Prologue
Fira, Santorini, Greece
Now or never. It’s now or never, Emma.
She and Patrick were alone on the stretch of beach, and for oh, the last few years she’d wanted to kiss him. Curious about what that would feel like. What would he feel and taste like?
She and Patrick had talked for the last few hours, and time had slipped away. The turquoise, blue-green waters of the Aegean Sea had long since eaten the last remnants of daylight, and it’d been a pity. Sunsets on the island were beyond compare, she thought, recalling the sky awash in rich colors of pink, purple, orange, pale-blue, and peach. Patches of clouds mixed and blended, turning the sky into an oasis and soothing her soul. The sea sparkled, as though someone had taken ten thousand buckets full of diamonds and tossed them, helter-skelter into the ocean.
“The island is breathtaking, isn’t it?”
She didn’t face Patrick, but instead continued to admire the beauty around them.
White grains of sand warmed her bottom as waves gently lapped at her bare feet and ran between her toes. A warm breeze touched her face with its gentle fingertips. Her sandals, long since abandoned, lay haphazardly next to her beach bag at her side. The beauty of the inky black sky, scattered with stars with a gorgeous full moon, made her unable to look away.
Even with her long-time secret crush sitting right next to her. She would sooner die than admit that bit of information.
“It sure is,” Patrick murmured.
She turned to face him, the closeness of him unexpected, as this surely had to be some wonderful dream. Her addled, probably still jet-lagged brain didn’t remember when he’d even moved this close. At this point, who cared?
Emma held her breath as he cupped her cheek, stroking back and forth, before he grazed her lower lip. His eyes lowered to her mouth before roving back up. She gulped. Because this, this was something she’d only ever dreamed about in their high school years, and now into their college days.
Having been with Patrick most of today, her first day on the island, had been the most wonderful time of her life. And now they were alone, without the prying eyes of a crowd. The touch of his hand, warmth of his body, and desire, evident, shining in his eyes . . . Oh my.
“Emma, I’m going to kiss you now. You can tell me if you want me to stop, and I will.”
And just like that, the breath got snatched out of her lungs, because all through high school she’d only ever dreamt of those words coming out of his mouth. Goodness, she hoped this was not a dream and she’d soon wake.
The lump caught in her throat, as her eyes trained on his mouth. “I won’t tell you to stop.”
As if in slow motion, his lips touched hers, and everything blurred in a haze of sea, sand, and sky. Tentatively, she rested her hand on his, before wrapping her arms around his neck, needing to relish this moment. And make it last as long as she could, fearing it would or could somehow end, or worse yet, be a dream she’d soon awaken from.
He leaned them back onto the grains of sand, and his lovely male skin pressed against her, as he threaded his fingers through her hair. His tongue slid into her mouth, and the kiss turned from chaste to ravenous. Oh thank you, thank you, God. It wasn’t a dream as Patrick slid his hand down toward her neck and landed around her waist. He toyed with the thin material of her tank top. The friction of his fingertips on her tummy made her toes curl deep into the sand.
Oh, wow, but he’s a phenomenally good kisser. And the way he’s kissing me . . . My oh my.
Her heart pounded a fierce and heavy beat, as if it sought escape. She hoped he’d go further and slide his hand beneath to cup her, but he didn’t.
Surprising her, he backed away slightly and paused for a moment. “Tell me to stop now, Emma, or I won’t be able to.”
Keeping eye contact, she swallowed the lump in her throat and grasped his hand, moving it to her breast. “I don’t want you to stop.”