rubbing his face with a towel.
“Must be a storm brewing. That always makes the waves bigger.”
“You sure you’re all right?” He tried to look at her, but his eyes still burned and the sun wasn’t helping. He tried rubbing them one more time.
She blotted her face with the towel as she watched him. “Your eyes are blood shot. Did you open them under the water?”
He nodded. “I think they still have sand in them.” He rubbed at the corners.
“Lay back,” she said picking up her bag and pulling out a bottle of water. She removed the lid, warning him, “This is going to be cold, but it will help.”
She leaned over him, her hands soft and cool on his hot skin. He had to remind himself to breathe. As she came closer, he could smell her. Laundry soap and sweetness.
“You smell good,” he said, swallowing past the lump in his throat.
“Salt and sea weed?” She gave him an odd look.
“No, something else, I smelled it earlier.” Smooth Tucker. Real smooth.
“Honeysuckle body wash.”
Honeysuckle body wash. Sexiest words he’d ever heard, and he’d been offered some hot pick-ups in his life.
Cold water splashed in his eyes. Shit, was it iced ? The thought ran through his head, but he never flinched. She doused him thoroughly, carefully wiping his eyes with her tee shirt. “There you go,” she said. “You did very well.”
“You’re much better at it than a grunt.”
Josie laughed. “You guys do that to each other often?”
“Mostly training. In case we ever get caught up in chemicals. In basic, the guy who did mine about ripped my damned eyelids off.”
She laughed as she wrapped her hair into a knot at the back of her head. With her arms above her head and behind her back, her breasts were pushed out. The tiniest bit of rounded flesh worked its way free from the side of her top to tease him. Aware he was fully ogling her, he tried to shake it off and make conversation.
“So, where do you hang out around here? Are there any clubs or bars?”
Josie laughed. “There’s nothing like that on this island. Even if there were, that’s not really my thing. Most everything I do, I do alone.”
Tucker nodded as an ornery grin tugged at his lips. “And yet you came with me. I guess I’m pretty special.”
Josie matched his grin, rolling her eyes at him. “You’re the first to actually live in one of the cottages. The rest are tourists who rent them for a week and leave. A few come back year after year, but they’re mostly retired and not really the hanging out type.”
“Hetty told me about the guy she had to fire. Don’t try to deny it. I’m special.”
Josie laughed as she settled herself back against the sand. Lying there, knees bent, she sighed. Droplets of water rolled from her stomach down her sides leaving a mesmerizing trail. Digging her toes in the sand, she said, “I suppose you are pretty special.” Then she closed her eyes, turned her face toward the sun, and smiled.
It was the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen.
Chapter 8
Lying next to her soaking up a drenching sun, Tucker broke the peace. “I’m starved. You want to get some lunch?”
Josie cupped her eyes and looked up at the sky. “I’d say it’s well past dinner time.”
“No wonder I’m so damned hungry.” Tucker rose to his feet and offered her a hand. She hesitated, but accepted his offer. Her fingers felt small and fragile. He’d have gladly kept hold, but she pulled her hand back as soon as she was on her feet.
Grabbing the sheet, she shook off the sand, quickly folded it, and stuffed it in her bag. Then she slipped on her shorts and tee shirt.
“Ready?” Josie asked. She bent forward to pick up her bag, but he reached it first and slung it over his shoulder.
Josie laughed. “Looks good. It matches your eyes.”
Tucker looked down at the pink bag covered in daisies and smiled. “Go ahead, you can tell me how pretty I am. I won’t be insulted.”
Josie shook her head as she
“Must be a storm brewing. That always makes the waves bigger.”
“You sure you’re all right?” He tried to look at her, but his eyes still burned and the sun wasn’t helping. He tried rubbing them one more time.
She blotted her face with the towel as she watched him. “Your eyes are blood shot. Did you open them under the water?”
He nodded. “I think they still have sand in them.” He rubbed at the corners.
“Lay back,” she said picking up her bag and pulling out a bottle of water. She removed the lid, warning him, “This is going to be cold, but it will help.”
She leaned over him, her hands soft and cool on his hot skin. He had to remind himself to breathe. As she came closer, he could smell her. Laundry soap and sweetness.
“You smell good,” he said, swallowing past the lump in his throat.
“Salt and sea weed?” She gave him an odd look.
“No, something else, I smelled it earlier.” Smooth Tucker. Real smooth.
“Honeysuckle body wash.”
Honeysuckle body wash. Sexiest words he’d ever heard, and he’d been offered some hot pick-ups in his life.
Cold water splashed in his eyes. Shit, was it iced ? The thought ran through his head, but he never flinched. She doused him thoroughly, carefully wiping his eyes with her tee shirt. “There you go,” she said. “You did very well.”
“You’re much better at it than a grunt.”
Josie laughed. “You guys do that to each other often?”
“Mostly training. In case we ever get caught up in chemicals. In basic, the guy who did mine about ripped my damned eyelids off.”
She laughed as she wrapped her hair into a knot at the back of her head. With her arms above her head and behind her back, her breasts were pushed out. The tiniest bit of rounded flesh worked its way free from the side of her top to tease him. Aware he was fully ogling her, he tried to shake it off and make conversation.
“So, where do you hang out around here? Are there any clubs or bars?”
Josie laughed. “There’s nothing like that on this island. Even if there were, that’s not really my thing. Most everything I do, I do alone.”
Tucker nodded as an ornery grin tugged at his lips. “And yet you came with me. I guess I’m pretty special.”
Josie matched his grin, rolling her eyes at him. “You’re the first to actually live in one of the cottages. The rest are tourists who rent them for a week and leave. A few come back year after year, but they’re mostly retired and not really the hanging out type.”
“Hetty told me about the guy she had to fire. Don’t try to deny it. I’m special.”
Josie laughed as she settled herself back against the sand. Lying there, knees bent, she sighed. Droplets of water rolled from her stomach down her sides leaving a mesmerizing trail. Digging her toes in the sand, she said, “I suppose you are pretty special.” Then she closed her eyes, turned her face toward the sun, and smiled.
It was the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen.
Chapter 8
Lying next to her soaking up a drenching sun, Tucker broke the peace. “I’m starved. You want to get some lunch?”
Josie cupped her eyes and looked up at the sky. “I’d say it’s well past dinner time.”
“No wonder I’m so damned hungry.” Tucker rose to his feet and offered her a hand. She hesitated, but accepted his offer. Her fingers felt small and fragile. He’d have gladly kept hold, but she pulled her hand back as soon as she was on her feet.
Grabbing the sheet, she shook off the sand, quickly folded it, and stuffed it in her bag. Then she slipped on her shorts and tee shirt.
“Ready?” Josie asked. She bent forward to pick up her bag, but he reached it first and slung it over his shoulder.
Josie laughed. “Looks good. It matches your eyes.”
Tucker looked down at the pink bag covered in daisies and smiled. “Go ahead, you can tell me how pretty I am. I won’t be insulted.”
Josie shook her head as she
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