Finding Ourselves Together (READ REVAMP VERSION - IN WAVES)

23 | Temptation

"Good, so just try to relax and enjoy the water." He said calmly, attempting to make my anxiety subside.

I inhaled deeply and rested my head on his shoulder, moving more into a hug. I felt like a koala bear clinging to a sturdy branch, but he didn't peel me off. Taking that as a good sign, I closed my eyes and seized the moment to try and calm myself completely.

I savored the gentle water splashing over my skin, the smell of sea salt in the air, the sound of the rolling waves, some distant seagulls...and Nate's light breathing as he stirred with the current. He was the anchored rock that kept me in place.

My back suddenly tingled as his hand pressed down on it, I think he was trying to get comfortable. Maybe I was clinging too tight after all. I left his shoulder and went back to my original position, looking down at him and trying to figure out if my body weight was too much for him to hold up.

"Sorry, is that easier?" I asked, leaning back and creating a little space between us. "It's hard enough swimming alone without another human attached."

He laughed and shook his head. "I'm fine, thanks. Whatever makes you stay." The water rippled as he dragged me closer again.

I bit my lip and smiled, planting my hands on the nape of his neck. "Well now I'm having déjà vu."

"Oh yeah? How?"

"Back in the water with you." I began, seeing his lips curve up as I spoke. "Although this time you talked me into it instead of throwing me in, and this time I'm not drunk...and this time I'm terrified of the possibility of sharks."

His euphoric laughter vibrated through my spine with electricity. "Don't worry about sharks here. Believe me, I've done my research and there's never been a sighting on this beach."

I watched his face and dropped my hand from his neck, running it along the length of his back. It brushed against his crescent shaped scar, and Nate let out a small breath from my touch. The scar was jagged, and while it had healed now, I could tell it was incredibly deep at one point. I couldn't begin to imagine the pain he endured.

He didn't say anything about it now...I guess there wasn't anything else to add. All I had was the harrowing description of his attack that he told me about in San Diego. That was enough.

Nate then wrapped an arm around the small of my back and distracted me. I saw the muscles in his shoulders tense as he moved, tempting me to rest my head down again, which I did. I buried my nose into his skin and hugged him tighter, experiencing no fear anymore, but only comfort. We stayed like this for a while, not speaking and just letting ourselves enjoy the sensations of our surroundings. The stars hung from the inky sky and cast a shimmering light onto us, adding to the peacefulness of the moment. It was perfect, until...

I suddenly felt something gradually growing bigger against my inner thigh, and I hastily shot back up with big eyes. Nate reflected my expression with slightly flushed cheeks, realizing what was happening and trying to twist away as a result.

"Um, what's that?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"I think you know..." He mumbled, attempting and failing to adjust himself.

This was new territory for me. Did it happen when we made out at the party and were on the verge of sex? Probably, but I could hardly remember that. Kissing guys was pretty much the only thing in my wheelhouse. The hardness pressing into my bare skin was causing a ball of warmth to form in the depths of my stomach, combine that with my sexual attraction to him and I was done for – hormones up, morals down.

"Well, can you quit it?" I quickly blurted out.

Nate chuckled with a wide grin. "Yeah it doesn't work like that." His awkwardness seemed to have passed, being replaced by a sort of amused charm. "This doesn't usually happen, but it's kind of hard when there's a beautiful, half-naked girl wrapped around me...no pun intended."

I splashed water in his face and couldn't suppress my laugh. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Miller."

"It's not flattery, it's logic!" Nate playfully argued. "Look, I'm sorry. He can't help it."

"He?"

"Well it's not a girl...that would be weird."

I stopped my eyes from rolling back and stared him down instead.

"You're always welcome to let go of me." Nate hummed lightly.

"Fine, I will."

"Go ahead."

"I am."

"Fine, so do it."

"It's happening."

"Fantastic."

"Great."

My voice was stern, ending our little back and forth effective immediately. We strongly locked eyes, the seconds passing like droves of falling sand in an hourglass floating around us. Under the surface, his fingers dipped into the dimples on my lower back as his gaze fixated on my lips, his tongue absorbing a droplet of water that had been splashed onto his own. God, the way he was looking at me – pure, mouthwatering hunger. Far from how 'just friends' were supposed to look at one another.

In the blink of an eye, Nate pulled me in so fast that I felt the air knocked out of my body, crashing our lips together and already moaning against his roaming tongue. I buried my hands in his wet hair and heard him breathing heavily. Kissing harder, deeply...passionately. 

My legs hugged him tighter as the water violently swirled around us, but the ocean wasn't causing the change in ferocity – it was us. We were in the eye of our own chaotic storm. Everything was frantic and eager. My body was reacting on its own, taking over my control and doing things I would never even think of.

Nate's hands traveled lower and squeezed me hard, making me lustfully grind my hips into him and causing the pressure against my thigh to grow even more. A pang of excitement barreled through me when I thought about the fact that there was nothing more than thin, wet fabric between us. It didn't make me feel awkward now, though. It just accentuated my burning want for him.

"Lia." He panted my name out like it could have been his dying breath.

"Mmm, Nate." I moaned in response, loving how my name rolled off his tongue and wanting to hear it again.

"Lia...Lia?" His voice dramatically changed, going from uncontrolled breathing to leveled questioning. "Are you still letting go of me or what?"

Huh?

That's when my eyes shot open and I came to a mind-shattering revelation ­– it was all in my head.

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