Teaching Autumn Harris to swim was truly a lesson in self-control. Balen didn’t even know if the shit coming out of his mouth was making sense anymore. All he could think about was how soft her skin felt and how much he wanted to taste those goosebumps prickling her flesh. Despite the chill in the water, his dick was rampant hard, i.e. he was not getting out of the water anytime soon. What he needed was a long, exhausting swim to clear his head.

They’d just finished going over timing, arm techniques, and breathing. Now all she had to do was put those basics together and she’d be off to a good start. But that was going to have to wait for another lesson, because he’d just about hit his limit of touching this woman without touching her.

Autumn’s fear was getting better, but he still didn’t feel comfortable leaving her in the water by herself. “You want to practice some more, or do you want to be done for today?”

He was betting on her wanting to bail, which would give him some much needed space from his apt pupil. It was getting hard to think straight, hard to breathe. He was just plain hard. He needed to figure out a way to get a grip on his lust before he did something stupid.

“I think I want to be done.”

Was it him or did she sound a little breathless? Swimming could be a strenuous workout when you weren’t used to it, or was she feeling that same sexual awareness that was stringing him up? Did he even want to know? Because he didn’t need any more temptation to take this to another level.

“I’m going to go for a swim before I head in. What time is paddle boarding scheduled for again?”

“I think three.”

“All right. I’ll catch back up with you before then.” He took a step back, putting a little distance between them.

“Okay.” She began wading toward the shore and then stopped, casting a glance over her shoulder that made his heart kick inside his chest. “Thank you, Balen, for everything. I doubt I’ll be ready for the Olympics anytime soon, but at least I’m getting the basics down.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“I guess I’ll see you later then.”

She raised her hand to wave goodbye. He couldn’t help but admire the small of her back, and the rounded shape of her ass as each step took her farther out of the water, revealing more and more of those gorgeous curves. It was like slowly opening a present on Christmas day, only the gift wasn’t his, he reminded himself. He waited until her feet were safely on shore before turning to head into deeper water. It was going to take a few miles of hard swimming to exhaust the lust thrumming through his veins.

* * *

“You all right?”

In truth, Autumn had seemed a little tense since her swimming lesson earlier this afternoon. Not that he was one to judge. A three-mile swim followed by an equally long run hadn’t done as much to quell Balen’s lust as he’d hoped. His last Hail Mary had been a long, cold shower. When that only succeeded in giving him a chill, he caved to his body’s demand and took his frustration out on his dick. Two minutes and the memory of Autumn’s hot mouth on his, the feel of her tight little glove milking his fingers as she came against his hand, sent him spending his cum down the shower drain.

He never should have kissed her this morning, because now he couldn’t stop thinking about doing it again—that and so much more. But after discovering what he had about her past, and after learning about all of that One and Done shit, Autumn wasn’t ready for him in her bed.

“Who me? I’m fine.”

She wasn’t a very convincing liar.

“Have you paddled boarded before?” she asked.

“Lots of times. You’ll have fun. We’ll get a wide board and go together. That way you only have to paddle if you want to.”

“Summer booked us a guide.”

Balen parked the Jeep and cut the engine before turning to face her. “We aren’t going to need one. I’ll be your guide. There’s a beautiful reef a few miles from here you’re going to love. Come on,” he told her, getting out of the car. “Take your clothes off.” He kicked off his flip-flops and pulled his wife-beater over his head. Wearing only his Oakleys and a pair of board shorts, Balen shut the door and grabbed the dry bag from the back. He filled it with two water bottles, a beach towel, a t-shirt, and— Where was the sunscreen?

“Hey, Autumn. Did you remember your…” Balen’s question stuck in his throat when he glanced up between the seats and caught a spectacular view of Autumn’s bikini-clad ass bent over as she rubbed said sunscreen onto her legs. Holy hell. Thankfully he’d learned his lesson from their swimming adventure, because he wasn’t getting anywhere near her without wearing a strong pair of spandex beneath his trunks.

“My what?” she asked, glancing behind her.

His shades were the only thing preventing her from discovering the thorough eye-fucking he was giving her. He needed to get a grip, because he was going to be spending the next several hours with her half-naked on an oversized surfboard and he did not want to be doing it with a hard-on.

“Sunscreen?” She held up the bottle when he didn’t answer, seeming completely unaware of the effect she was having on him. “Got it right here.” She tossed it to him between the seats. “Can you get my back?”

Pure. Torture. That’s what this was. “Sure. Come over here.”

Autumn left her clothes on the passenger seat and closed the door before coming around the back of the Jeep wearing those ridiculous gaudy sunglasses that, for some reason, totally worked on her. She gave him her back with the instructions, “Get me good. I might be a day-walker, but I’ll fry to a crisp out here all afternoon without my SPF one-million.”

He chuckled as he globbed a bunch of the white lotion into his hand. After rubbing his palms together, he placed his them on Autumn’s shoulders and slowly ran them over her back. Damn, she was tiny. Past her slender shoulders, his fingers slipped beneath the tie of her string bikini, and the temptation to tug the end of that bow free was almost too much to resist, especially when she began to melt in his hands. The initial tension in her muscles slowly dissolved with his massaging touch. The cream didn’t rub in without repeated effort, and Balen was definitely a fan of her SPF. By the time he reached her lower back, he was so worked up it was all he could do not to grind his hard cock against her sweet little ass and release the pressure building inside him like a bomb ready to detonate.

Maybe he wasn’t the only one, because Autumn’s hand shot out to the roof of the Jeep, bracing her weight, which angled her ass in perfect position for him to—

“Balen?”

His name never sounded so good on a woman’s lips. He could come just remembering the way she’d cried it out as her release took hold of her the other night. Balen pressed in behind her, his hand slipping to her side and gliding down her hip. He dipped his head, about to kiss the delicate curve where her neck met her shoulder when she said, “Are you almost done?”

Oh, he was so far from being finished with her. She sounded short of air. Her little shoulders rose and fell with the effort of her breaths. Dropping his forehead to the place he’d nearly kissed, Balen closed his eyes and stood there a moment, wrangling with his desire. Autumn didn’t move, didn’t speak. She just stood there waiting, as if she knew he needed a moment to get himself back under control and was doing him the courtesy of not pressing the issue.

Maybe she needed a minute as well.

* * *

Autumn lay stretched out on the oversized surfboard with a sail. The waves gently lulled her as she watched Balen paddle. She wasn’t sure where they were going, but she was having a lot more fun getting there than she’d expected. Maybe it was the introduction he’d given her to the water earlier that helped calm her fears, or maybe it was just Balen, because she knew he would keep her safe.

Either way, she was having a fabulous time relaxing on her end of the board and enjoying the incredible view in front of her. She was grateful for the dark tint of her sunglasses that hid the direction of her stare, allowing her to gawk at Balen’s finely muscled form without notice. Not that he would have noticed, anyway. He seemed lost in his own thoughts as he methodically dipped his paddle into the water and propelled them along. His muscles flexed and strained beneath his smooth, tanned flesh.

“Where are we going?”

“There’s a private beach up ahead I think you’ll enjoy. You should get off the board for a little while. I don’t want you getting motion sickness. You want to paddle a little bit? Get the full experience?”

“Nah. I’m good here.” She tucked her hands behind her head, propping them on the life vest she was using as a pillow.

He smiled, giving her a glimpse of those dimples she adored. “Enjoying the view?”

“Absolutely. It’s a gorgeous day.”

Balen dug his cell from his pocket and snapped a picture of her.

“What are you doing? I can’t believe you have a cell phone out here on the water.”

“It’s a life-proof case. And the picture is for your scrapbook. You’re supposed to put one on every page, remember?”

“I don’t want a bunch of pictures of myself. How pathetic is that?”

His brow arched. “Is this your way of asking me for a dick pic?”

Autumn busted out laughing. “If you stuck a dick pic in my Best Friends Guide Book to Having Fun...”

“What, you don’t want something to remember me by? Autumn, I’m crushed.” He dramatically placed his hand over his heart.

“You’ll survive,” she teased, ignoring the unexpected pinch in her chest at the reminder of how fast this vacation was already flying by. In four short days, she’d be on a plane, drinking her way back to the States, and this week would be nothing but a memory.

“All right.” The board wobbled as she got to her hands and knees and slowly made her way toward Balen, praying she wouldn’t dump them in the sea. If she didn’t know better, she’d have sworn his feet were glued to the board because he did not lose his balance even once. “Don’t let me fall.” Autumn used Balen to balance against as she slowly climbed to her feet. He steadied her with an arm around her waist, tucking her into his side.

“Look at you, all adventurous and stuff.”

“I know. I can’t believe I’m standing up on this thing.” Autumn took his phone, shook it to activate the camera, and took a selfie of her and Balen standing together on the paddleboard. “There, that’s better. At least now Summer will believe me when I tell her I went paddle boarding with a hot guy.”

“Well, in that case…” Balen grabbed his phone and kissed her cheek as he took another picture of them. He pocketed his cell then positioned Autumn in front of him. “As long as you’re standing, you might as well paddle us to shore.”

Autumn numbly took the paddle, a little caught off guard that Balen just selfie-kissed her. What was that?

He gripped the paddle next to her hands, caging her in his arms. She didn’t think she would have been able to keep her balance any other way. As it was, Autumn swayed with the waves, bumping into Balen like a drunken sailor. She paddled with him as he led them to shore, trying to ignore the nearness of his body behind her and the deep throaty rumble of his voice in her ear as he explained the technique of proper paddle boarding. By the time they reached the beach, Autumn’s nerve-endings were on fire.

At the first opportunity, she skittered off the board. Balen pulled the little raft onto the sand and unclipped the dry bag from the metal loop. He spread a large beach towel onto the sand then tossed her a water bottle. Autumn glanced at the beautiful house behind them. The whole front was made of glass. There was no way someone inside wouldn’t see them out here.

“Umm…are you sure we should be here? You said the beach was private. It obviously belongs to the people who live in that house up there.”

Balen slid his shades to the top of his head, using them to pull his dark, unruly hair out of his face, and sprawled out on the blanket. Tucking his arms beneath his head, he closed his eyes to the sun and said, “Don’t worry about it, Autumn. I know the owner. Come here and relax.” He patted the space beside him, not bothering to open his eyes. “You’re going to need your strength for the paddle back.”

“What?” Surely he was joking. Just paddling the short distance to shore, she’d broken a sweat, though that might have had more to do with Balen’s proximity than actual exertion.

He chuckled at his joke. She loved the sound of that deep, throaty rumble. It rolled right over her like warm honey.

“So, why Cyprus?” she asked, settling in beside him.

He shrugged. “Why not? Who doesn’t want to live on the Island of Love?”

Autumn rolled to the side and propped her hand beneath her chin, admiring the view and watching the sun evaporate the droplets of water clinging to his bronze skin. “Is that why you moved here? To find love?”

He grunted a sarcastic chuff. “If it was, then I got screwed.” He looked like a Greek god lying there, basking in all his glory. Lifting his head, Balen opened his eyes and pinned Autumn with his golden-flecked stare. “You can’t find something that doesn’t exist. You’d have better luck finding the Fountain of Youth.”

Wow, and she thought she was cynical. “If not love, then what do you believe in?”

Balen rolled to his side to face her, mirroring her pose. “What do I believe in?” he repeated her question contemplatively as he studied her, reaching over and tucking a chunk of dark red hair behind her ear. “I believe in living for the moment, and in treating each day like it’s your last. That way you’ll be less likely to come to the end of your life with regrets.”

“So, that’s your goal? No regrets?” she asked the man who obviously had more depth than she’d given him credit for. A philosophizing beach-bum…who would have thought?

He shrugged. “Among others. Regret is as wasted an emotion as love. Giving someone your heart is giving them the ability to break you. It’s not only negligent, it’s foolish.”

Autumn couldn’t help herself. Reaching over, she cupped his jaw, her thumb gently brushing over the sharp angle of his cheek. “Who broke you, Balen?”

He studied her, and for a moment, she actually thought he might answer. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers.

Guess that subject was closed. His kiss was different from the one he’d given her in the kitchen. This was soft and exploring, as opposed to the plundering, demanding invasion of her mouth earlier. Both were intoxicating and utterly irresistible. His tongue danced over her bottom lip—teasing, tasting. Heat swept through her in a rush that woke her nerve endings and reignited that ache deep inside her. A little moan escaped her throat, a soft helpless sound. And she was helpless—helpless to the desire this man stirred in her at the simplest touch.

He answered her with a low growl and shifted his weight, pulling her beneath him as he rolled on top of her, deepening the kiss. The skin-on-skin contact of his bare chest rubbing against her bikini-clad body was like striking flint to stone. Sparks ignited, and it wasn’t long before Balen’s easy kisses grew reckless and frenzied. His hips rocked against her and she could feel his hard length pressing against her sensitive folds. The only barrier between them was his thin pair of board shorts and her string-bikini bottoms. One strategic tug of the bow at her hip, and she’d be bare. His hand slid up her side and covered her breast, his thumb teasing over her pebbled nipple, trapping it between his thumb and index finger. White-hot need raced through her like an electrical current shooting directly into her core.

The jolt startled her and she flinched. Balen froze, seeming surprised himself by what they were doing and how quickly it had escalated. He stopped kissing her—his body growing stone still. A few heartbeats passed and then he slowly lifted his head and studied her with an intensity she could feel in every fiber of her being.

“Balen, I—” She was about to apologize for being so skittish when someone interrupted her.

“That is you out here. Holy shit, Bay! I saw the red hair and I thought—”

Balen cursed, cutting off whatever the guy was about to say, and shot to his feet. He pulled Autumn up to stand beside him. When the man’s gaze made an unapologetic sweep over her and his brow arched appreciatively, she became acutely aware of how little she was wearing.

“What are you doing here?” Balen must have noticed the guy’s slow perusal, because he grabbed the dry bag, pulled out his t-shirt, and handed it to her.

She shot Balen a grateful smile and slipped it on. His shirt hung on her like a sack, the v of the neck doing little to cover her cleavage, but at least the hem covered most of her thighs.

“What do you mean ‘what am I doing here?’” the man shot back. “I live here. What are you doing here?”

This was so embarrassing. She couldn’t believe they were getting busted for trespassing on this guy’s beach. And that wouldn’t have even been half as bad if they hadn’t been making out when it happened. She shot Balen an accusatory glare. He’d told her it was all right for them to be here when clearly, it wasn’t. What if this guy called the police? Did they have the same trespassing laws in Cyprus as they did in the States? Getting arrested was not on her list of things to do while on the Island of Love.

“I’m sorry we’ve trespassed onto your property.” Autumn told the man, taking matters into her own hands. “We were paddle boarding and the waves were starting to rock my stomach. We stopped for a few minutes so I could get my bearings before heading back.”

The shit-eating grin he gave Autumn told her he knew that wasn’t all they’d been doing.

“Autumn, it’s fine,” Balen told her. “You don’t need to apologize. Connor, this is Autumn. Autumn, this is my brother, Connor.”

His brother? They were at his brother’s house? Autumn wasn’t sure if this was better or worse. Though they were unlikely to be arrested for trespassing, this was not the first impression she would have chosen to make on a member of Balen’s family. Not that it should matter. It wasn’t like she’d ever see the guy again. She and Balen were just friends, and this…whatever they were doing, didn’t mean a thing.

As Balen made introductions, his brother held out his hand and took hers in a firm grip. “Damn, dude. You’re forgiven for bailing on me the other night. I’d throw me over for a date with her too.”

“All right, time for you to go,” Balen interceded, slinging his arm around his brother’s neck and turning to march him back toward the house. “I’ll be right back.”

Autumn stifled a grin, watching him muscle his brother away from her. While they walked up the beach, bits and pieces of their conversation carried over to her, floating on the wings of the sea breeze.

“—gonna get you a shock collar, you know that?”

Laughter followed. “Dude, she’s hotter than hell, man. When I saw that red hair, I thought—”

“Yeah, I know what you thought. You don’t have to fucking say it.”

“Better hope Monica doesn’t find out about her. Does Autumn think— Why wouldn’t you tell her you—?”

It was like listening to a radio frequency on a static channel. The rest of it was lost as they walked out of range. But she’d heard more than enough. Her gut soured as her mind filled in the blanks of their conversation and it had nothing to do with motion sickness. Who was Monica? Did Balen have a girlfriend? The idea that he could be using Autumn for some side action made her nauseous. She knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of someone’s infidelity and she would not be the other woman. Nor would she spend time with someone who was so loose-moraled they would cheat on their girlfriend. Just because they hadn’t had sex, it didn’t make any of this all right. Cheating was still cheating and this was a mistake.

While Balen and his brother entered the house, Autumn quickly packed up their things and stuffed them into the dry bag. She would have taken off his shirt, but she no longer felt comfortable being around him in her bikini. She cursed herself a fool for assuming he was single. Perhaps she should have point blank asked him if he was seeing anyone, but then what would’ve kept him from lying? Apparently, love wasn’t the only thing he didn’t believe in. The asshole should have added monogamy to that list.