flip-flops and sat at the edge of the pool, dangling her legs into the cool water. She smoothed on the sunscreen, distracted by the spectacle of Vanni swimming with such effortless ease. She was rubbing some of the lotion onto her thigh, when he paused at the edge of the pool, swiping his wet hair from his face. He swam over to her in a more casual crawl.
“Don’t let me interrupt you if you wanted to get more exercise,” she said, feeling a little self-conscious in her new swimsuit beneath the hot sun and Vanni’s stare. He grabbed a hold of the side of the pool with one hand, his forearm just an inch from her thigh. Her skin looked shockingly white next to his gilded glory.
“I’m fine. Here,” he said, holding out his other hand. She realized he wanted her to hand him the sunscreen bottle. She gave it to him. His narrowed aquamarine eyes seemed to glow in his burnished face as he studied the label.
“It’s a high enough SPF,” he said approvingly. “You’re very pale.”
She blushed at his matter-of-fact assessment.
He handed the bottle back to her, placed his hands on the side of the pool, and heaved himself out of the water with a fascinating flex of muscle. A small amount of water sprayed her, but mostly she was spellbound by his show of effortless strength and male beauty. He wore a pair of black trunks. They hung very low at his hips, highlighting the full, glorious spread of his Adonis-like torso. She unglued her gaze from the image of his ridged, taut abdomen sheened by moisture moving subtly in and out as he breathed.
“I keep a bottle in my purse,” she said holding up the sunscreen. Her fingers loosened in surprise when he reached for the bottle again. “I have to be prepared at all times, or else . . .”
“You burn?” Vanni filled in when she faded off. She watched him as he unscrewed the cap and squeezed a large dollop of the white liquid into his open hand.
“Yeah, but it’s these I worry about,” she pointed at her nose, “I really have to watch out for them getting worse,” she admitted wryly.
His teeth flashed in his sun-darkened face. She tightened at her core. Vanni’s smiles were like mainlining a sex stimulant.
“Your freckles, you mean?” He dipped his forefinger into the lotion and touched it to her nose. “I love these things,” he said, rubbing the sunscreen into her skin carefully. Emma’s eyes almost crossed as she watched him.
“You do?”
He nodded, his smile fading as he continued to smooth in the lotion.” Very sexy,” he said gruffly.
Her mouth fell open. His brows quirked.
“What? You don’t believe me?” he asked.
“I
guess
so,” Emma said, hiding her surprise. “It’s just kind of hard to imagine, I’ve hated them for so long.” He dropped his hand, apparently satisfied with that part of his task. He rubbed his hands together, spreading the lotion onto both palms. It was a very distracting sight.
“They’re as adorable and fresh as the rest of you. Twist around a little so I can do your back and shoulders.”
She did it quickly, glad for an excuse to hide her blush. He’d tease her about that, too.
“Is this stuff waterproof?” he asked from behind her as he spread the lotion onto her shoulders and the backs of her arms, kneading the muscles gently with strong fingers. The summer sun warmed the liquid. It felt wonderful.
“Yes,” she murmured, feeling a little drugged by his massaging hands. He transferred them to her back. His fingers slid beneath the strap of her bikini. Her eyes sprung open when the clasp released. In one quick motion, he drew the top over her head and tossed it aside.
“
Vanni
,” she said, stunned, her nipples prickling when a cool breeze swirled around them.
“What? There’s no one around,” he said unconcernedly, rubbing the lotion down her lower back.
“Oh. Okay.”
His low chuckle near her ear made the hair on her neck stand on end. “You’re blushing, aren’t you?”
“No,” she
“Don’t let me interrupt you if you wanted to get more exercise,” she said, feeling a little self-conscious in her new swimsuit beneath the hot sun and Vanni’s stare. He grabbed a hold of the side of the pool with one hand, his forearm just an inch from her thigh. Her skin looked shockingly white next to his gilded glory.
“I’m fine. Here,” he said, holding out his other hand. She realized he wanted her to hand him the sunscreen bottle. She gave it to him. His narrowed aquamarine eyes seemed to glow in his burnished face as he studied the label.
“It’s a high enough SPF,” he said approvingly. “You’re very pale.”
She blushed at his matter-of-fact assessment.
He handed the bottle back to her, placed his hands on the side of the pool, and heaved himself out of the water with a fascinating flex of muscle. A small amount of water sprayed her, but mostly she was spellbound by his show of effortless strength and male beauty. He wore a pair of black trunks. They hung very low at his hips, highlighting the full, glorious spread of his Adonis-like torso. She unglued her gaze from the image of his ridged, taut abdomen sheened by moisture moving subtly in and out as he breathed.
“I keep a bottle in my purse,” she said holding up the sunscreen. Her fingers loosened in surprise when he reached for the bottle again. “I have to be prepared at all times, or else . . .”
“You burn?” Vanni filled in when she faded off. She watched him as he unscrewed the cap and squeezed a large dollop of the white liquid into his open hand.
“Yeah, but it’s these I worry about,” she pointed at her nose, “I really have to watch out for them getting worse,” she admitted wryly.
His teeth flashed in his sun-darkened face. She tightened at her core. Vanni’s smiles were like mainlining a sex stimulant.
“Your freckles, you mean?” He dipped his forefinger into the lotion and touched it to her nose. “I love these things,” he said, rubbing the sunscreen into her skin carefully. Emma’s eyes almost crossed as she watched him.
“You do?”
He nodded, his smile fading as he continued to smooth in the lotion.” Very sexy,” he said gruffly.
Her mouth fell open. His brows quirked.
“What? You don’t believe me?” he asked.
“I
guess
so,” Emma said, hiding her surprise. “It’s just kind of hard to imagine, I’ve hated them for so long.” He dropped his hand, apparently satisfied with that part of his task. He rubbed his hands together, spreading the lotion onto both palms. It was a very distracting sight.
“They’re as adorable and fresh as the rest of you. Twist around a little so I can do your back and shoulders.”
She did it quickly, glad for an excuse to hide her blush. He’d tease her about that, too.
“Is this stuff waterproof?” he asked from behind her as he spread the lotion onto her shoulders and the backs of her arms, kneading the muscles gently with strong fingers. The summer sun warmed the liquid. It felt wonderful.
“Yes,” she murmured, feeling a little drugged by his massaging hands. He transferred them to her back. His fingers slid beneath the strap of her bikini. Her eyes sprung open when the clasp released. In one quick motion, he drew the top over her head and tossed it aside.
“
Vanni
,” she said, stunned, her nipples prickling when a cool breeze swirled around them.
“What? There’s no one around,” he said unconcernedly, rubbing the lotion down her lower back.
“Oh. Okay.”
His low chuckle near her ear made the hair on her neck stand on end. “You’re blushing, aren’t you?”
“No,” she
Similar Books
