I grin. “It doesn’t have to be. Now turn around so I can undress.”
His dark brows arch with intrigue. “I’d rather not.”
I roll my eyes and turn my back to him, glancing at him over my shoulder as I reach up to untie the bikini strings around my neck. As promised, he doesn’t turn around. He watches with rapt attention as I continue to untie the strings around my back.
The material falls away and I immediately replace it with my hands, covering myself as best as possible.
Unfortunately, there’s no way for me to lift the sheet and climb under with my hands where they are.
“Help me?” I plead.
He smiles and shakes his head.
I narrow my eyes, suddenly wanting to push him the way he’s pushing me. On a wild whim, I drop my hands and turn confidently to lift the sheet off the table. Sure, I’m blushing, but I doubt he’s noticing that.
I don’t look at him as I climb up and tug the sheet higher to cover myself. Only when my chest is concealed underneath the soft white linen do I tilt my head and take him in.
He looks absolutely drugged, standing there watching me. There’s an obvious bulge in his swim trunks that I’m mighty proud of.
“Your turn.”
He laughs and shakes his head, turning to disappear into his room. When he returns a moment later, he’s wearing boxer briefs instead of his swim trunks. The rest of him is beautifully tan and toned. I don’t hide my obvious perusal of him as he walks toward me.
He’s supposed to climb up onto his own table now.
Javier and Gabriella will be coming back inside at any moment, but instead of complying with their request, he rounds my table and comes to stand directly beside me. He stares down at me for a moment as I take him in, then he leans over and plants a kiss on my lips, letting his hands drift down to the sheet covering my breasts. He feels me through the material as our kiss deepens. I arch up, filling his hand, wanting him to feel more of me, and he obliges happily. His hands move up and then gently tug the sheet down inch by slow inch so that cool air covers my chest, making me shiver. His palms warm me up, though, teasing me until I’m a squirming mess on that table, antsy for more. His tongue touches mine and I reach up to grip his neck and keep him leaning over me. I love the way his hands feel on me. I love how sexy I feel, how much he’s responding to me right now.
I have no doubt we’d continue this game if there were no knock on that door.
“Are you both ready?” Gabriella asks from the other side.
I reluctantly break our kiss, sending a private smile up to Noah as he forces himself to straighten. I don’t immediately cover myself, so for a moment, I’m lying topless on that table underneath him.
He looks down at me and then reaches out quickly, tracing my breast as if he just can’t help himself.
The villa’s doorknob jiggles and I swat his hand away so I can quickly yank the sheet back up to my neck.
He laughs and reluctantly moves back to his table like a good boy, lying down and covering himself.
“Torture,” he says, right before Gabriella and Javier walk back inside.
NOAH WAS RIGHT.
A couples massage is basically the equivalent of an hour-long foreplay session where you’re left wondering just how much touch the human body can endure without splintering into a million pieces.
I try not to look at Noah while Javier works his hands over my legs. The massage oil is not helping matters either.
I turn my head and keep my attention on the opposite wall. But then, Javier forces me to change positions, and I have no choice but to look at Noah—or more importantly, look at Gabriella touching Noah.
His eyes are closed as he lies on his back. She moves her hands down his arms, digging the heels of her palms into his muscles. No doubt he’s enjoying this after his workout earlier.
I am not enjoying this.
I’m a live wire.
Javier tells me I have tension in my shoulders and I’m like, NO SHIT SHERLOCK.
“Try to relax.”
Impossible.
I catch a subtle lift of Noah’s smile, though he doesn’t open his eyes. Apparently, he enjoys how uncomfortable I am right now.
I try to relax, running through whimsical scenarios in my mind: a fawn in the woods, butterflies dancing in a meadow, a kitten playing with yarn, NOAH’S HANDS BETWEEN MY LEGS.
“Um, can I go to the bathroom really quick?” I ask Javier, embarrassed by how high-pitched and squeaky my voice sounds.
“Of course.”
He holds up a robe for me to don while he turns his back and I rush out of the room like my feet are on fire. In my bedroom, I feel better. I like that there’s a door between them and me.
I look in the mirror in the bathroom and blink at my appearance. My hair has dried into beachy waves. My face has new color from my time out in the sun. My skin is flushed and supple, covered in massage oil.
I turn on the tap, cup my hands under the faucet, and then dab some cold water onto my face. It helps, so I do it again.
When I turn off the water and pat my face dry, I realize I’ll have to return to the living room now. I can’t just abandon my massage halfway through.
Even so, I take my time, pacing in my room, trying to calm myself down.
Noah and I just need to have sex. That would help calm me down.
It occurs to me that I could put my own hand between my legs, but I can’t do it while three people hover one room away. It feels wrong.
I pinch my eyes
