Naked Attraction

7

"What do you want?!" Cassy snapped sharply at Nate, not realizing he had already come close to her.

She wanted to shoo him away before he could start teasing her again, but then she changed her mind. Wasn’t this the whole point of almost baring her soul today? To prove to this i***t that he was wrong in thinking she didn’t have a beautiful body. So fine, she even stretched out her legs more, which looked extra smooth thanks to the waxing she endured. God, it felt like she was being whipped with tiny lashes back at the salon, especially when they removed hair from her most private parts.

"N-nothing, really," Nate replied, almost stammering, scratching the back of his head. "Just passing by."

Cassy couldn’t help glancing at his upper body. She had never seen him shirtless before. She knew he had a decent build—not skinny but not fat either—but she didn’t expect that Nataniel actually had defined chest muscles and abs. She didn’t usually go for tattooed men, but the tribal tattoo on Nate’s chest that extended to his shoulder somehow added to his masculinity. And, damn, look at those yummy biceps.

Wait, macho? And what was she thinking calling them yummy? Please! Those were the biceps of the man she despised the most on Earth. Those biceps deserved to be hacked off, even if they did look tempting to cling to—ugh, damn it!

Cassy quickly put her sunglasses back on before Nate could catch her eyeing his body. After all, he was supposed to be the one dropping his jaw over hers, not the other way around.

"I can help you put lotion on your back," Nate said, surprising her.

She turned to him, not knowing what to say. The guy was being considerate, but should she accept? She did need to apply sunblock on her back, and she didn’t want it getting sunburned. Sarah wasn’t around at the moment; she had stepped out to buy some ice cream. Their group had split up after lunch, and this was the first time Cassy had the courage to go swimming in a bikini.

Nate smiled. "Relax, I'm not going to touch you inappropriately, Cassida."

"Why would I even think you'd touch me inappropriately?!" she snapped at him. "Just try it and I’ll make you drink this sunblock lotion," she threatened.

Without another word, Nate sat behind her. "Hand me the lotion."

"No way!"

"Come on, it’s high noon. You might get skin cancer," he said, now annoying her and even trying to scare her.

She handed him the lotion with a huff, then gathered her hair and clipped it up behind her head.

"Good girl," he said with satisfaction.

Cassy fought the urge to gasp when his palm touched her bare skin. That was when she realized no man had ever touched her there before.

No, it was just the cold lotion. That’s all it was.

She tried to relax while his hands carefully rubbed her back and shoulders.

"Your girlfriend’s not with you?" she asked, trying to interrupt the tension building up inside her.

"I don’t have a girlfriend," Nate replied casually, as if deliberately slowing his movements across her back.

"Oh, you don’t anymore? What happened?"

"So you're nosy now."

"I'm just asking." Cassy laughed. "What a waste. The only woman who ever liked you is gone," she teased.

"You’re such a tease."

She turned her head to look at him. "Did I get on your nerves?" Finally.

"No."

Cassy gasped when one of Nate’s hands moved to the back of her neck. His fingers glided there so smoothly, and it was like tiny volts of electricity were crawling down her body.

"Your neck is long," Nate commented.

Was he teasing her again? "Like a giraffe? Or an ostrich?"

"I’m trying to give you a compliment, Cassy. Lighten up, will you?"

Cassy could no longer hold back the feelings building up inside her from his touch—of all people, him. She squirmed.

"What’s wrong?" he asked.

"I-it’s ticklish there," she lied. That wasn’t really ticklishness she felt, or if it was, it was the good kind. It was warm, it dried her throat. She was close to panicking. She was getting hot and bothered. "O-okay, Nate. You can stop now. T-thank you," she stammered.

"All right." Nate handed the bottle of lotion back to her and even unclipped her hair. "I didn’t know your hair was curly," he said.

"I always tie it back even after showering," she replied, swallowing hard. She straightened up and slightly moved away from him.

"You should let it down more often. I think it’s very beautiful."

"Y-you think, really?" Cassy didn’t like her wavy hair, especially since the ends curled more. Even though it was soft, it was hard to comb and style, which was why she always clipped it, even when wet.

"And sexy."

"Sexy?!" she blurted. "H-how can hair be sexy?"

She heard Nate chuckle softly. "Yes," he said quietly, and she felt his fingers touch her hair. "Yours is." He twirled a long finger around her curls. And did he sniff it, too?

"Stop playing with my hair." That’s what she meant to say, but Cassy was shocked when her voice came out soft and hoarse.

Oh. My. God.

There was only one explanation for what she was feeling. She was a virgin, yes, but she wasn’t that naive when it came to sexuality. She wasn’t a rock, and definitely not made of ice. And she was already twenty-seven, for crying out loud. She felt aroused when she read or watched erotic stories. And yes, she had learned to pleasure herself too, even if it took her a while to discover how. She knew how to stimulate herself and make herself climax.

Yes, that was what was happening to her now. She was being turned on.