“Hey, where are you going?”
“Why don’t you follow me for a change?” Arching one little finger at him, Blair beckoned him to follow her. She threw her head back, sashayed her hips from side to side, and walked away seductively.
“Oh hell.” Justyn crumpled his beer can between his rough palms and tossed it toward the stern. “Blair, wait up.”
He jogged after the sultry blonde, hoping he could turn her around, before she had him wondering which way was east.
Blair trailed her toes in the warm waves, splashing in ripples around her ankles.
“Why’d you run off like that?” He tracked behind her deliberate walk down the shoreline.
Blair pointed her toe forward, pushed all her weight on the ball of her opposite foot, and twirled so that she was facing him. Justyn stopped in mid-stride when Blair’s foot grazed his leg. He watched the fabric of her dress flare higher around her thighs from the draft of her sudden swirl.
“So, you wanna walk in the dark, or something?” Justyn shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Or something.” Blair winked.
His feet were anchored in the wet sand, and he stood affixed to the ground. Blair pulled on the bottom of his shirt and flattened the fabric under her palms as she weaved them over his hard chest. She smiled when his breath caught as she slid her hands around his neck. Gliding her frame against his, she pressed harder against his body, now locked in place on the beach.
Justyn felt his resolve weaken as he looked into her eyes, surprised at how he managed to detect a sparkle despite the darkness. He was suddenly aware of her heart beating against his chest, the softness of her hands on his neck, and the scent of her shampoo floating around him. Like a boat drifting at sea, he couldn’t resist the tide pulling him toward the shore.
“What the hell,” he muttered under his breath. He leaned down, taking her lips with a feverish fury.
Blair moaned as he took his time exploring her mouth one heated breath at a time. Justyn’s arms encircled her waist until he grasped enough of her slender hips to hoist her legs around his middle. She hitched her legs around his waist, and returned every one of his kisses deeper than the last. Assured she was balanced on his torso, he let his hands roam lower until the hem of that little black dress was worked up enough to let him feel the smoothness of her skin. Grabbing hard, he cupped her bottom in his rough hands. Blair wrapped her legs tighter. Over the low hum of the wind, he let out a groan in Blair’s ear. His lips trailed to the side of her neck, where he playfully nipped on the tender spot.
“Mmm, Blair. We need to move.” Justyn clasped her tiny waist between his hands to set her back on the sandy soil.
Blair pouted at him and wickedly ran her fingernails against his smooth stomach.
“Girl, what are you doing? You’re killing me.” He swooped down to kiss her again, fully on the mouth. “Look. They made it to the top. Let’s at least get out of the line of sight.”
He pointed to two tiny shadow specks perched high above on the platform. He grabbed Blair by the hand and led her back to the spot on the beach where the skiff was anchored to the sand and the shore.
Justyn boarded the boat and reached into the cooler to pull out two drinks. He noticed she took a deep breath of salty air before accepting the beer in his hand. Ice beer was exactly what they both needed.
“Why don’t we hang here ‘til those two get back?” Justyn settled into the bow, so he could face the boardwalk leading from the lighthouse.
Blair edged to the seat next to him. “Ok. I’ve had enough walking for one night.” She cracked the seal of the beer and sipped on the bitter ale.
“I guess you’re not a beer girl?” Justyn laughed at the grimace on her face.
“No, not really. More of a wine and fruity drink kind of girl.”
He wasn’t surprised. “Sorry, I don’t really stock up on that stuff.”
Justyn looked at her sitting next to him on the small skiff. From the first minute they met at Shirley and Henry’s clambake, he knew she was beautiful and sexy. Who could ignore those come-hither eyes, those long legs and arms, and tight ass? Still, he didn’t expect her to kiss back like that. Yes, cold beer was good. Maybe it would cool things down.
“Have you ever thought about living anywhere else besides this island? I mean, you can’t be content to stay here your whole life, can you?” she asked, resting her beer between her hands.
Justyn smiled in the dark. This girl was bold. “Is that more of a comment about me, or are you asking me a question?” She wasn’t the first summer girl to pry into his plans.
“Uh, that’s a real question. How long do you plan on staying here?” She tried to catch a flyaway strand of hair and tuck it behind her ear.
“To tell you the truth, I don’t plan on ever leaving the island. Reid and I have our own business we’re trying to get off the ground. There aren’t too many places in the world where I can work, build boats, and see them sailing in the same waters I sail in too. Do you know how awesome it is to see our boats out there?” Justyn let his eyes drift past Blair to the water’s horizon. “It’s the best damn feeling there is. I’m not leaving; there’s no reason to.”
“But what about traveling and seeing new places? There’s a big world out there, Justyn Strait.”
“Not everybody has to do the same thing, Carolina girl. Look, I went to college—best four years of my life—now I’m doing what I love. I like building boats. It’s what I’m good at. What about you? What is your big plan?”