Across the Ocean by Heather Sosbee

would do something anyways, and I don’t want to force it on him. I want him to come to me on his own terms, if at all.
    Ari ’s eyes rise again to meet mine. His expression dark and hot and causes my pulse to go crazy. A sense of excitement chases through my body as I see one of his hands lift toward me. I think my breath is trapped in my chest as I watch in seemingly slow motion.
    Water drips off his fingers and down his arm to his elbow to fall into the pool. Time is slowing to a halt as his hand comes nearer to my left collarbone. My whole body jerks slightly when he finally makes contact, causing a shiver to trace through me from the mixture of cool air and heat from his skin. Oh god, please touch me more. Please, please .
    I ’ve always read romance novels that claim that electricity can seemingly travel between two people with the right chemistry. I never understood it before now, but with just his single fingertip on my skin, I’m lit up like a Christmas tree. My nipples pucker again and I suck in a quick breath. Goose bumps break out all over my body.
    The tickling sensation is delicious when his finger starts to drag down my chest at a snail ’s pace, leaving a damp yet searing trail behind. My body has begun to tremble and is overwhelmed with anticipation and desire. A deep throbbing has begun between my legs, followed by a trickle of moisture, and I cannot believe how wildly turned on I am from a single fingertip.
    Ari ’s finger approaches the upper edge of my bikini top, and hesitates for a second. His eyes are still focused on mine yet are frequently dropping to look at my lips, which are quivering with my breathing and open slightly. I wish so badly that he could kiss me.
    I jerk slightly again as the palm of his hand unexpectedly covers my entire left breast. The heat from his hand completely sears me, and I know he can feel my taut nipple under my bathing suit. I let out a barely audible moan. His thumb sweeps over the upper slope of my breast ever so gently. His eyelids flutter for a second before closing completely in what seems to be sheer bliss. My left hand lifts to cover his, and press it more firmly against my breast. His touch feels so good, so right.
    We are torn from our private bubble when we hear the water of the shower turn off, and we pull away from each other like guilty children. Standing up, Ari heads toward the connecting and deepest pool, but not before I can see his hard cock pressing against his swim trunks. He dunks himself in quickly, making a hissing sound at the heat. At least I’m not the only one turned on and affected by this.
    Now seems like a good time as any for me to get out and change, especially if everyone else is almost finished. I stand up out of the water, and carefully step out of the pool onto the walkway and head toward the dressing room. Before walking in, I look back over my shoulder to see Ari frozen in the deepest pool, eyes fixed on my ass. With a small smirk, I head inside and change.
     
    ******
     
    We’ve made it back to the house where we are staying and we’re preparing to head to the house of someone named Sæþór (pronounced like psy-thor) who lives down the street. Even though I can be quite the social butterfly, I’ve found that because everyone speaks a different language, I feel a lot shyer than I’m used to.
    I ’ve changed into a pair of jeans and Converse sneakers, along with a green scoop neck tank top that totally shows off my rack. Topping off the ensemble is a light blue zippered hoodie for added warmth. My hair is down and I’ve run a flatiron through it to manage the unruly parts.
    My makeup is minimal, with only some mascara, eyeliner, and a sweep of some blush on my cheeks. I have decided to go for casual since that seems to be what everyone else is doing. I ’m not really overly concerned about my appearance; I’m more here just for the good time than to impress.
    Lára, Ari , and I decide to walk down to the party since