Then she moves closer. Melts into my body. Warms my ear with her breath. “I want… to come on your face.”
Fuck, that’s hot. Even with her nervous. “Again. Like you mean it.”
This time, her breath is easier. “I want to come on your face.”
“One more time.”
Her nails scrape my chest. “I want to come on your face.”
My balls tighten. Fuck, this water isn’t cold enough. It’s not doing shit to cool me down.
It’s filling my head with all sorts of bad ideas. Like dragging her to the beach and fucking her right there, in front of everyone.
“I do.” She pushes off me. “But, uh… not here.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t breathe underwater.”
Her laugh breaks the sexual tension. “Well… um… in that case, maybe—”
“You ever feel that?”
“That state where I let go and lose myself in the moment?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s only been the one time.” Her blush spreads to her chest.
“When you’re alone?”
“Touching myself?”
I nod.
“Sometimes. Other times, I’m kinda stuck in my head. I’ll try so hard to focus on the sensations, but thoughts keep intruding.”
“Maybe you need to try less hard.”
“Maybe.” She motions to the other side of the cave. The one that leads to the open ocean.
She doesn’t wait for my reply. She just swims.
There’s something about seeing her in the water. She belongs here.
It fits the image I have of her—beautiful, blond beach girl—but it clashes too. Sure, I often imagine Daisy in a tiny bikini. Or sprawled out naked on the sand.
But when I really think of her, I see a girl reading at home. Sipping tea on the couch. Obsessing over her homework.
We move past the cave. Then around it. All the way to the other side of the beach.
She climbs onto the sand.
I follow. Scan the beach for a quiet spot. There are people to our right. A dozen or so, including Oliver and Luna.
But to our left—
It’s not exactly private, but it’s hidden. A cave. Tiny. But out of view.
I take her hand. Lead her into the shady spot.
Her fingers brush my wrist.
I slide my arm around her waist. “Where else?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you feel that? Lose yourself?”
“Oh. When I listen to music I love. I can feel it in my bones. And when I dance.” She rocks her hips to one side. “That’s my favorite.”
“You’re there, in your body?”
“Sometimes.” Her eyes meet mine. “You?”
“I’m always in my body.”
“But you… I don’t know, Holden. You’re there a lot of the time. But, sometimes, you’re more like me. You’re hanging out on the sidelines, cracking wise so you don’t have to engage.”
Fuck, that’s true.
“It’s not a judgment. I get it. I really get it. But I… I guess I’d like to help you too.”
“Oh?”
She nods yeah. “Help you get over that fear of letting your guard down.”
“I’m afraid?”
“Aren’t you?”
I can’t deny that. I swallow hard. “I…”
“I am too.” She runs her thumb over my forearm. “I, uh… I have a lot of things I want to ask you. About art. And how you got into it. How you started this—” she traces a tattoo up my forearm. “It’s a lot of work. I’m sure you have some bullshit answer—”
“About how I love having a huge phallic symbol I can use to paint women with my—”
“Oh my God.” She laughs so hard she doubles over. “It’s… oh my God.”
“It’s good, yeah?”
“And true… I mean, that has to be part of it? All these guys leaving their mark on people. Especially pretty women.”
“You’re into that?”
“Into…”
“Me leaving a mark on you.” I like talking to her. I really do. But, right now, I need this. “Here maybe.” I press my palm into her lower back.
“How would you—” Her eyes light up. “Oh.”
“Maybe here.” I place my hand on her chest. Above her heart. So I don’t start stripping her out of her bikini.
She nods yes.
“Oh maybe—” I drag my fingers up her neck, over her chin, along her lower lip. “Maybe you want me to come in that pretty mouth.”
“Holden—”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I know you’re trying to distract me.”
“Am I?”
“Yeah. And it, uh… it is working.”
“Good.”
Her chest heaves with her inhale. “But, uh… I just I have to say… that I’m not going to forget this conversation.”
“Me either.”
“And I do want to hear more.”
“Me too.”
“But, I also—”
“Want to come on my face?”
“Yeah.” Her cheeks flush. “Is it…? Will someone see?”
“Maybe.”
“Oh.” She looks to the beach to our right. Then she moves farther into the cave. Stares at the dark wall. “I…”
“It’s up to you.”
Her eyes meet mine. Her tongue slides over her lips. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Hell yes.”
“Good.” I pull her body into mine. “I’ve been dreaming about this for way too fucking long.”
Chapter Thirty
Holden
Daisy’s eyes flutter closed.
She rises to her tiptoes. Brings her lips to mine.
I press one hand into her lower back. Bring the other to the back of her neck.
Fuck, she tastes good. Like salt and like Daisy.