Her sandals slipped every now and then, but he caught her each time, and soon they were across. He gripped her hips and set her down gently. Looking over her shoulder, she gasped.
Unlike the other side of the rocks, this one was shaded with trees, and the sand was almost white. It was breathtaking.
“The property had already been developed on that side when my grandfather bought it, but this side of the rocks were still untouched, so we left it that way. No restaurants or shops over here.”
“Just paradise,” she whispered. “Jarik, this is absolutely amazing.”
“Today, it’s just for you.”
Maria bit her bottom lip and glanced down. It wasn’t luxury. It was nature, and yet it was something that she could never have attained without Jarik’s money.
But today, she was going to enjoy it. She could deal with the guilt later.
“Sun or shade?”
“Hmm?” Maria tore her gaze from the water and smiled. “Sun, for now. Who knows when I’ll get to enjoy it again like this!”
Jarik spread the blanket over the sand. Maria felt almost shy when she sat down on it. He didn’t seem to have the same issues as her. Instead, he stripped off his shirt and reached for the button of his shorts.
“What are you doing?” Maria asked, quickly averting her eyes.
“We’re at the beach. I’m going for a swim!” She could hear the amusement in his voice, but she still didn’t look back up until she could hear him splashing in the water. When she raised her head, the air escaped her lungs.
Oh. God. Although he was waist deep in the water, he looked mouth-wateringly good. The water rubbed against his chiseled chest, and she couldn’t help but stare as the rivulets ran from his shoulders and down his body.
Heaven help her, she wanted to press her mouth to his skin and lick that very same path.
“Come, join me,” he said in a tantalizing voice.
“I just bought this outfit,” she argued weakly. “I don’t want to get it wet. This shirt is white!”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing that,” Jarik admitted. “But if you would rather not get your new clothes wet, you can always take them off.”
Maria had never been skinny-dipping in her entire life. She was an adult. Surely, she was not going to start now? And certainly not with Jarik. She opened her mouth to tell him, but he took a few steps toward her, and as the water dipped lower and lower on his body, she stared as more skin emerged.
“Come on, Maria. Let go. Have a little fun,” he coaxed gently.
“Tempting.”
He stopped just short of revealing his cock, and she almost moaned in frustration. “Shy?” He laughed and slowly turned his back to her. “I won’t see a thing.”
Her body didn’t feel like her own as she stood and slowly pulled her shirt up. Despite everything she had said earlier this morning, she knew that desire was winning out. Shimmying out of her skirt, she reached for the clasp of her bra.
He’d seen her naked before. It shouldn’t be such a big deal, but as soon as she was naked, she hurried into the water. Although it was cold against her skin, she didn’t stop until only the swells of her breasts remained. Reaching out, she traced a finger over his dark skin.
Jarik shuddered, but he didn’t turn around. “Did you bring me here to seduce me?” she asked quietly as she moved closer. Unable to resist, she pressed the palms of her hands against his shoulders and pressed her nipples against his skin.
“I won’t deny that I want you,” he said darkly. “And I did hope that if you relaxed, you might feel freer.”
“I bet you bring all your women here.” Wanting to know just how badly he wanted her, she slid her hands under the water and traced her fingers over his hip bones. Just a few more inches and she’d be able to wrap her hands around his cock.
He inhaled sharply. “I’ve never brought a woman here.”
“And why now? It’s beautiful.”
“It’s a piece of my history,” he said through clenched teeth. “I don’t share it. Maria, are you trying to kill me?”
He was sharing it now, but she didn’t point that out. Instead, she danced her fingers up and down his thighs. “I don’t think that you’d be much fun if you were dead. You don’t even realize how much you make me feel alive. I want to share that with you.”