My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #2)

Beware the dolphin (Part 4)

With the last of my energy, I peeled off my clothes, which were soaked. The sun was rising, streaking the inky indigo sky with shots of lavender and a wide band of orange at the horizon, the air slowly heating up. So my clothes had some chance of drying.

"What are you doing?" Kai asked in a strangled voice.

"Dumping the wet gear and taking a nap," I said. I stripped down to my pink bra and matching boy shorts and headed across the sand to a lone palm tree, situated slightly away from the jungle. "Oh, stop staring. It's not even as revealing as a bikini."

Kai followed me over. "Just keep piling on those images."

Uh, sure, if they helped burn the ones of perfect Persephone from his brain. "Stare away."

I wriggled into the sand, under the shade of some broad palm leaves, making a comfy indentation for myself. I couldn't stay awake a minute longer. Just a quick nap to recharge myself then full steam ahead to find Jack. I glanced over to tell Kai to wake me in an hour and my eyes widened.

Kai had stripped down to his short black boxers, his clothes laid out in the sun like mine to dry. His back was to me as he scanned the beach.

Was it possible to have my mouth go dry and drool at the same time? Why, yes. I think it was.

I'd never seen Kai without clothes on before.

He had tattoos.

I was weak in the face of bad boys with ink. Or just him, since my bad boy exposure was currently at "one."

Around his right ankle wove a thick, black geometric band, like a bunch of stylized squares. I'd seen the design when I'd originally been Googling myself and Greek myths to get a sense of who I was. It was a pretty common pattern decorating ancient Greek pottery.

Across his back was a word in Greek script. Even I could work out that it said his name. Same number of letters, starting with a "K," what looked like 2 "l"s ... not tough to puzzle out. The name was wrapped around a pomegranate tree, its branches hanging low with ripe, bright fruit.

Even remedial me knew the significance of pomegranates and Persephone. Plus, hello. My favorite fruit. He'd inked me on him. Okay, Persephone, but maybe he'd ink Sophie on him some day. Because having a guy declare his devotion to you that way was cool—provided he was more babe than bubba and hadn't gotten the spelling of your name off your restraining order.

Having a god permanently profess his passion for you like that? Wow.

A low lick of heat unfurled in my belly at the idea of me tattooed on Kai's body.

Kai turned around. I lost my breath. Even without the tattoos, he was better coming than going. Six feet of sculpted heaven.

He caught the stunned look on my face and frowned. "Now what?"

I beckoned him toward me with a crook of my finger.

"I shouldn't," he mock protested, as he approached. "My virtue and all."

"You wish," I taunted, patting the sand next to me.

A wary gleam lit his eyes as he dropped down beside me and rolled me onto my back, his weight propped on his elbows. Our bodies just mere inches apart. "So do you."

My chest felt heavy and tight. In my stomach was the same rising tingly sensation as when I was at the top of a roller coaster about to plummet.

I nuzzled closer into Kai. He smelled like seawater and sand.

It was intoxicating.

My fingers traced his shoulder blades. Odd. Why did his skin feel ridged?