Coming Home by Leslie Kelly

complimenting your cousin today. What's gotten into you?"
    He flashed her a sudden grin. "I dunno. Maybe it's the sea air. How about we stop at the beach for a quick swim?"
    Nicole laughed again, then realized he was completely serious. "But...we don't have bathing suits!"
    "There are dozens of tourist shops along the beach in St. Augustine. I'm sure we could easily find something to wear. Come on, Nick, whaddya say? I know you love to swim in the ocean."
    She couldn't respond. Her mouth went dry and her legs shook as she remembered the last time she’d been swimming with Wyatt. They'd driven down to the shore the night before he and Brady were scheduled to leave for Europe to visit Wyatt's mother and her new husband. Their relationship still a secret, Nicole had been anxious to find a place where no one they knew would spot them. She didn’t want any scenes or fighting between the cousins before they left to spend a month together overseas.
    They'd made love and held each other in the sand. They’d whispered sweet declarations, and had promised to keep in touch constantly, both for the rest of August, and for the coming year. Because, by the time Wyatt got back from Europe, Nicole would already be back in Maryland, starting her freshman year of college, and Wyatt would quickly have to get back to his university as well.
    That night had haunted her memories for a very long time. It was the last time she’d felt the absolute joy of making love with someone she loved with all her heart and soul.
    "It's been a long time," she finally managed to say.
    "Let's do it," he said as he pulled off the highway exit.
    True to his word, Wyatt found a touristy beach shop almost immediately. Nicole dug through racks of swimsuits, longing for a plain one-piece. All she could find were beach bunny bikinis. Finally, tired of Wyatt calling to her under the door of the changing room, she chose a hot pink two-piece that she'd never have been caught dead in at her club in Baltimore.
    "Finally!" he admonished when she slipped out of the dressing room with the bikini hidden behind her back. "I've already bought a couple of towels."
    Nicole quickly paid for her suit, then asked the cashier if she could change into it before leaving the store. The teenage girl at the checkout shrugged with disinterest.
    Fifteen minutes later they stood on a surprisingly un-crowded beach. It was a Sunday afternoon, on a hot summer day, but for the most part, the only other people around were surfers. Since there were no lifeguards, she assumed most of the tourists and local families had another popular spot.
    Nicole watched as Wyatt began to pull his clothes off. She couldn't seem to make her eyes move away as he caught the bottom of his tee shirt and tugged it up. Each inch of skin he revealed was tanned, smooth, finely toned.
    Her heart thudded and her breath thickened; she had trouble pushing it out of her mouth.
    His hands went to his waist, and he unfastened his jeans. Now there was no need to force every breath. She simply forgot to breathe at all.
    But as he dropped the pants to the ground, Nicole saw his long, brightly colored surfer trunks beneath them, and laughed out loud.
    "What's so funny?"
    "Nothing, I guess I just have a hard time picturing you as the 'hang ten' type," she said between chuckles.
    "They aren't my usual style," he admitted with a heavy sigh. "But average black trunks were unavailable, so it was either these or those unattractive men's bikinis. And, aside from the fact that I wouldn’t be caught dead in one, I doubted I could find one that would fit."
    He grinned an evil grin, forcing her mind to remember exactly how he was built. She shivered in spite of the heat of the day. No, she didn't imagine some skimpy suit would ever have covered Wyatt Clayton.
    "Cool it," she muttered under her breath.
    She couldn't. She tried forcing a smile to her lips, but it faded as she studied the trunks hanging below the tan line on his lean hips. The