Chapter Five
Like Misty said, Sugar was already playing in the
surf. She was running up and down the surf, jumping the waves, chasing the fish. "She's in heaven," Justin said once he caught up to Misty.
She laughed. "Yes, she is," she said and then picked up a stick that was half buried in the sand. "Sugar!"
she ranged.
Sugar turned her small head and when she saw the
stick in her master's hand, she trotted toward her. "Sit," Misty commanded. She plopped her butt on the sand and wagged her tail. "You wait like a good girl," she said and then threw the stick. Sugar turned her head and watched the stick but
didn't go. "Wait," she repeated. "Okay get it." At the command she ran to the surf and attacked the stick.
Justin laughed. "Smart dog."
"Yup," she said and then placed her beach bag down and rummaged through it. "Here's a towel for you."
"Thanks," he said as he grabbed it. He spread the towel out on the sand and watched her do the same. He
kept his eyes on her as he tore off his shirt, revealing his bare chest.
Misty tried to ignore him, but she couldn't help but study him out the corner of his eye. He was beautiful, she thought. Almost perfect. Damn him, she cursed. Well, two can play at this game. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her pull over and she arched her back as she pulled it over her head.
"Son of a..." Justin swore under his breath at the site of her. Dammit, Justin, just don't pay attention
to her. He tried not to notice her flat stomach and slim waist. He tried not to notice the way her hair blew in the wind, and he sure as hell tried not to notice those legs. Damn those legs, they were perfect.
She sat down on her towel, next to him and then
pulled out her sunscreen. She was making him squirm, she thought with a smile. And she wasn't even finished.
He pretended to stare out at the ocean, but he still studied her from under his sunglasses. She squirted a
drop of sunscreen in the palm of her hand and he nearly screamed when she began to rub it up and down her legs. She then put some on her arms, and then she cocked her head to the side and closed her eyes as she rubbed some across her chest. "God," he whispered as he tore his eyes away.
She looked at him. "Did you say something?"
He looked at her and shrugged. "Nope."
Yeah, sure he didn't, she thought and then squirted some more on her hand and tried to reach around her
back. She was having trouble, but she managed.
"You're going to have streaks," he said as he looked at her.
"What?" she asked as she froze.
"Streaks," he repeated. "You can't see what your
doing."
"I got it," she told him and then rubbed her hands over her back.
He laughed. "You have a huge white mark down the
middle of your back. You're gonna look like a skunk."
"Oh, shut up," she said annoyingly.
He rolled his eyes as he got up and then walked
behind her. "Here," he said as he sat behind her.
"What are you doing?" she asked warily.
"I'm helping you," he said and at the first touch of his hand, her back straightened. "Relax, Mist....I
don't bite."
She let out a shaky breath and ordered herself to
relax. "I..I know."
"Let me see the lotion," he said as he held out his hand. "You didn't get any on your upper back."
Her hands trembled as she handed him the bottle. He flipped open the lid and squirted an nice drop in his
hand. She hissed through her breath at the first contact and her body flinched. "Cold?" he asked huskily.
"Um, yeah," she said.
"Sorry, can't help that," he said and then fisted and handful of her hair and pulled it aside. Her hair
felt like silk against his skin, and it smelled like an ocean breeze. He felt her shiver when the back of his knuckles brushed against the nape of her neck.
Misty dropped her head and let out a small groan when his hands began to rub up and down her back. His hands were large and masculine, yet he was gentle with his touch. She felt his hands move to her lower back, and he paused for a second to get more lotion. He traveled his hands over her back, and she flinched when his fingers slipped beneath the string of her bikini.
He was enjoying this way too much, he thought as he traveled his hands up her back and then began to massage her shoulders. Her skin was soft like a baby, and her muscles were tight under his hands. He had to stop...he had to stop NOW. He pulled his hands away, as if they just been burned. "All done," he finally said.
Misty moaned in protest and the sound made him want to groan himself. "Thanks," she finally said as she cocked her neck back and forth until it popped. "You almost put me to sleep."
He let out a shaky laugh and then grabbed the lotion and went back to his towel. He began to put the lotion on him, and when he was done with the front of his body he tossed it to her.
She caught it and then looked at his grin. "You're turn," he said.
She looked down at the lotion and then back up at
him. His eyebrows were arched in questioning. "Come on, I did you, now you do me."
The thought of her hands traveling over his muscular back made her swallow hard. "Umm..okay," she finally
said as she got up on shuffled towards him on her knees.
"I like a lot," he told her. "I can't afford to get a sunburn."
"All right," she said as she knelt behind him. Her hands shaked as she squeezed a pile of lotion in her
hands. She rubbed her hands together and at the first contack he hissed through his teeth. "Cold, huh?"
"Just a tad," he managed to say and then closed his eyes and enjoyed the way her delicate hands felt across his skin.
He was so hard, she thought as she traveled her hands up and down his back. He was like iron, but his skin
was nice and soft. "You're so tight," she said. "You have the biggest knot right here."
He groaned when she pressed her thumb against hit. "Damn," he cursed as his head fell forward.
She froze her hands. "Sorry, did that hurt?"
"Not at all," he said quickly. "Don't stop on my
account."
"Well, let me try to get this knot out," she said and contiuned to rub it. "It's the size of a walnut."
"Okay," he mumbled, praying that this moment would never stop. He hadn't felt this relaxed in a long
time. Her hands were clever--knowing exactly where to
go and what to do. He was thinking of where else he'd
want those clever hands to travel and....
"Okay, done," she finally said and moved her hands.
"What?" he asked as he lifted his tired hand and the groaned as he rubbed his neck. "Damn, woman.....are you a professional or something?"
She laughed. "Nah, I just gave my ex back rubs all the time," she explained. "He was a football player,
and so he asked me to give him back rubs and stuff."
"Lucky bastard," he mumbled as he arched his back.
She let out a harsh laugh. "Not anymore."
Justin turned to her, and noticed the anger in her face. "Why? What did he do?"
She shook her head. "Nothing," she told him. "I
don't want to talk about it."
Justin studied her, not believing a word he said.
"Misty, did he hurt...."
"I'm going for a swim," she said as she stood up.
"You're welcome to join me if you want."
Justin watched her walk to the surf. She looked like an angel, he thought. Her long jet black hair danced
around her from the wind. She had a smiled beaming across her face as she played with Sugar. Something happened, he said to himself. That jerk did soemthing to her, and he was going to find out what. He didn't know when or how, but he was going to figure out how before the twenty-four hours were up.
Chapter Six