Chapter 18
CECE
I noticed him watching me while I swam.
It wasn’t the first time. Grady had a habit of lingering when he thought I wasn’t looking. His gaze tracked my movements through the water like he was memorizing them. It didn’t bother me. If anything, it amused me.
The water had always been my element—my dad was a diver, and he’d dragged me out to the ocean every chance he got while Mom was off flying somewhere. I could hold my breath longer, move faster, and glide smoother than anyone else in training.
Grady was getting to see it first-hand.
I loved the feeling of being weightless. Even if I was weighted down with gear. It was freeing.
Finally, after what felt like hours of drills, he called it. “We’re all good. Done for the day. Good job, everyone.”
Lina looked like she was about to collapse. Then again, she’d probably only eaten two celery sticks for breakfast in some misguided attempt to stay “bikini ready.” As if any of us were here to model. She wobbled off to the locker room, too exhausted to even toss her usual flirty smirk Grady’s way.
“You killed it today,” Grady said, nodding at me as I pulled myself out of the pool.
I smirked, shaking water from my hair. “Just try to keep up.”
“I didn’t know I was dealing with a mermaid,” he joked.
“Just call me Ariel.”
“Is your song, Under the Cece?”
I groaned. “That’s terrible.”
We laughed together like it was the most natural thing in the world. Just a man and a woman having a nice time together. Not breaking any rules. Not crossing any lines.
“You could have told me you were dive certified before I implied you weren’t,” he said.
I grabbed my towel and rubbed my hair. “You assumed I couldn’t dive. I enjoyed proving you wrong.”
“And you definitely did that.” He grinned.
“You think Lina is going to be able to survive?” I asked, only half-joking.
Grady glanced toward the locker room where Lina had disappeared, then back at me. “She’ll be fine. The ocean dive site isn’t that challenging, and she’ll have both of us watching out for her.”
His eyes tracked a droplet of water as it rolled down my neck and disappeared beneath the neckline of my wetsuit.
“Good,” I said softly. “Sounds like she’s precious cargo.”
Grady’s jaw tightened, and I saw his hands clench at his sides like he was fighting the urge to reach for me.
“Cece,” he warned, but there was no real heat behind it. Just that familiar note of barely controlled want that made my stomach flip.
I took another step closer, close enough that I could smell his skin beneath the scent of chlorine. “What?”
“You know what.”
“Do I?” I tilted my head, letting my eyes drift down his chest.
Lina emerged in yoga pants and an oversized sweater, looking like a zombie. She mumbled something about needing coffee and shuffled out without another word.
I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know about that girl.”
Grady sighed. “She’s just a dumb kid. She’ll look back on this later in life and cringe.”
I tilted my head. “If she’s a dumb kid, what am I?”
His eyes locked onto mine. “Not dumb. And you’re not a kid.”
“You know she’s like a year younger than I am, right?”
He shook his head. “Maybe in years, but something tells me you are far more mature.”
Having a kid will do that to you.
And for some stupid reason, I didn’t want to be the mature one. I wanted to be the flirty one. I was always the responsible one. The last couple of weeks I’d watched Lina fawn all over him.
A slow grin spread across my face. “Let me guess… you’d like me better like this?” I unzipped the front of my wetsuit just enough to pop out my cleavage, mimicking Lina’s earlier move. It was a joke—mostly. But I wanted to see his reaction.
Grady cleared his throat, his gaze flickering downward for half a second before snapping back up. “It’s best if I don’t have an opinion on that.”
I laughed. “How about like this?” I peeled the wetsuit off my arms and started shimmying it down my hips, intending to flash him my bikini-clad butt the way Lina had—though mine had a lot more coverage.
Except, dammit .
Wide hips and a still-damp wetsuit did not make for a smooth exit. I tugged and pushed. It didn’t budge. I wiggled and tried my best to look graceful, but I knew I was failing miserably.
Grady crossed his arms, watching my struggle with undisguised amusement. “You alright there, Ariel?”
“I might need a little help,” I admitted, shooting him a look.
He exhaled, shaking his head. “Fine. Let’s get you to the locker room so you can sit.”
The place was empty, so it wasn’t like it mattered if he followed me in.
I plopped down on the bench. My ego was seriously bruised.
It was exactly why I shouldn’t try to look sexy.
Some people had it; others didn’t. I was in the latter category.
Graceful and sexy was not my thing. I felt more like a bull in a china shop.
“I can do it,” I said. “I’m sure you’ve got things to do.”
“I’ll help you.” His grin said he was enjoying seeing me struggle.
Grady knelt between my legs, his hands gripping the stubborn neoprene. The position alone was enough to make my breath catch, but I tried to play it cool.
“This might take some doing,” he muttered, his voice rougher than usual.
He started tugging at the wetsuit, working it down my hips inch by stubborn inch. The material clung to my damp skin like it had been glued on. His hands were warm against my legs as he gripped the neoprene, pulling and adjusting, trying to work it free.
“Come on,” he growled under his breath, giving it another firm tug.
I had to brace my hands on the bench behind me as he worked, my body jostling with each pull. The friction of the material sliding against my skin, combined with his hands so close to places they shouldn’t be, was making it hard to think straight.
“Almost got it,” he said, giving another hard yank.
That’s when it happened. The wetsuit finally gave way, sliding down my hips in one swift motion—but it took my bikini bottoms with it.
We both froze.
Grady’s eyes went wide as he zeroed in between my legs, unable to look away.
It was stupid, really. We’d been dancing around this for weeks—teasing, flirting, pretending we weren’t both hyper-aware of every accidental touch. But now, with him on his knees in front of me, his breath warm against my thighs, there was no denying it.
Neither of us said a word. Our eyes met.
I should have been embarrassed. Should have scrambled to cover myself, made some joke about wardrobe malfunctions. Instead, I found myself leaning back on my hands, heart hammering as I watched his face.
“Grady,” I whispered, my hips lifting.
That was all it took. He pulled the wetsuit off the rest of the way and pressing his lips to the inside of my thigh. I gasped at the contact. His mouth was warm and soft, trailing kisses higher until I was trembling beneath his touch.
He ran his fingertip down my slit. My legs opened wider under their own volition. I was wanton. Shameless. And I so did not care.
His hands slid up my calves, stopping just above my knees. I opened my eyes to find him looking at me intently, his face flushed with desire. He ran his tongue across his bottom lip before lowering his head toward my wet core.
It felt like electricity shooting through my body when his tongue made contact with my clit. I gasped and arched my back involuntarily as wave after wave of pleasure washed over me. His hands gripped my thighs firmly, holding me in place as I writhed under him.
I didn’t know if it was the heat of the moment or simply desire, but I couldn’t control my own body. He teased me relentlessly, licking and sucking on my clit until I was on the brink of losing my mind.
“Grady,” I panted, my voice barely above a whisper. “Please don’t stop.”
With that, he dove back in, his lips and tongue working in sync as he drove me wild with pleasure. He sucked my clit between his teeth. It was my undoing.
When the orgasm finally hit, it was like lightning splitting through my entire body. I had to press my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound that escaped me. My hands threaded into his hair and pulled. I felt him moan against me. The sound vibrated through my body and enhanced the orgasm.
Grady continued to kiss and lick me tenderly, his hands making soothing circles on my thighs. As the aftershocks subsided, he pulled away slowly. His eyes met mine.
“That was…” I started, but couldn’t find the words to describe what we had just shared.
For a moment, we both stayed frozen, breathing hard.
Then I reached for him, my hands finding the waistband of his swim trunks.
He was already hard, straining against the fabric.
I couldn’t bring myself to leave him hanging or standing at attention.
He got me off. The least I could do was do the same for him.
“Cece,” he warned, but he didn’t pull away when I freed his thick cock from his shorts.
I wrapped my fingers around him, pulling a low groan from his lips.
Without another thought, I stroked him slowly, taking in the thick shaft that filled my hand.
I could feel his heat against my palm, the veins throbbing under my touch.
He was bigger than I expected—not that I was an expert or anything—but it felt amazing in my hand.
I started to move my palm up and down his shaft in a slow rhythm. Each stroke sent vibrations through his cock as I watched him squirm with pleasure. His hips began to rock against my hand in time with my movement. I picked up the pace, feeling powerful from making a man like him lose control.
His breath came faster as I took him deeper into my grip. He grew slick beneath my touch. I ran my thumb over the seeping slit at the tip. He jerked and dropped his head back. His hands fisted at his sides as I reached my other hand down to tug on his balls.
If a thing was worth doing, it was worth doing right.
“Cece,” he groaned like it was the only word he could still remember in the haze of lust. The way he said it sent shivers down my spine. It was irresistibly sweet and naughty all at once. I held the power in my hands and it was easily the hottest thing I had ever done.
I leaned forward and kissed him lightly on his neck, sucking gently on the skin there, pressing my breast against his chest as I continued to work him with my hand. He tasted salty from sweat and chlorine mixed together, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was making him come undone for me.
Grady’s words were slurred when he spoke again. “I’m close.”
“Come for me,” I whispered against his lips.
It didn’t take long before he was coming apart in my hands. His body shuddered and his hips bucked as he found his release.
He looked up at me with astonishment in his eyes. I leaned forward and we crashed together in a furious kiss.