time, though, thinking about what she must have gone through, sad that it wasn’t over yet for her. It wasn’t her fault that she’d survived when Ciara hadn’t. Sinead’s accusation must really be getting to her.

He sighed and closed his eyes, relieved that her breathing had slowed, and eventually he fell asleep.

When morning came, Genie said nothing about the nightmare. Not wanting to bring it all back to her, he didn’t mention it either as they showered and dressed, then packed their things.

He did notice her limp was worse, and when it was time to leave, she was walking with the cane again.