She gave him a long, slow lick before closing her lips around the head of his cock, taking him deep into her mouth.

“Ah, Candy.” The reverent whisper turned her on. He was warm and tasted of salt and man and she loved the way he put his hands to her face as she worked over him.

She relaxed her throat and sucked him deeper until he groaned in pleasurable agony.

He stroked her hair, while she sucked and tugged, cupping his balls in one hand, using her other to grip his shaft low and tight.

In a few moments, he stilled, ready to come. She gave a last pull, her lips tight, her fingers squeezing low, inviting him to spurt into her mouth.

She swallowed his warm fluid, then looked up at him.

His face was so full of feeling, she was startled. It was more than pleasure. It was connection, closeness, a new intimacy that she realized she felt, too.

Matt helped her up and into his arms and he kissed her softly, holding her close, telling her with his arms and lips how much she meant to him.

Together, they unfolded the couch to reveal the bed, then stripped each other until they lay face-to-face. Matt ran a hand down the side of her body, then found where she ached and stroked her until she was moaning and sliding against his fingers.

He entered her then and her body stretched to take him in, eager for each thrust and slide. Together they climbed toward the peak, each stroke bringing them closer and closer. She never wanted this to be over.

Her orgasm pushed through her in a hot, hard wave. Matt surged into her, her name on his lips. She collapsed against him, feeling his heart pound against her chest.

This was so nice. Heaven.

But even heaven got old, right?

After they recovered, Matt suggested they go for a swim.

“I’ll get my suit,” she said, pushing out of the bed to bend over her suitcase.

Matt stood behind her, looking on. “Wear the white one,” he said, cupping her backside possessively, running his tongue along her ear. “It looks good against your skin. And those strings make you easy to get to.” He ran his fingers down her slit, making her feel faint.

Somehow, they both managed to put their suits on and head out. They found Radar on the beach, as if he was waiting for them, and played with him for a while, enjoying the breeze, the waves, the seagulls’ calls, the warm sun.

Then they swam, beyond nearly everyone. Candy felt so strong, she thought she could swim to the next beach town. They stopped at the reef where they’d stood that first night. Matt dived down.

She felt a tug on both sides of her suit bottom, then it was gone, and Matt rose with it in his teeth.

“Matt!” She looked around, hoping no one could see.

He took it out of his mouth. “You’re safe. I checked.” Then he found her with his fingers. “Mmm. How’s that?”

“Lovely,” she said, practically losing feeling in her legs.

“No shrieking, now, or a lifeguard might try to save you.”

“I don’t want to be saved,” she said. “Ever.” Pleasure built in waves like the ocean that passed by them, lifting, then setting them down again together.

When her climax hit, Candy put her mouth on Matt’s shoulder to muffle her cry and clung to him, wrapping her legs around his body, so happy to be with him like this.

“That was nice,” he said, kissing her, cuddling her close. “How about some sun?” They returned to shore and found a sheltered area too rocky for swimmers, where they spread their big, blue-striped towels between protective boulders.

Matt fished the sunscreen from her bag and massaged the warm liquid into her back and legs.

When it was her turn, she worked the cream into his back and, when he turned over, his chest and thighs, aware that his erection was mere inches from her fingers.

So tempting.

Checking to be sure no one could see them, she slid her fingers into his trunks and stroked him.

He turned lowered eyes her way. “You’ll get us arrested,” he said lazily.

“Not if you’re quiet,” she said.

“I’ll do my best.” His face tightened with the pleasure of what she was doing to him.

She rubbed him in earnest, leaning over him to hide her movements. His eyes glittered with pleasure and he watched her as she slid her fingers up and down, over and over, feeling him tighten and tense. When he reached climax, she shifted the towel to catch his release.

“That was great,” he said, pulling her onto his body.

“Can you believe we’re doing this?” She rested her chin on a fist on his chest, watching his face. The sun warmed her back, the rhythmic crash of the waves soothed her. Distant shouts and laughter were delicious punctuation to the moment.

“It seems like a dream.” He ran his fingers through her hair.

“I know. Unreal.”

“I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“You mean had sex on the beach?” She grinned.

“That either,” he said. “I’ve never been so caught up with anyone.”

Not with Jane? But she wouldn’t ask, didn’t want to remember the other woman in his life or what she might think about their vacation fling.

“How about you?” Matt asked. “Have there been any serious guys in your life?” He ran his fingers along her cheek.

“Serious ones? Never.” She joked away the question, but she could feel Matt wanted a real answer.

“You know what I mean. Boyfriends.”

“On a short-term basis, sure. Nothing too major.” She thought about the one time she’d been hurt. “Except there was one guy in college. Brad. We had a thing for a couple of years. We ended up friends though.”

“What happened?”

“We were on and off a lot, and eventually…You know how it goes.”

“No, I don’t. How did it go?”

“He wanted to get married and I…didn’t.” Not exactly. It had been late in their senior year and they’d agreed to take another break from each other. Three weeks later, Brad was engaged to a business major he’d had classes with.

Candy had been surprisingly hurt. She hadn’t wanted marriage, but if she’d known he did, she’d have at least moved in with him. They were alike-both with wild streaks-and they’d had a lot of fun together. In the end, she’d swallowed her pride and actually asked him, Why not me?

Brad had been mystified, almost laughed. You don’t want that, he’d said. Marriage isn’t you.

He was more or less right, but it hurt that he hadn’t considered her marriage material, had simply written her off. It made her feel limited by her reputation, trapped by it.

Years later, she’d decided the problem was that she was spoiled. She wanted it all-even if it didn’t suit her.

“That happens,” Matt said, reading something in her face. Did she look hurt? God she hoped she was over that. “For it to work, you have to want the same thing, have compatible goals. Once you get past the heat and settle into a routine, I mean.”

“Why would you want to get past the heat?” she said. “And who wants routine? Talk about killing the joy.”

“There’s joy in the familiar,” he said. “What’s life, if not the day-to-day moments?”

“But that’s boring. You have to shake things up, keep each other guessing.”

“I’m not surprised you’d say that. You remind me of a girlfriend I had.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. She liked to shake things up, too. As a matter of fact, she was into roller coasters.”

“I can relate.”

“You would have liked her,” he mused.

“What happened?”

“She shook things up.” He gave a wry smile. “She warned me, though. She called it emotional ADD. Of course, I thought I could fix her. I couldn’t.”

“You were young.”

“Yeah.” He gave a soft laugh. “So, you think you’ll ever settle down?” He asked as though it would be a long shot, which gave her that locked-in feeling, that sense she was trapped by what other people thought about her.

“Sure. Why not? When the time is right.”

“And the guy. He’d have to be the right guy-someone into Silly String and karaoke and the limbo. Someone who’ll keep you guessing.”