Chapter Sixteen
From: Keegan Baldwin [email protected]
To: Luna Oliver [email protected]
Date: May 30
You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. I’m so in love with you.
From: Luna Oliver [email protected]
To: Keegan Baldwin [email protected]
Date: May 31
Umm, dying. Literally. Assuming this was meant for Stella? LOL.
From: Keegan Baldwin [email protected]
To: Luna Oliver [email protected]
Date: May 31
Mortified. I am so sorry. Stella’s last name is Olson. I didn’t realize I had sent this to you instead of her. Sorry again.
After hours on the boat, we get back to the house. My skin is sun-kissed, and my freckles have popped out. The house is quiet, and I seem to be the only one here. I unbutton my cover-up and head to the bathroom. My skin is sticky from the salty ocean and sunblock. I reach for the handle, and at the same time, the door flies open, startling me. I take a step back and put my hand over my chest.
Keegan stands there, in nothing but shorts, water beads dripping from his hair.
“You scared me,” I say breathily. “I thought I was here alone.”
“I’m sorry.” Keegan slowly blinks before his eyes pop back open. “Forest and Raven went to a farmer’s market, and Myles and Jules are at the harbor to rent jet skis. I decided to hang back.”
“Yeah, I see that.” I take a deep breath, and my heart starts to regulate. I drag my eyes off his tanned chest and force them up. “What are you going to do?”
Keegan releases his hand from the door and steps toward me. “I was thinking about grabbing a book and sitting on one of the patios of this massive house.”
“Speaking of patios, have you seen the one off my room?”
Keegan shakes his head, and I grab his arm and pull him toward the room I’ve been staying in. “I think it has the best views in the house.”
Keegan follows me into the room, and he walks to the French doors leading to a beautiful patio that overlooks the ocean. It’s paved with stones and has two chairs and a table between them. I sit at the foot of the bed and watch Keegan take it in.
“Is it too late to switch?” Keegan walks toward me and smiles.
“It’s your house for the weekend. You say the word, and I’ll move my stuff out of this room immediately.”
Keegan starts looking around at my clothes, sprinkled all over the floor. He glances at a pair of underwear on top of the pile. They are red, and on the rear, it says, I found this humerus, with a picture of the humerus bone. Keegan raises an eyebrow, and I put my head in my hands and shake it. I gesture for him to sit on the foot of the bed beside me, and he obliges. His eyes stay glued to the panties on the floor.
“Quit looking,” I say, nudging him in the arm. “They were a gift. From a friend I went to medical school with. I have so many more. Like, the ones with an EKG that says, stay calm, but not that calm. My surgeons do it on the table are pretty cool too.”
He scrapes his hand down his face. “You are so bizarre.”
Keegan raises his arm and brushes a strand of hair out of his face, and I get the best glimpse of his tattoo that I’ve managed. I shoot across the bed in an attempt to grab his arm. But he anticipates my move and somehow flips me until I’m flat on my back, and he hovers over me.
“Let me see it.” I try to turn his arm so I can see the inside, but he’s too strong.
“Luna,” Keegan says, pinning my hands above my head. “Why do you want to see my tattoo so bad?”
“Why does someone get a tattoo and not let people see it?” I pout my lips. “The more you hide it, the more curious I get.”
“I lost a stupid bet, and I don’t like people to see it,” Keegan says, and because he has me pinned down, I can feel his breath on my cheek when he talks.
Keegan loosens his grip slightly, and I try to shoot my hand up, and he tightens it again.
“I’m going to see your tattoo at some point,” I say. “You know that, right? I’m very persistent.”
Our faces hover inches apart, suffocating in the tense air. The weight of his body bears down on me, and his bare chest rises and falls with each breath and it feels like a rhythmic reminder of this new tension between us. Keegan’s tongue darts out to moisten his lips, a subtle yet charged gesture. He tilts his head, and it feels like an invitation to dive deeper into all of my recent curiosities.
Keegan glances at my lips, and then rapidly shakes his head like he’s trying to erase whatever thought came to it He releases my hands and then sits up. “You and all of your curiosities are going to get you into trouble.”
I sit too. “We’re supposed to be curious. We’re doctors.”
Keegan rubs his palms against his thighs and looks into his lap. The color on his cheeks deepens.
“Yeah,” he says. “I suppose we are. Trust me, I have my own curiosities.”
“Yeah? Like what?” I turn to him.
Keegan glances at me and then runs his hand down his face. “I keep replaying it in my mind, what would have happened if I had kissed you back.”
I raise an eyebrow, surprised at how forward he’s being. “I guess we’ll never know.”
I go to push off the bed, but Keegan reaches for my arm and pulls me closer to him.
“Hmm,” Keegan says.
“Hmm,” I put my finger up to my lips, imitating him. “I dare you to find out. Because honestly, I don’t think you have it in you.”
“You dare me?” Keegan reaches inside my cover-up, and his fingers spread against my hips. His pinky finger grazes the sensitive skin beneath my suit, and I manage to feel both thrilled and terrified.
“Yeah,” I say, feigning confidence. “I dare you. I think you like teasing me about that one stupid moment in your office. If you kiss me, you’ll have nothing to hold over my head. And that bothers you.”
“I don’t like teasing you.” Keegan tightens his grip on my hips and drags me across the foot of the bed and toward him. “But as you can see from my tattoo, I never pass on a dare.”
Keegan’s gaze sharpens, and with purpose, he bridges the gap between us. I shake my head, and all the rational thoughts that attempt to flood my brain, telling me that we’re in dangerous territory and most definitely should not kiss, get pushed way back. It won’t mean anything, I tell myself, but it still could change things. And maybe this is what I need to get it out of my mind forever. Because Keegan isn’t the only one who’s wondered what would have happened had he kissed me back that day in his office.
He reaches out and firmly grips the nape of my neck with his hand, sending shivers down my spine. We move our heads toward each other, calling each other’s bluff. But then his lips meet mine, and they are full and plush. He initiates a slow, seductive kiss, and blood rushes to places it shouldn’t because I’m not supposed to enjoy this as much as I already am.
As our tongues entwine, I let out a low, guttural moan of pleasure. I reciprocate by placing my hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Keegan grabs me around my waist and lifts me onto his lap.
“Shit, Keegan.” My legs are on each side of his torso. We lock eyes and breathe heavily. I hate how much I love the sensation of his taut body between my hips.
“We’re kissing.” He leans forward, moves my hair out of the way, and drags his tongue down my neck. “Just this once.”
“Just this once,” I repeat. “For curiosity purposes.”
I pull back again and study his features. He has a sprinkling of freckles on the bridge of his nose, and somehow, his eyes manage to be even bluer up close. I start having a mini freakout and pull away even farther. Because although this feels really good, it’s Keegan.
“Is this too much?” Keegan asks between kissing my neck, sending blood directly between my legs. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.” I’m incredibly turned on by this man’s body and the way he touches me, even though I’m hyper-aware that it’s Keegan. “What are you thinking?”
Keegan takes his thumb and presses it into my bottom lip. He holds it there until his lips connect with mine again. “That your bottom lip is fucking incredible.”
Oh.
He shifts me, moves his hand under my cover-up, and spreads his long fingers across my back. My breasts press against Keegan’s bare chest, and he wraps his arms around me tightly. His touch makes my body tingle everywhere. Blood pumps to every area of my body, and then I feel Keegan’s erection against my core. My hips roll instinctively, but Keegan presses down on my thighs, stopping me.
“Luna,” Keegan says into my mouth. “Slow down.”
“Yeah. Okay.” I run my fingers through his luscious locks, and he watches me. “Slow.”
His hand slides under the loose fabric of my swim cover-up, tracing down my spine and sending tingles through my body.
“You feel incredible,” he tells me and deepens our kiss. Our tongues dance. His breath is warm and minty. I can’t get enough of his mouth, and the way it dominates mine. “And taste like cherry ChapStick.”
I place my hand on his chest, feeling the firmness of his muscles. As my hand travels down his arm, I give it a gentle squeeze, taking in the sensation of his skin against mine.
My thoughts become hazy, and my mind wanders to another place entirely, consumed by the electricity between us. His tongue dips in and out of my mouth, and I gently pull his hair, and the warm breath of his groan fills me. I want to forget all the talk from earlier about only doing this once. Because right now, I’d let Keegan have all of me.
A door slams somewhere down the hall, and then Forest’s voice rings out. “Where is everyone?”
Keegan stops our kiss and looks toward the door. His breath is heavy, and we stare at each other, his eyes wide.
“Let me check in Luna’s room,” Forest says.
Keegan lifts me off of him, dragging me along his length, and both of our breath catches in our chests. It’s so heavy against my abdomen, and now I’m wrecked more than I already was. He places me on the bed and then gets up and looks around, before ducking into the closet.
I lie back on the bed, shut my eyes, and my door swings open.
“There you are. I’ve been calling your name.”
I sit up and rub my eyes. “I must have fallen asleep.”
“Have you seen Keegan?” Forest raises his eyebrows like he can’t quite figure something out. He steps in a foot and looks around. “And why do you look so hot and bothered? What were you doing in here?”
“No. I haven’t seen him.” I shake my head and run my hand over my still swollen lips. “Maybe he’s out exploring somewhere.”
“Raven and I picked up a lot of food at the market. We’re going to start cooking shortly, and we’ll eat in about an hour or so.”
“Great.” I try to steady my shaky voice. “I’m going to hop in the shower and wash this saltwater off of me, and then I’ll be there.”
Forest shuts the door behind him, and I jolt up, close the door, and lock it. Keegan walks out of the closet, more composed than when he entered it a couple of minutes ago. He runs a hand through his tousled hair, and we both look toward the French doors in the room that leads to the outside.
“There’s your escape.” I point.
Keegan doesn’t move. His lips are a darker shade of pink, my kisses tattooed all over him. “Luna. That was—”
“At the same time that Keegan goes to speak, I say, “That was a huge mistake. We should not have kissed, even if we were curious. We can never speak about this again. Let’s pretend it didn’t even happen.”
Keegan’s face goes blank, and then he knits his eyebrows together. It feels like I’ve said the wrong thing. Again.
“Luna.” Keegan sits back on the edge of the bed, and I follow. He glances at me. “You frustrate the hell out of me.”
“I’ve noticed.” I push him on the arm, trying to get back to a place where I don’t know what it feels like to kiss Keegan. Or to know the way his body responds to mine. Or be aware that he thinks my bottom lip is incredible. To know these things feels life-altering somehow, so I need to go back to not knowing these things. Because sometimes, a kiss is just a kiss.
He glances at his arm where my fist just contacted him, and then his eyes dart back to mine. Something goes through his mind. I can see it all over his face. I’m a liar. But he doesn’t need to know that. Because what just happened did the opposite of conquering my curiosity. Now my mind is busy wondering what it would be like to be under his heavy body. What it would be like to have our bare chests pressed against each other’s.
Keegan stretches his long fingers over his tan legs and presses into his flesh. His hair is a mess in part due to my hands combing through it a few minutes earlier. He finally looks at me, and I wish I were better at reading facial expressions or having the ability to get inside someone’s head, but I don’t.
He points toward the door that leads to a patio. “I guess I’ll go.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Keegan stands, but my legs feel too wobbly so I stay seated a moment as he walks out.
Before I’m able to catch my breath, there’s a loud knock, and I jump and run to the door. Raven’s on the other side, holding a drink for me and one for herself.
“You haven’t showered yet?” She looks at me and peers into the room. “We’re going to grill, and then head to this place Myles and Jules want to try. There’s this huge outdoor party thing tonight. It’s called Montauket. You in?”
I glance at myself in the full-length mirror attached to the closed closet door. The one Keegan had been hiding in only a few minutes ago. Sand still clings to my body, and my hair is in a messy bun on top of my head. And my still swollen lips are a reminder that I’m not going to forget that kiss any time soon.
“I’m going to shower.” I take a sip of my drink. “I’ll be ready in thirty minutes.”
Raven nods. “I’ll be upstairs. See you soon.”
Only the coldest shower that ever existed could get Keegan Baldwin out of my head.