Harlequin Romance September 2021 Box Set Page 8

  “What a wonderful idea.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, realizing he hadn’t let her answer. “I asked about what charity you were supporting and then blathered on about mine. You make me want to share every thought that comes into my mind. You have a strange effect on me, Luna Price.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHARLIE HELD LUNA’S hand as he led her to the ocean. It was the dark of night save for the stars and brilliant glow of the moon. Her feet padded through sand as she followed him down the beach.

  “It’s cool,” she exclaimed once her toes made contact with the water, although it wasn’t unpleasant as the easy waves gurgled over her ankles. “Feels good.”

  What also felt good was him holding her hand, and she hoped he wouldn’t let go. His profile in the night caught her eye and then she wasn’t able to tear her gaze away. Wading into the water and holding hands with this special man was like being on another planet, so far from the therapy sessions and doldrums the last months in Kentucky had become. It was time to move forward and as a manifestation of that she stepped farther into the water, still holding Charlie’s hand as they immersed their legs up to their knees.

  “The breeze across my chest with my feet in the water is a sublime combination,” he remarked. “You had a good idea to come out for a night swim.”

  She was pleased that he was enjoying the activity. It had become obvious that Charlie was having a hard day and they’d postponed their plans to visit the city of Old San Juan until tomorrow. Luna had briefly considered booking an outing for herself and leaving him to rest and recuperate. Toying with a spa visit, another outdoor sport or maybe a shopping excursion to browse a local market, she instead decided to stay at the villa with him.

  Earlier, she seemed to have had his full attention when she’d gussied up into movie-star garb and shown him a bit of how the Hollywood factory worked. It delighted her to no end that he didn’t like all the fakery. She’d begun thinking that although it was nothing compared to the loss he had suffered, she’d known plenty of her own pain and that perhaps the heavens had sent Charlie to her as a balm, if not a cure. With it being her job to do the same for him.

  Just like Charlie, part of Luna’s objective in this M match was to broach the idea of dating again. She knew if she did, after everything she’d been through, it was not going to be the superficial, red-carpet appearance, where she was eye candy on the arm of eye candy. And she’d have to do a better job of guarding herself from piranhas like Troy Lutt, even if they were sent her way by well-meaning connections. If she was ever going to date again, other than necessary public appearances, it was going to be with someone noble. Someone like Charlie. She was so drawn to him, a man who walked with his pain in tow, who was only capable of being true to who he was. Flesh and blood. And tears.

  “Let’s go farther,” he said as he tugged her hand and they plunged into the water up to their waists.

  “Farther,” she whispered to herself.

  She knew that those one-time passionate kisses they’d shared had simply been on impulse—two people thrown together who had laid themselves bare to each other. But it was fleeting, and it meant nothing.

  Which was fine. Better to know that right away, she thought, even as he held her hand firmly in his under the water. She didn’t come to this M week with the intention of meeting her soul mate. They were here for a night swim, just to have some more relaxing entertainment, and that was it. She challenged, “Ready to go for it?”

  “You mean in and under?”

  “We’re not just going to stay waist-deep, are we?”

  “I’ll go in farther if you will.”

  “Holding hands?”

  “No, I think we’ll need both our arms to swim.”

  He released his grip on her hand. She missed it instantly but knew it was necessary. “Let’s try to stay beside each other.”

  “One. Two. Three. Go.”

  And with that, Luna swam into the ocean, allowing her head to dunk under as she stroked. The water was fairly calm so she wasn’t afraid. Taking quick glances to the side, she saw Charlie’s head bobbing as he swam, as well. Her heart began to pump with the exertion of swimming into the tide and she welcomed the extra oxygen intake with each breath.

  When she reached the point where she couldn’t dig her feet into the sand while keeping her head above water, she began to move to stay afloat. Charlie bridged the distance between them.

  “The Pacific is too cold to swim in at night so this is a rare treat,” she said.

  “Thank you for sharing about your life in California. I can appreciate how stressful it must be, having how you look being intrinsic to your profession.” He swam around her a bit.

  “It’s relentless. The paparazzi, or some sexist producer, is always there to mess up your confidence.”

  “Is it worth it?”

  She snickered. “I’ve achieved my dreams. I’ve been very lucky and can’t complain. But it cost me a lot, that’s for sure.”

  “How long do you think you’ll keep doing it?”

  “As I’m sure you’ve heard, Hollywood isn’t kind to women when they age. Sometimes the decision is made for you when you just don’t get the roles anymore.”

  “What would you do instead?”

  “I’ve always thought I might like to make smaller films about topics that are important to women. Maybe eventually as a producer.”

  “A glittering star with a conscience. Earlier, I’d been so busy telling you about the memorial gardens, I never got around to hearing which charity you designated for Madison’s donation?”

  Luna dipped her head under and whooshed up in a way that all her hair pulled backward away from her face, which made her feel clean and unfettered.

  “There’s a campaign that reaches out to teenagers to promote body positivity. If they need counseling and they’re not able to afford it, this organization provides it.”

  “Ah, something very personal to you.”

  “Yes. I mean, I’m part of that illusion that could lead someone to feel that they don’t measure up to a certain beauty standard. Heck, I feel that way every day—that I’m the one who doesn’t measure up! It’s very twisted.”

  Charlie got close. Only a few inches close, but as her hands paddled to stay afloat, her leg touched his under the water and their arms brushed by mistake. “Do you not realize how beautiful you are, Luna? Inside and out.”

  “Hollywood is a very complex place. There are the most wonderful, creative people there, but there are also those whose sole purpose is to bring others down.”

  “I hope your time away from the limelight has shown you that it’s only what you think of yourself that matters.”

  “Honestly, I hope so, too.”

  “I wish you could see yourself through my eyes.”

  He stopped swimming. Planted his feet. The waterline hit him at chest height. Once standing tall, he reached for her and pulled her to him. He placed his hands on both sides of her waist and lifted her up so that her face met his, their lips so near they were almost touching.

  And then they were.

  * * *

  Was Charlie dreaming? Perhaps this was a strange doze of a nap taking him in and out of consciousness, as he kissed Luna in the ocean under the moon. But as his mouth pressed incessantly against the sublime plushness that was her lips, his nerve endings couldn’t lie. He was very, very awake. When he craned his head back a little bit to gaze into her twinkling eyes, he had to believe the moment was actually happening. As soon as he did, his mouth returned to hers, eager, desperate to continue what was surely the most pleasant activity he’d experienced in as long as he could remember.

  Nimble hands clasped around his neck and slim forearms encircled him, making him feel part of her. Beneath the water, it was a natural next move for her legs to wrap around his waist. It had been t
en years since he’d felt a woman there, not to mention with the added sensation of the warm water they were immersed in.

  In what was at first instinct until it became a decision, he submerged his arms to lift her tightly against him, one hand under each of her thighs until their centers pressed into each other save for the scraps of fabric between them. His core convulsed, raging with desire. They locked against each other, the ocean’s current swaying around them.

  “Is this wrong, Luna?” The question popped without forethought. They’d vowed not to have physical contact again. He hadn’t come to Puerto Rico for romance or sex. “I wasn’t expecting to feel the way I do about you.”

  He didn’t give her a chance to answer before he had to take her mouth again with his. Swirling into a vortex of kisses, time under the stars stood still. All he could do was explore her. The tip of his tongue met hers in a slow dance that lasted forever, their lips sealed together. Her mouth was warm inside, charging him with internal excitement. He had a moment’s wonder if even the ocean wouldn’t be big enough to contain the surge of longing Luna had set free in him.

  And surely she didn’t object to his kisses as she returned each one, seemingly with the same gusto as he was giving. She confided, “I haven’t been able to relax with somebody in a long time. If ever.”

  Amelia, who had been in the far recesses of his mind, made her way forward. Was kissing Luna a betrayal to her memory? That question, while standing in the middle of the ocean, with Luna’s long legs gripped around him, demanded to be answered. Charlie already knew what Amelia would say. What she’d been saying for years. Yet he hadn’t been able to listen.

  Of course, she’d want him to be with someone else. If the situation had been reversed, he’d want the same for her. It went without saying that she wouldn’t approve of what he’d become—an abandoned billionaire rattling around a dusty mansion with nothing to look forward to, no one to share anything with. She wouldn’t have wanted her and Lily’s deaths to become his, as had been the case. With every fiber of her being she would have hoped for his contentment. That he would know trust again. Find joy. Maybe even have more children. In any case, she’d have hated him for throwing his chance at happiness away because theirs had died. He wished that Amelia would send him a direct sign that she approved of his actions. But maybe she had and he wasn’t able to see it.

  He slowly ran his hands up Luna’s spine and her passion seized his full attention. The way her back arched in response to his touch fueled the demand in his body, too. His arousal was growing to breaking point. When his hands slid up to her shoulders, he hooked his thumbs into each of the straps of her swimsuit. He slowly inched it downward, and gasped at seeing the first swell of her breasts. She gave him a smile, so that he was assured of her approval. The sight of that intimate skin glistening wet in the moonlight caused emotion to lodge in his throat. He was a sexual being again, a man with needs and wants and the vigor to pursue them!

  He tugged her swimsuit done farther. With her legs still around him for leverage, his hands cupped her firm, tender breasts. His palms made wide circles, as he wanted to cover every inch, feel every graceful curve. Could there be a piece of art that was greater perfection than the slopes of her body? He thought not. When his fingertips rolled on her nipples, her head fell back in pleasure, encouraging him to continue.

  Yearning demanded more as his hands went around to support her back. He kissed the center of her throat, his mouth trailing its elegant length down into the crook of her neck, then out to her shoulders and back again. Waves lapped around him, creating a world where liquid and solid were the same. He couldn’t get enough. As soon as he found himself in one spot, he longed for the next. His mouth experienced ecstasy, as he kissed, licked, bit. She held his head to her, fingers moving through his wet hair as she moaned softly.

  After an eternity like that, the roused man who had spent so many years in a lifeless state wanted even more. He peeled Luna’s swimsuit down even more, his hands appreciating every inch of her sleek skin.

  “Luna,” he whispered as he kissed her ear, “if I take your swimsuit off, we may lose it to the Caribbean. Can I order you some new ones tomorrow?”

  She laughed, a dulcet tone that melded with the percussion of the mild waves. “That’s okay. I brought several others.”

  With all the permission he needed, he pulled the suit off her. He tossed it behind him and they heard a splash, both of them giggling as the garment sailed on its merry way to fates unknown.

  Charlie’s entire body pulsed at the thought, and sight, of Luna now naked in his arms, under no one’s eyes but the moon’s.

  * * *

  Left. Right. Behind. Underneath. Luna couldn’t take her hands off formidable Charlie. A sweep along the side of his torso, rock-solid, entranced her so she indulged in it over and over, making mental notes of each toned muscle. The arousal in his eyes told her he appreciated the sensation as much as she did. This was new to both of them, but it was as if they were kindred spirits who had known each other for a lifetime. Merely returning home. Her fingertips tingled as she ran them along his chest, not learning but instead revisiting a place she hadn’t been for far too long. She couldn’t fathom how she’d become so attached to Charlie in such a short time, yet she had—her own caution, his rocky moods and the emotions only adding to the bond.

  He brought her to him for another prolonged kiss, the taste of the ocean bracing his lips. She wrapped herself around him again, now naked, a creature of the sea, her hair cascading behind her like a mythological mermaid. Normally, Luna would be self-conscious. The famous actress whose likeness could be found not only on the big screen, but also on billboards and city buses. The world had had opportunity to study her and her body for years, a freakish reality that most people would never experience. They had indeed examined her. And had photographed, videoed, talked about, written, posted, tweeted and by every other method commented. She had been reduced to a product they were either going to buy or not buy, and if they did, would surely leave a user review for all to see. Those glaring eyes had driven Luna into an illness she had only recently come to understand.

  Yet here, with Charlie, the sea and the sky the only witnesses, she genuinely felt natural and beautiful. The water was exquisite and Charlie’s height and long arms were a life raft that made her feel both liberated and shielded. Her hands continued exploring him everywhere they could reach. Until his swim trunks became an obstacle.

  “Fair’s fair, Charlie.” She grinned. “I sacrificed a bathing suit. I think you’ll have to, as well.”

  “Only if you can get it off me,” he flirted, making her surge her with anticipation. Was this really all right? she asked herself. To have enough faith in him to not use her? This accomplished man didn’t want anything from her, didn’t need her for personal leverage. It was okay to just have a good time with him tonight, wasn’t it? So what if soon they’d part and become nothing but each other’s pleasant holiday recollection. Tomorrow’s worries could wait, couldn’t they?

  Opening her eyes wide to his challenge, she swooped one leg and then the other away from him and thrust her hands underwater. Trying to find a hold to yank on his trunks, she bobbed so much in the water that he broke away. And chuckled.

  “You’re. Laughing. At. Me?”

  “I told you, you have to pull them off.” He lifted his arms as if to make it easier for her, but when she was able to latch on to the fabric again, he managed to twist away. “Come get me, movie star.”

  She scrunched her nose in pretend frustration. “I’m after you, CEO.” And, with that, Luna lunged at him. He broke loose again, but not before she managed to get a good hold on the elastic waistband against the small of his back. He tried to swim away, but this time the trunks didn’t go with him. A jerk on her side, a twirl on his and, finally, triumph was hers. She held the suit high in one hand like a victory flag and then flung it adrift. Both
of them exploded into laughter.

  He brought her to him. There was nothing funny about the smoothness of his hips, which she could now splay her hands against, without barrier. And then to his sturdy haunches. His arousal pressed against her and she reached for it, velvety in the water but rigid and throbbing underneath the skin. She stroked in a manner that must have been pleasurable to him because he shut his eyes. His face was magnificent in the night. The straight nose and long eyelashes. Shadows accentuated his prominent jaw, which she kissed her way along, still maneuvering her hand under the water. Her mouth rode leisurely down the center of his chest, the wet skin somehow tasting like sunshine. Her titillation grew to an unexpected urgency.

  “Let’s go,” she said, just as she did let go of him, which produced just the result she was after: an agonized moan from his sexy mouth.

  “Argh, what are you doing to me?”

  “Race you to shore.” She didn’t wait for a response and boldly took off with confident strokes. He followed.

  When they reached the dry land in front of their villa, Luna quickly said, “I’ll be right back.” She dashed into the master bathroom, where she’d seen condoms in the lavish basket of toiletries provided. Grabbing them with a salacious smile no one saw, she rushed back out. Only to be immediately tackled by Charlie, who pulled her down atop the towels he’d laid out on the beach.

  The sand was easy under her back as Charlie caressed both of her arms, from her shoulders all the way down to her fingertips. He came back via her torso, slowly up her rib cage. She had a moment’s wince of insecurity about her body. Eating disorders could bring confusion. Sometimes she thought she was too thin, other times overweight. On hiatus from everything including men, part of her therapy was to reckon with herself as a sexual being, as desirable, regardless of what her disease was telling her.