Taming the Bachelor by M. J. Carnal Page A

everyone but Rich.  He looked just as shocked as Mark and had done his best to convince him to join the group for dinner. But Mark had bowed out, saying he wasn’t feeling well.  She knew the truth.
     
    “Caleb, are you awake?”  She whispered into the dark room as the first streaks of morning sun snuck through the curtain.
     
    “No.”  He grunted and rolled over.  Caleb had been out late with the guys and she knew his head was probably pounding..
     
    “Can you be awake?”  Sophie begged in a little girl voice.
     
    “Are you on fire?”  Caleb waited for an answer but just heard her huff.  “Unless you have a strong urge to seduce me right now, I am going to sleep some more.  If you want to seduce me, I will totally be up for that.”  His voice was groggy but she could tell he was smiling.
     
    Sophie just sighed.  She stretched and got up to brush her teeth and hair and then made her way toward the balcony.  Opening the blinds just a tiny bit, she looked out at the beautiful sun just making its appearance. The beach was quiet.  She felt like it was all hers.  She stepped into the fresh air and got comfy in one of the oversized chairs.
     
    There was a small breeze coming off the ocean and she pulled her legs up to wrap her arms around them.  This was heaven.  The world was at peace in this moment and even with all the thoughts swimming through her head, she was able to take a deep breath and smile.  Despite this crazy place, full of parties, nudity and alcohol, she was having a great time.  She straightened her pony tail and promised herself that today, she would make things right with Mark and enjoy the last days in paradise. 
     
    The wedding party had welcomed her with open arms and she felt like she had been a part of the group forever.  Ryan still shocked her with the things he said but she was getting used to him.  The few times she had gone with Caleb and Molly to meet Ryan out at a nightclub, she had been hit on relentlessly and Molly had brushed him away each time.  Caleb had always just sat by her side, sometimes with his arm around her, to help protect her from Ryan’s perverted assaults.  He was smoking hot, no doubt about that.  But she had never met anyone that went home with someone new every time they went out. 
     
    Her life was much more reserved. She’d only had a few boyfriends.  She somehow found herself just one of the guys in high school and that continued on to college. Her sister had been the social butterfly, dating and having fun and Sophie just stood in the shadows. Then she met Shawn and life for her changed.  She was determined to wait until their wedding night to make love, but he had a different idea and had talked her into it about a year into their relationship.  She spent the next three years having periodic sex and really didn’t know what the big deal was.  It was never great.  She never burned for him and was never so turned on she couldn’t wait to be with him. 
     
    But Mark.  She sighed.  She knew him all of six days and she would have given herself completely to him in the water yesterday if Rich hadn’t interrupted.  Just one look into his green eyes and her whole body tingled.  His lips on her neck had ignited her blood and she was on fire for him.  Feeling his erection against her back had done something to her and her good girl side was completely obliterated.  He was sex personified. She ran her fingers over her lips. She could still feel his tongue fighting against hers as he begged her to be good because he couldn’t.
     
    The sound of footfalls on the wet sand drew her attention from her fantasy.  Her breath hitched.  Mark was running the beach.  His shoes hit the line where the water and sand met and his footprints were the only ones on the beach.  Her breath turned heavy as she watched him.  He was wearing black shorts that left little to the imagination.  His leg muscles pulsed as he ran.  He was wearing his