Tempting Eden (6 page)

No. That wasn’t right. That wasn’t
lovemaking. That was pure sex. Pure, carnal, passionate, lusty
sex.

Eden giggled.

A pounding on the bathroom door rocked her
out of her reverie making her jump.

“Eden? Are you okay in there?”

Gillian shouting through the door, her voice
muffled over the water.

“Yes,” Eden shouted back.
Go away
.

All she wanted was a moment’s peace. To close
her eyes and remember every last detail of last night. Every kiss.
Every lick. Every suck. She flushed again at the thought of what
she’d done with him. Her body throbbed begging for touch.

Who was Sabre? Could he truly be from
Atlantis?
Why
had he come for
her
? Not that she was
complaining. All she knew for certain was he made her heart patter.
He made her enjoy sex with him. Crave it. Savor it. Want more of
it.

“Are you sure?” Gillian again interrupted her
thoughts.

“Yes, I’m sure! Go away.”

Can’t a girl enjoy her privacy? Enjoy
herself?

Her fingers slid down between her legs,
between her wet folds. Over the nub he’d so lovingly laved with his
tongue. She pressed her back against the cold tile wall opening her
legs as far as she could. Her fingers pumped back and forth, her
eyes squeezed closed. Her heart did a wild beat at the thought of
doing this for
him
. Letting him see her come.

She climaxed a second later with a strangled
gasp.

“Eden? Open the door!”

Gads. Why couldn’t she leave her alone? Eden
cut off the water, snapped back the shower curtain and snagged a
towel. She wrapped it around her as Gillian burst through the door.
She’d changed from her bikini into khaki shorts and a tank top.

“What?” Eden asked. “I was showering.”

“For thirty minutes?”

Wait. What? She’d be in the shower for thirty
minutes? She glanced down at her hands, saw her fingers turned into
prunes. How long had she been…doing that?

“I’m worried about you.” She blocked the
doorway.

“Gillian, I’m really okay. Nothing to worry
about.”

“I found you naked on the beach.”

Eden heaved a heavy sigh. “I went skinny
dipping last night and fell asleep afterward. That’s all.”

“Then how to you explain that?” She pointed
to her neck.

“I don’t know,” she said quickly.

Gillian narrowed her eyes. “Did you have a
man with you?”

“Geeze, Gilly.” She nudged her friend out of
the way. “No. There was no man. There
is
no man. I was all
alone. All night.”

Eden dug through her suitcase looking for
something to wear. She came across a white spaghetti-strap
sundress. She tugged it over her head. Found panties and slipped
them on. Dragged her fingers through her damp hair and turned to
Gilly who stared at her.

“What?” Eden asked.

“You have a bite mark on your shoulder.”

Good grief. “I do not.”

“Yes, you do. Who is he?”

“He’s no one.”

“So you admit there was someone?”

Did she admit that? Gillian was trying to
trick her. “There was no man. I admit nothing.”

“It was that pencil-neck guy with the cheap
cologne, wasn’t it? And you’re too embarrassed to admit it.”

Hell no! There was no way she’d ever screw
Mr. Cheap Cologne.

“Have you lost your mind? You know I’d never
sleep with that guy.” Eden made a motion of gagging by putting her
finger in her mouth. Gilly laughed. Hearing her friend laugh at
her, Eden softened. “There might have been a man.”

Gillian whooped and did a fist pump in the
air. “I knew it! Details. I want them all.”

There was no way Gillian would believe her.
Well this man rose up out of the sea, read my mind, knew all my
deepest, darkest fantasies. He screwed my brains out all night long
and gave me the best orgasms of my life. He said his name was
Sabre.

Because, yeah, that sounded plausible. “Ah, I
met him down the beach. He’s…a, ah, native.”

“He lives here?” She scrunched her nose. “On
the island?”

“Yes,” Eden said, sounding more confident
about her story than she felt. “And he was…amazing.” She couldn’t
help the wistful sigh that escaped.

“Are you going to see him again?”

Sadness enveloped her. “I don’t know.” They’d
made no plans to get together again. She didn’t even know where he
lived. In the sea? That was silly. But the thought that he could be
from Atlantis niggled at her. She couldn’t quiet the little voice
in her head that told her so.

“That’s it?” Gilly asked.

Eden laughed. “Nothing else. That’s it.”

She pouted, crossed her arms over her chest.
“I’m kinda hurt you won’t tell me all the sordid details. I thought
I was your best friend.”

“You
are
my best friend, Gilly. We’ve
known each other since grade school. You know me better than
anyone.” She put an arm around her friend’s shoulders and hugged
her. “I really appreciate you bringing me here and trying to make
me forget that rat bastard that broke my heart.”

“Still doesn’t have a name, does he?” Gillian
quirked a grin.

“Nope. He’s still dead to me.”

“Good. Now will you do something for me?”

“Sure.”

“Will you stop being depressed over him?”

That was definitely something she could do.
She was done with her wallowing. She now had something else to look
forward to. Tonight she was going back to the beach. She’d wait all
night for another glimpse of Sabre. Hopefully he’d come.
And
make me come too
.

“Yep. You bet I will. Now let’s get some
food. I’m starved.”

* * *

The day dragged on forever. It took all her
strength to paste on a fake smile and pretend she loved playing
beach volleyball—she actually hated it—women against men. When the
guys won for the third time, it was on to a game of beach
mini-golf. Frisbee. Touch football.

Eden was sick of being outdoors. She longed
to curl up in her bed, cover her head with the blankets and fall
into a sleep where all she dreamed of was Sabre. Her lover who made
her weak in the knees, stole her breath, awakened her deepest
fantasies.

When the sun dipped toward the horizon
finally her heart skipped a wild beat. It was nearly sundown.
Sundown meant nighttime. Nighttime meant she could finally get back
to the beach and wait for him.

The gang grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. The
beer and wine flowed freely. They all gathered on the beach,
sitting on towels or blankets watching the sun set. Eden tried to
eat, but her stomach was in knots with anticipation. Of course
Gillian would notice.

“Feeling all right? You haven’t touched your
food.” She nodded toward her half-eaten hamburger and untouched
fries.

“I guess I ate too much at breakfast.” She
gave her a shrug of innocence and flashed a smile. “I’m not that
hungry.”

“You keep looking down the beach. Are you
looking for someone?” Gilly elbowed in the side and gave her a
wink.

“Maybe.” Eden found a string on her skirt and
twisted it around her finger.

“You want to go after him don’t you?”

“A little,” she admitted. She wanted to be
with him again, to feel his body press against hers.

Mark, Gillian’s boyfriend, waved at her and
called her over.

“Go on,” Eden urged. “I’ll be fine.”

Gillian jumped to her feet and hurried toward
him. His face lit up when she headed his direction. Eden watched
them and envied their happiness. She remembered the way Sabre had
held her, talked to her, looked at her as though she were the most
beautiful woman on the planet. Did she really think a relationship
would work out with him? It was crazy. But there had been a
connection between them and it went beyond him reading her
thoughts. It was something more. She couldn’t quite put her finger
on it.

Mark grasped Gillian’s hand in his and then
dropped to one knee. He looked up at her, his face soft. She
couldn’t hear what he said but she knew. She knew he was proposing.
Gillian’s eyes flooded with tears. She smiled, nodded. He sprang to
his feet, hugged her to him and they kissed. Madly.
Passionately.

Eden couldn’t stop the tears misting her
eyes. Her best friend was getting married. Mark put an arm around
Gillian, held her close, kissed the top of her head.

“I have an announcement, everyone,” Mark
proclaimed.

He smiled so broad she thought his face might
crack. Gilly was tucked into his side, her arms around his waist
giving him an adoring look.

“Gillian and I are really happy you all
decided to come here with us this week. It’s been very special.” He
glanced down at her, his features softening. She beamed.

“And Gillian made it even more special by
agreeing to become my wife.”

Squeals of joy from the women. Cheers from
the men. Everyone rushed toward them with offers of
congratulations. Eden stayed rooted in place her heart in her
throat. Tears of joy threatened. She was happy for Gillian and
Mark, thrilled they were finally tying the knot after being
together so long. They deserved every happiness they could get.

She joined the fray and wished the newly
engaged couple well, hugging both of them. Once they were consumed
again by their friends Eden quietly slipped away. All she could
think about was finding Sabre and getting to the secluded beach.
She had to see him again.

“Where are you going?” Gillian panted,
trotting up beside her. Her friend had somehow managed to get away
from the throng to join her. “We’re about to pop the
champagne.”

“I’m so happy for you,” Eden said. She turned
to her friend.

“I worried about how you’d feel. Especially
after all you’ve been through.”

“I’m fine.” She smiled and hugged her tight.
“Don’t worry about me, Gilly.”

“I have to worry. I’m your best friend.” When
she pulled away her eyes searched Eden’s face. Understanding
dawned. “You’re going to find your man.”

“Yes. I need to…see him again.”

“I hope you find what you’re looking for,
Eden.”

So did she. “Go enjoy your party and your
fiancé. I’ll be back by morning.”

“You better be. And if you’re not I’m coming
to look for you. Have fun with your mystery man!”

It was a threat Eden didn’t take lightly. She
grinned as Gilly gave her a quick wave and trotted back toward
their friends.

A cork popping sounded followed by another.
Champagne flutes bubbled over and laughter filled the air. But all
Eden could think about was getting to that beach.

Eden walked up the beach and stopped when she
was out of earshot of the merrymaking. She plopped down on the sand
watching the tide ebb and flow wondering where her life had gone
wrong. She’d lost everything. Her love. Her career. She didn’t want
to leave the island and return back to reality. Back to her dismal
life. It was too depressing despite her brave face. She couldn’t
face it.

Shoving away the gloomy thoughts she turned
them instead to Sabre. Where was he? Would he find her? This was
much farther up the beach than last night and she worried he
wouldn’t come.

While she didn’t need a man to fulfill her,
she needed
that
man to fulfill her fantasies. She couldn’t
explain this new wild obsession to have him, to be with him. She
didn’t know him. Had no idea where he came from.
The sea? Come
on.

Atlantis?
That thought niggled at her
again. Could he really read her mind? Did he really know her
innermost thoughts?

“Yes, I do know your innermost thoughts.”

She jumped at the sound of his voice. Sabre
stood before her, naked and glorious and dripping. He smiled that
devastating smile. Her heart tripped in her chest, the joy singing
in her veins at his sudden appearance. She quickly got to her feet,
brushing sand from her hands.

If he could read her thoughts then perhaps he
could project into her the truth of where he came from? Again she
thought of the fabled lost city.

“You’re here.”

“You wanted me here, right?”

Did she ever. Still, she blushed. “Yes. I’m
glad you came back.”

He took unhurried steps toward her closing
the gap between them in slow motion. “Me too, Eden. All I thought
about was you. Making love to you again.”

Her heart tripped. He stood in front of her
now gazing down at her with his shimmering blue eyes that pierced
her to her soul. His damp hair rested on his powerful shoulders.
She could smell the saltiness of his skin, taste him in the back of
her throat. And they hadn’t even kissed yet.

“Who are you really?” she whispered. “Do you
live in the sea?”

He tucked a wayward lock of hair behind her
ear. “In a way.”

“What do you mean? I really want to know who
you are.”

He looked thoughtful a moment before
replying. “You do know me. Intimately.”

“More than that,” she said. “You. The heart
of you.” She pointed to his chest. “Where you live. Who your
parents are. If you have siblings. How you grew up. I want it
all.”

“There will be time for that. But now I want
you.”

Mm. She liked that. Smiling, she slipped her
hands up his chest. “I want you too. Kiss me, Sabre.”

He took her chin in his hand and turned her
face up to meet his. “As you wish.”

His lips found hers and pressed against them.
Exploring tentatively at first. Until his velvet mouth finally
overtook hers with demanding mastery. His tongue delved deep into
her dark recesses tasting every bit of her. She slipped her arms
around his neck and pressed her body against his damp one. He
pulled her close deepening the kiss and sending her stomach
spiraling to her toes.

“You’re wearing entirely too many
clothes.”