From This Moment On

The tears she’d been hoping she wouldn’t cry spilled out. “I was the bigger idiot for believing his lies.”

“No, Nicola,” he said as he gently wiped away her tears with the pads of his thumbs. “You could never be anything but bright and beautiful and absolutely perfect just the way you are.”

His mouth covered hers a moment later and then he was making her forget everything but how good it felt to be in his arms...everything but the fact that she was so incredibly glad she’d been there at the night club to help him over his bad breakup, a little bit at least.

“Help me take my clothes off,” she murmured against his lips.

His eyes glittered as he covered her hands with his and they pulled off her T-shirt together. Her bra came off next and he tossed both up onto the dry sand. Her jean skirt and panties came off just as quickly and then she was standing before him, completely naked.

And senselessly aroused.

Chapter Sixteen

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

The biggest, most trusting eyes in the world looked up at him. “Only when you’re looking at me like this.”

Marcus put his hands on her hips and pulled her against him as his mouth covered hers without any restraint at all. Nicola kissed him back just as passionately, her hands grasping at his clothes. Only breaking their kiss long enough to pull his shirt over his head, they were right back at it as they got his pants and boxers off.

His mouth still on hers, he lifted her into his arms again and walked into the surf.

A wave crashed up onto them and Nicola gasped at the cold. “Are you crazy?”

“When you’re with me like this,” he answered, “I think I must be.”

She attacked him with her lips, planting kisses all over his face, his neck, his shoulders. He’d never been with someone so unrestrained, so ready to give in to her joy...and so willing to share it with him. The hours he’d spent with Nicola had been happier than any he could remember before her.

Yes, he’d been telling her the truth when he said he didn’t regret any of the tradeoffs he’d had to make on his family’s behalf. But he was glad he didn’t have to make any of those tradeoffs now so that he could put Nicola—and his feelings for her—first these past few days.

“I want so badly to make love to you out here,” she told him as she licked at his earlobe, “but we don’t have any protection.”

Marcus had to forcefully push aside the urge to be inside of her without anything between them. If this were more than a long weekend together they could get tested and—

No. He needed to stay focused on here and now, on the fact that Nicola had already given him more pleasure in three days than any man should rightfully expect to have in one lifetime. She’d made it clear to him that she didn’t want a relationship.

Just as clear as he’d made it to her, in fact.

That was when he showed her what he was holding. “I planned ahead.”

She shook her head on a surprised laugh. “How the heck did you get this out of your pocket and unwrapped without my noticing?” Without waiting for his answer, she grabbed the condom from him. “Never mind. Just put me down so that I can do the honors.”

Not sure he’d survive having her hot little hands on him, he warned her, “Don’t even think about teasing me,” as he put her back on her feet in the surf.

She blinked at him, all sexy innocence and pure wicked intent. “How else am I going to know if you’re ever going to make good on all those spanking threats?”

“Oh, I’ll make good on them, all right,” he told her, tempted to take care of her right then and there, but then her tongue was coming out to lick at her upper lip as she focused her attention on him.

“You’re the beautiful one,” she murmured as she dropped to her knees before he saw it coming and put her mouth over him.

Jesus, he couldn’t believe he was out in the ocean with the most beautiful woman on the planet pleasuring him in the swirling surf. This wasn’t him, wasn’t what his life was like, wasn’t any part of his plans.

Forget his plans, he thought as he slid his hands into her hair and decided to take what she was so happily giving him. All the while, even as she nearly took him over the edge, he watched her carefully to make sure he wasn’t hurting her. Fortunately, he could tell from the sexy little sounds she was making that she loved giving up her sensual control to him.

Waiting until he was a split second from losing it, he dragged himself out of her mouth. “Put the condom on me, Nicola.”

Her gaze was fuzzy as she blinked up at him, but she obeyed him with shaking hands.

Gritting his teeth against the sweet tug of her hands on him, he marveled at the way she completely gave up her body to him when they were making love. He wanted to be as good as the trust she gave him, wanted her to know she’d made the right decision in trusting him.

“Come here.” He waited for her to take his hands and stand up before he said, “Wrap yourself around me.” She jumped up to wrap her toned limbs tightly around him and he couldn’t hold back his confession. “I love holding you like this.”

“You can’t possibly love it as much as I do,” she said against his lips as he started walking deeper into the cold water.

“Oh God,” she gasped as the surf pushed over her bottom, “that’s really cold.” Her big eyes flicked up to his. “You’re going to have to work really hard to keep me warm.”