Behind The Proposal novel Chapter 8

"Need help with that?" Tom asked as he came up behind her, his deep voice stirring something deep within her.

"Please," she nodded as she handed him the bottle of sunscreen. Now she truly was in heaven - she was in the most idyllic place she could imagine with a gorgeous man to rub lotion into her heated skin. She stood there with her eyes closed as his hands touched her gently, causing tingles throughout her body. His fingers applied a little more pressure to her shoulders before working his way down her bare back, right down to the top edge of her swimsuit where it met her shorts. Her breathing quickened at the intimate contact. She hadn't had a man touch her like this for a long time. Maybe ever. He was so gentle and it was incredibly soothing, but at the same time stirred something in her that felt a whole lot like desire.

"I can see why you love it here," she sighed, a contented smile forming on her lips. She would likely be smiling for the rest of the week purely because of this one incredible moment.

He chuckled softly, his breath tickled her neck as his hands did one more swipe up her back and over her arms. "There's no place quite like it."

"I wouldn't know," she murmured and opened her eyes, realising how sheltered her life had been in comparison to his. He was this sophisticated, well-travelled and highly successful man, and she was just a shy, inexperienced, plain-Jane. "This is the first opportunity I've had to travel," she shrugged, stepping away from him before looking up into his face. His eyes were shielded by his dark glasses, making it hard to read his expression.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you picked this place to start," he smiled as he stepped closer to her.

For the first time in her life she didn't feel like the naïve young women that everyone treated her as. She felt like an equal to this amazing man. It was intoxicating and gave her the confidence she needed to rise up on her toes and press a kiss to his cheek, resisting the urge to kiss his lips again. It was too tempting.

"How good are you at applying sunscreen?" He raised an eyebrow as he looked down into her upturned face.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?" he asked, narrowing his eyes as if trying to figure her out.

Panicking, Sophie took the sunscreen from him and forced a smile. "Your turn. Turn around." At least now he couldn't look at her with those insightful eyes that saw a whole lot more than she wanted him to. She flipped the lid and poured some oil into the palm of her trembling hand before looking up to apply it to his strong back. She'd never known a man's back could be so sexy. She let go of her anxiety and concentrated on the man in front of her, feeling his muscles bunch and relax under her fingers. Sophie closed her eyes, her breathing slowing as she imagined running her hands over his back as they made love. Biting her lip, she snapped herself out of the daydream. It wouldn't do her any good to think like that. She resisted the urge to continue rubbing her hands over his warm skin and made herself take a step back instead.

Tom turned and his dark eyes speared her with a hot, wanting look that heated her blood. Every time he looked at her like that it felt like a prelude to sex. Every look and every touch was foreplay. It excited her and terrified her. She'd never been great at intimacy, and she was normally wary of getting too close to anyone. They stood looking at each other for a moment and when she handed him back the sunscreen bottle their fingers brushed, sending a bolt of electricity through her.