11. Luke

Chapter 11

Luke

Twenty minutesin this woman’s presence, and she has me questioning if maybe I do want to get my dick pierced.

I shake my head.

No. No, I don’t want to do that.

“Now tell me about your ink,” I say, my voice a little deeper than usual. “I saw it in the gym.”

Natalie lowers her hand to her hip. “It’s a hummingbird.”

I can still only see the splash of teal peeking out from under her bikini bottoms, but now that she’s said that, I can totally picture that what I saw was a cute little bird’s head.

“Why a hummingbird?” I ask her.

She rolls her lips, like she’s deciding whether she’ll answer. “Did you know they’re a keystone species?”

My mouth pulls into an impressed frown. “I did not know that.”

Natalie nods. “Everyone knows what a hummingbird is. Knows that they’re pretty and that they’re fun to watch. But most people don’t know how important they are to the world.” She lifts a shoulder. “And I just like them.”

The shrug is meant to blow off the first part of her reasoning, but I think I get it.

My Princess is beautiful.

The world loves beautiful things.

The world loves to prop up beauty above all else.

But Natalie Wagner is more than just a pretty face.

And I’m thinking maybe the world hasn’t told her how much it needs her.

Something twists in my chest, and I resist the urge to press my hand over the ache.

That was too deep for vacation.

My eyes are drawn back to the water. “Can I see the rest of it?”

Her serious expression shifts, and she’s back to looking amused.

But she doesn’t answer, and I can’t help it when my hand reaches for her.

The waves distort my view of it. Of her. And I want to see everything.

I reach out slowly, waiting for her to stop me, but she doesn’t.

My fingers brush against her skin, just above the material of her swimsuit.

Swimming is such a funny thing.

Playing in the pool, floating in the ocean, it seems so innocent. But we’re essentially naked. And standing here, having moved a little closer to shore, the waves dance across the top of Natalie’s tits while I touch the bare skin at her hip. And it’s hardly even considered inappropriate.

Her breath hitches, and I move a few inches closer.

Natalie places her palm on my chest.

“Why are you in Mexico?” she whispers.

“My cousin’s wedding,” I whisper back.

“I’m here for my cousin’s wedding too.”

“Name on three?” I offer, slightly worried that I’m having dirty thoughts about someone I’m related to.

Natalie nods.

I take a breath. “One. Two. Jacob.”

“Heather.”

A small laugh bubbles out of Natalie.

We don’t have the same cousin.

And we’re not here for the same wedding.

She starts to smile, but I’m already moving.