Page 28 of Pure Temptation

Daxon Miles, the man who threw himself out of an airplane with no parachute, thought it would be fun to watch...the southernmost edge the United States, where it met the ocean? Was she missing something?

Daxon reached over and squeezed her leg. “I hope you love it. It’s either that or you hate me for bringing you here, which will make for a very long car ride back.”

Okay, now she was really curious.

They drove for miles, past houses and little stores until finally they reached the ocean. Daxon pulled into a dusty area and parked the car. He took off his sunglasses, and he opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. Shaking his head, he removed her seat belt, then his, shifting in the seat to face her. He leaned forward, putting his hand on her thigh.

He brushed his lips against hers, so achingly slow. Her pulse jumped, and she reached for him, pressing her hands against the soft stubble of his jaw. He opened his mouth and kissed her, his teeth tugging at her bottom lip as his hand slid farther up her thigh. She tilted her head and stroked his tongue with hers. Her whole body ached for this man...and they were in the middle of a parking lot.

He backed up, and she swallowed. “Did we come all this way for a nice make-out spot? It would have been easier just to stay back at the Kalani.”

The corners of his mouth tugged up into a hint of a smile. “It’s not what we came for. But I wanted to kiss you before we get out, just in case you get mad at me for this.”

Kendall threw up her arms in resignation. “What the hell are you taking me to do, Dax?”

“The southernmost point also happens to be a popular cliff diving spot,” he said with a mischievous smile. “I thought it might be fun to watch.”

He pointed to the edge of the cliff. Now that he mentioned it, there were groups of people in bathing suits standing awfully close to the edge. Right around a platform of some kind.

“Or we could jump,” she deadpanned, narrowing her eyes at him.

Daxon just shrugged. “Only if you want, but not on my account. I can always come back another time, but you probably won’t. Not without someone to nudge you a little.”

She stared at him, stunned. He was taking her to watch cliff diving, thinking it might look like enough fun to join in? Jesus.

“What do you think?” he asked, assessing her closely.

“I’m thinking that you’re crazy if you think I might jump off that cliff in the name of adventure.”

Daxon laughed.

“What?”

“I was prepared for much worse.” Then he leaned forward and kissed her again. “I’m not going to pressure you at all. Seriously. I brought drinks and a pad we can sit on. I figured it would be fun to just watch.”

“In our bathing suits?”

“Yep.”

“Okay,” she said slowly.

Daxon grabbed bags out of the trunk of the car, and they headed toward the water. The day was clear, and the blue ocean sparkled in front of her. The coast was different on this side of the island, the water deeper, and the cliffs riding high above it. She walked along the black rock, watching the people near the platform, letting Daxon lead the way. He stopped a little farther down, at a spot where they could watch the others without hanging over the edge, and laid out a large pad to sit on.

“Just out of curiosity, how high up is this spot?” she asked as she plopped down.

“About ten meters.” His voice was casual, but she caught a glimpse of a grin that told her just how carefully he had planned this out.

Her heart stuttered. He hadn’t chosen something truly crazy, a jump that she might barely survive from. Instead, he chose the height of the platform at every Olympic diving well. The height she had contemplated at the age of thirteen—and then backed down from, while all the rest of her friends jumped. Daxon knew this was the height she’d chickened out from before. He had been listening to her, really listening, and he had taken a risk, designing today around a thrill that was just outside of her comfort zone. She wasn’t sure if she loved him or hated him for it—and Daxon probably knew that.

Kendall teetered on that brink, back and forth. Then, finally, she did the only thing she could do—she buried her face in her hands and laughed. The wind was blowing gently and the sound of the waves crashed around them, and she just let go. “You are trouble, Daxon Miles,” she said.

His mouth quirked up into a cocky smile. “The best kind of trouble, hopefully.”

“Yet to be determined.”

He could do this all day long. Just sit here with Kendall’s long, tanned legs resting across his, the ocean at his side, watching as groups of people climbed out of their cars, peeked over the edge of the cliff, debated, backed away or, finally, jumped.

Daxon meant what he had said. He had absolutely no intention of pressuring her. That wasn’t the point of this trip, though if she did jump, he was betting that it would transform a beautiful day into an amazing one. But in truth, he had chosen this destination with something completely different in mind.