Chapter Five
JAMIE HAD BEEN to the beach in the rain, fog, sweltering heat, and on gorgeous days such as today, and regardless of the weather, there was always a crowd. Cell phones didn’t work on the ocean beaches of the lower Cape, which made days spent there even more relaxing. This was his first time at the beach with Jessica, and he was especially glad that cell phones didn’t work there. The last thing he wanted was to be interrupted when he was with her. Besides, he worked hard, and he deserved a little private relaxation time without being tethered to emails and texts.
Jessica lay on her back in her light pink bikini, looking like she’d slipped off the page of a glossy magazine right onto the blanket. The bottoms tied on the sides and, thankfully, she wasn’t wearing a thong, given that Jamie’s body reacted to her every time they were close.
He lay on his side, perched on one elbow with a book beside him, although he hadn’t made it through a single page. He was too drawn to Jessica.
“What are you reading?” Her eyes were closed, the edges of her lips were curved in that sweet smile she sometimes tried to suppress, and she was so incredibly beautiful that it was hard for him not to stare.
“I’m not getting much reading done, but it’s one of Kurt Remington’s thrillers, When Evil Comes. Kurt is Leanna’s fiancé.”
She turned toward his voice and opened her eyes, shading them with her hand. “He’s an author?”
He nodded. “Bestselling author. He’s really good.”
She rolled onto her side, and her bikini top shifted, exposing the milky white fullness of her breast. He tried not to stare, but his eyes kept revisiting the view.
“That’s so cool.”
“That’s why he’s not around much this summer. He’s on a tight deadline, but I’m sure you’ll meet him at some point. He’s a great guy.” He wanted to touch her, to lay his hand on her hip, to kiss her lips, but he didn’t want to take a chance of embarrassing her on the beach. Instead, he set his book aside and moved closer, leaving only inches between them.
“I hope you didn’t mind that Vera was with us this morning. I’m glad you came along.”
“I really like your grandmother. She’s so nice, and you’re so sweet with her. I think I had more fun watching the two of you than looking around.” She was leaning on her elbow, just as he was.
Jamie moved his fingertips on top of hers on the sand and smiled. “Do you want to go in the water?”
“Maybe in a minute. Right now I want to just lie here with you.” Her eyes darkened, narrowed a little. “I like spending time with you.”
As if his other hand had a mind of its own, it landed on the hot, sun-kissed skin of her hip. She narrowed her eyes in an inviting, seductive way, and he inched closer, bringing them thigh to thigh.
“I like spending time with you, too. When we get back to Seaside we’ll see if you heard back from the seller of that baseball.” He loved that family was important enough to her that she wanted to track the baseball down for her father.
“I’d like that.”
“Do you mind if I ask where you’re taking a hiatus from? Where do you play your cello?”
A group of teenagers ran by and kicked sand on her legs and back before she could answer. She leaned forward, against his chest. Man, she felt good. Instinctively, he began brushing the sand from her legs, butt, and back. She leaned back, her hand still on his chest, her lips slightly parted. He flattened his hand on her back and pressed her to him as he lowered his lips to hers. She pressed her fingers into his chest and he deepened the kiss. Their tongues met in long, passionate strokes. He slid his hand up her back and buried it beneath her hair, cupping her head. She had the most sensuous lips he’d ever kissed, and as he angled her head, she opened them further and rolled onto her back. He slid his leg over hers. If he didn’t stop he’d never be able to, but she smelled like warm coconut and tasted hot and sweet. He couldn’t help but rock his hips against her thigh. The last thing he wanted to do was tear his lips from hers, but it’s what he needed to do, because in his effort to keep from embarrassing her, he was practically making love to her right there on the crowded beach, just feet from the lifeguard chair.
Her eyes fluttered open and her lips curved up. There wasn’t a hint of regret in her eyes. He loved kissing her, loved the way she looked at him. He touched her cheek, then pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“I’m not even going to try to pretend that I don’t want to keep kissing you.”
She blushed. “I’d like that.”
She opened the door and he walked right in. Their lips met in another heated kiss. His resolve to back off liquefied, and his hand slid down her ribs to her hip and over the soft swell of her thigh. He eased back, softly kissing her lips a few times before forcing himself away again.
“Now I’m going to pretend I don’t want to kiss you, or we’re going to get kicked off the beach for indecent activities.”
That earned him a soft laugh. He moved his leg off of hers, allowing her the freedom to move. She remained on her back, the pulse at the base of her neck beating wildly, and a satisfied smile on her lips.
“Want to go in the water to cool off?” she asked.
“I think I need a minute.” Or ten, to let my body cool down.
They spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, kissing, and lying in the sun. As the afternoon sun disappeared and evening rolled in, they gathered their things and headed back to the parking lot. Jamie couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so relaxed and happy. They threw their things in the back of his car and he reached for her hand and drew her in close.
“I’m not ready for our day to end. How about if we go back to Seaside, see if you’ve heard back about the baseball, shower, then head into town for dinner and a walk?” He gazed into her eyes, and she flashed her dimples with a sweet smile.
“I’m not sure I know you well enough to shower together.” She lifted her brows and he had to kiss her again.
“Shoot. I had my hopes pinned on the shower.” He opened the car door for her and helped her in.
“What about Vera? Maybe we should invite her to dinner.”
“I love that you’re thinking of her, but I don’t think she’ll mind if we go alone.” He slid into the driver’s seat. “In fact, I’m pretty sure she’s at home hoping we stay out all night. I smelled matchmaking going on with her this afternoon.”
Back at Seaside, they checked her email and she still hadn’t heard back from the seller, so they sent another message.
“You know, we can probably find the seller’s actual store and then send a message there, too. Have you searched for it yet?” Jamie stood behind Jessica’s chair, looking over her shoulder at her laptop.
“Searched on eBay?” She looked up at him with eyes so wide and innocent he had to lean down and kiss her forehead.
“No, on OneClick.”
She drew her brows together. “Isn’t that a thing like Google? I always get lost when I’m searching. I end up spending an hour going from website to website and never find what I’m looking for.”
“Here, let me show you.” He sat beside her and typed in OneClick.com and the OneClick search window came up. “Type in My Mom Threw Out My Baseball Cards.”
“What’s that?”
“The name of his store. Didn’t you see it on eBay?”
She shook her head. “I only saw Seller.”
He put an arm around her and kissed her cheek. “I’ll give you a quick lesson on eBay after we do this.”
“No, that’s okay. After I find this baseball, I’m done. This stuff is hard for me. Give me sheet music or even just play a few notes, and I’ll pick it up fast, but this?” She pointed to the computer. “It’s like one big headache waiting to happen.”
“What would make it easier?” He searched for the store and found that it was no longer around. He turned his attention back to Jessica and made a mental note to do his own search later that evening.
“It would be easier if you did it for me.” She leaned forward and kissed him. “I can pay you in kisses.”
He drew her onto his lap. “Now, that’s a deal I’ll take.”
He sealed his lips over hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as she had the other night, only this time, he knew her mind was clear of alcohol. He liked kissing her even more without the distraction of wondering whether she’d remember it in the morning and if she’d regret it. She was still wearing her bikini beneath her sundress, and she felt so good that his hands began to wander, to her hips and her outer thighs. She tightened her arms around his neck and arched her chest into his. She was open to taking this further, but Jamie had never been a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of guy, and he really liked Jessica. Maybe more than he should after two days.
Tearing his lips from hers drew a groan from deep within him.
“You groaned.” A playful smile curved her lips.
“Yeah, I know.” He blew out a breath. “It was either that or…You’ve got to get off my lap before we head someplace you may regret.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why would I regret it?”
“I don’t know. Because you’re a woman, and…” He lifted her easily from his lap and set her on the other chair, then ran both hands through the sides of his hair to try to clear the lustful thoughts from his mind.
“And? Do women often regret being with you?” Her voice was serious, but her eyes were teasing.
He took her hands in his. “Not that I know of, but…It’s easy to jump into sleeping together. Three moves and we’re there.” He lowered his voice. “Not that I don’t want to make love to you. I can’t even think about it without getting all hot and bothered.”
She pinked up again, and oh, man, he liked her reactions.
He kissed the back of her hand. “I want to know you, Jess. I want to know about your life, your family, why you’re on a hiatus. If we start with a sexual relationship, I don’t know. It’s just that I like you too much to do that. It would feel like we were working backward.”
She let out a long breath. “Really? You don’t mind waiting?”
“Don’t mind? No. Jess. Do you mind? Maybe it’s just me, but this feels different from just another date. Being with you feels different.”
She dropped her eyes to their hands and bit her lower lip. He lifted her chin so he could see her eyes.
“What is it?”
“I…Okay, this is really hard to say aloud, but…” She closed her eyes for a beat, drew in a breath, then opened her eyes with a nervous smile. “I’m a little relieved.”
“Was I pressuring you?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. My body was pressuring me. I keep wanting to touch you, to go further, but I’m not used to all of this. Well, any of this, really. I almost never date, Jamie. I don’t spend the day at the beach or walk around flea markets with hot guys and a woman I could spend all day talking to. My life is hours of practicing my cello and evening concerts. I’m almost always in symphony mode. You know, prim, proper, demure. It’s been ingrained in my very soul since the time I was a little girl.”
“Jess, I like who you are. All of you.” Jamie loved how open and honest she was being, and he could tell that it wasn’t easy for her to reveal her innermost feelings to him. He wanted to reassure her, to let her know he wouldn’t push her.
“We’ll take it slow.”
She nodded, swallowing hard and blinking away the dampness in her eyes. “I don’t even know if I want to go slow. I’ve never felt like this before. I’ve never wanted to touch anyone the way I want to touch you. You’re like…chocolate-covered potato chips. Sweet and salty. A guilty pleasure. Oh gosh, I’m making no sense.” She covered her face and he folded her into his arms.
Every single thing she did endeared her to him. She was completely different from any woman he’d ever dated, and he liked her more for it.
“You’re making total sense.”
She pressed both hands to his cheeks and gazed into his eyes. “Make no mistake about me wanting you. Ever since I beaned you with my phone and you smiled at me, I’ve wanted you, and then we kissed, and…I was a goner. As relieved as I am that we’ll take it slow, let’s not take it too slow, okay?”
He laughed, then touched his forehead to hers. “What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe we should have parameters, like a three-date rule or something.” She lifted one shoulder and blushed.
“Babe, tell me what you want and I’ll do the best I can, even if it means three cold showers a day. What is a three-date rule?”
“You know, like we won’t be intimate for three dates, then…” She lifted her shoulders. “Then I guess we go with whatever we feel.”
“Three dates? We went to the flea market, then the beach. Is that two?”
She laughed again. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Okay, so no touching for three dates.” He nodded. “I can handle that.”
Her smile faded.
“What?”
“I thought we were talking about being really intimate, not touching.”
He groaned again. “I have a feeling I’m going to get detention for misbehaving. There are too many gray lines I might cross.”
“Okay, okay. How about this? Nothing below the waist for three dates.” She drew a line across her waist with her hand. “For either of us.”
“Thanks for the clarification. I thought I might get lucky.” He pulled her into his arms. Nothing below the waist. He felt a little like he was a kid again, wanting more from a girl than he probably should. He wanted below the waist—he wanted above the waist. He wanted all of her. But for Jessica to feel comfortable and safe, he didn’t mind holding back. “I’d wait a month if you wanted to.”
“This means you can still kiss me, you know.” She pursed her lips.
“If I have to.” He took her in a greedy kiss that left them both breathless.
JAMIE PULLED THE car into a parking lot and parked in front of Zia Pizzeria.
“Are we having pizza?” Jessica loved pizza, though she rarely ate it. She didn’t allow herself to indulge in much of anything outside of the cello. Now she wanted nothing more than to do just that.
“If you’d like.” He cut the engine and stepped from the car.
When he opened her door, wearing a white tee that pulled tight across his chest and wrapped itself around his biceps like a second skin, the breeze carried the scent of his cologne, something masculine and spicy that sent a little thrill through her.
How on earth will I make it through three dates with you smelling like that?
Jessica wore jeans and a black lacy tank top. She was so used to wearing fancy clothing when she went out that she was taking full advantage of being on a break from her real life and wearing all the things she’d never had a chance to. Still on tap were her cutoffs, a tight minidress she probably had no business wearing, and she even hoped to find an appropriate place to wear a pair of overall shorts she’d loved on the mannequin when she was shopping for summer clothes.
She turned in the direction of the pizza parlor, her mouth already watering. Jamie draped an arm over her shoulder and turned her around, heading for an ice cream parlor.
“Everyone should experience ice cream for dinner.”
She gasped. “You are a very bad influence, and I really, really like it.” She rested her head against his shoulder, feeling like the luckiest girl on the planet. Not because of the ice cream, but for the thought behind it. Jamie had listened to what she’d said when she was talking to his grandmother, and that meant a lot to her. The few men she’d dated were very self-important, and she’d always felt like an afterthought.
After getting waffle cones bursting with enough ice cream to feed three people, they drove down to Nauset Beach and walked along the shore while they ate. Jamie held her cone while she put on the sweatshirt she’d brought and rolled up her jeans; then she held his cone while he rolled up his jeans.
“Aren’t you cold?” she asked as she handed him back his cone.
“You keep my engine running pretty hot.” He reached for her hand, and even after all they’d said to each other earlier in the day, she felt herself blush.
In the distance, a red light blinked up high in a lighthouse. It was nice walking hand in hand with the sounds of the waves lapping at the shore beside them.
“You have to taste this.” She held up her cone for him to taste.
“I don’t think I like chocolate. Let me try it this way.” He pulled her close and kissed her. “Yup. I like Jessie chocolate better.”
“You’re a goof.”
He laughed. “Tell me about yourself, Jess. I know you like chocolate ice cream, you play the cello, you dislike technology—which I’ll change if I have my way—and you love your father. What don’t I know?”
“That’s a tough question, because I’m so used to focusing on my work that I’m sort of at a loss about the rest of myself. The only thing I know for sure that I don’t like—other than technology—is being twenty-seven and feeling like I’m living the life of a much older person. But here’s what I have discovered that I do like. I really like your friends, which made me realize how much I’ve missed all these years by not having close friends. And one day I might like to do something to help kids, although I have no idea what that might be. I love to read, and right now I have a love-hate relationship with my cello. Mostly love, really. I always wished I had siblings, and I live in Boston.” She finished her ice cream and then added, “And my favorite thing in the world as of this very moment is chocolate ice cream eaten while holding your hand.” She smiled up at him. “Your turn.”
“Well, let’s see. I’m kind of loving holding your hand and finishing my cone, too, but I think it has more to do with you than the ice cream.” He pulled her against his side as the tide rose and water crept toward them. “I never wished for siblings, because that would have meant sharing my grandmother, and I really treasured her. Still do. I live a pretty simple life, also in Boston, as you know.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a computer geek.”
“Oh no. Really? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything about not liking technology.”
A wave crashed against the shore and raced toward them. Jamie wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her up and over the rushing water. She squealed and laughed as he ran up the beach toward the dunes with her in his arms. They tumbled onto the sand in a fit of laughter.
“You’re fast!” She was out of breath from laughing, and it felt so good that her cheeks hurt from smiling. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. Her hair was whipping in the wind. She gathered it and twisted it into a knot at the base of her neck.
“Wow.” His eyes danced over her face. “You’re always beautiful, but now I can see your face better, and your neck, and…” He leaned closer and kissed her; then he pulled his knees up and casually rested his arms over them.
The air around them heated, and she knew he pulled back to cool the passion brewing between them in an effort to respect their new rules.
“Tell me…” She swallowed past the urge to kiss him again. “Tell me about your computer geekiness.”
He leaned his shoulder against hers and laughed. “My computer geekiness? Well, you know that search engine you hate so much, OneClick?”
“If you mean the evil search engine, yes, I know it too well for my liking,” she teased.
“I developed it.” He stared out at the ocean as if he’d just told her that his name was Jamie or his hair was black.
“Developed it? Like, created it?” She couldn’t fathom the amount of technical knowledge it would take to create such a thing.
He nodded. “Don’t hold my geekiness against me.”
“I won’t if you won’t hold my inability to master it against me.” She scooted closer so their sides were pressed against each other. “I’m stealing your warmth.”
He put his arm around her and kissed her temple. “I’ll happily share my warmth.”
“So what’s it like to do what you do?” She envisioned him sitting in front of a computer all day, but she had no idea what he’d actually do beyond that.
“It’s kind of like juggling about fifty balls at once. My company has twelve hundred employees in Boston and another fifteen hundred overseas. I just launched a new project last summer that integrates several arms of our search engines and brings results to users quicker and with more options using various algorithms—” He tightened his grip on her shoulder. “I’m rambling about something you have no idea about. Talk about boring. Sorry. Basically I do geeky stuff all day and go to a lot of meetings.” He dug his toes into the sand.
“Your eyes light up when you talk about it, so you must enjoy it.” She loved the smile that came with those happy eyes and the creases by his mouth that made her want to kiss him again.
“I wake up excited to get started, and when I finally go to bed at night, which is sometimes at two or three in the morning, because I do my best work at night, I hit the pillow feeling satisfied.”
“Sounds like you’re talking about a lover.” She wrapped her arm around his leg and cuddled in closer, soaking in the ocean breeze as it washed over them.
“Yeah, I guess. But a different type of satisfaction.” He stroked her back, warming her all over. “How about you? Tell me about prim and proper symphony mode.”
She turned and looked at him, expecting to see a taunt in his eyes, but they were dark and serious. “Do you really want to know?”
“I want to know everything you’re willing to share with me.”
Everything? That gave her pause. She’d never felt like her life was very interesting. “Okay, well, in a nutshell, I’ve been playing since I was a little girl. My mom says I always wanted to play, and I don’t remember a time I didn’t want to, so I have to believe her. But I think I also wanted to please her. She’s an incredible cellist, but she never made the cut for the more prestigious symphonies, and I wanted to do that for her. I think I did, anyway. I’m no longer sure about the whys of it all, but I can’t go backward. I can only keep moving toward the brass ring. This summer is my brass ring.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “When I see how your grandmother treats you, it drives home how much I missed with my mom. I long to have a mother who treats me like I’m special for reasons other than my musical abilities. Vera looks at you like she adores the person you are. My father does that, and it makes up for what my mother never did, but still.”
“Babe.” He stroked her back.
“It’s okay, really. I can’t feel bad for myself, because while my mother wasn’t warm when I was growing up, she taught me all the proper things I needed to know to succeed in my field, and I inherited her musical talents, so I should really thank her.”
He gathered her in his arms and held her tight. She closed her eyes and soaked him in. She’d never shared those worries aloud, and she hadn’t realized how deep they cut until that very second when she felt her throat swell and tears dampen her eyes.
“Wouldn’t it be great if we could choose our parents?” Jamie’s voice was solemn.
Jessica remembered that his parents had died. She lifted her head and saw compassion in his eyes. “Jamie. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Here I am complaining about my mother, and yours is…”
“Gone.”
“Yes.” More tears welled in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
He nodded. “You know, I used to carry a lot of anger. I’ve never told anyone this before, but I’m sure my grandmother knows how angry I was. My parents had a lot of money. My father worked on Wall Street. He’d come home late at night, and I’d hear them talking after I was in bed. He’d come into my room, rub my back a little to wake me up, and talk to me about my day. I don’t remember much, just bits and pieces of things. I remember my mom always smiling. She was a nature lover, and I think that’s why she was so excited to go on the safari. She could finally see all the beautiful creatures she had dreamed about and watched on television. And my dad? He would do anything to see her smile. The thing that stood out most about him was the way he looked at my mom, like she was the most incredible person he knew, almost like he fell in love with her over and over again every time he saw her. We used to spend weekends as a family, and I have this feeling, more than a memory, of how much they loved me. But when they were planning their trip, I remember begging them not to go. That I remember clearly.”
“Oh, Jamie.” She caressed his cheek.
He shook his head and looked off in the distance. “I don’t know why I was so against them going. They showed me brochures, and they were so happy about going on this safari that for some reason scared the life out of me.”
“Do you think you knew they were going to run into trouble? I’ve heard of that, young kids having premonitions. They say kids are more open to those types of things.” She could never have this New Agey type of conversation with her parents, and yet, with Jamie, she felt as though she could talk about anything.
He shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe I was just a scared little boy who didn’t want to go to the African bush for a month, or maybe I just didn’t want my parents to go. I don’t know.”
“Were you with them when…?”
“Vera wouldn’t let them take me. She told them that it wasn’t good for me to miss a month of school, and she came to New York to stay with me. I’ve always felt a little guilty about that.” His eyes became hooded, and he looked away.
“I’m so sorry, and I hate that nothing I say can take that pain away.” She climbed into his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her cheek to his. “I wish I was there when you were little. I’d have hugged you and told you how loved you were. I’d have listened when you were angry and cried when you were sad.”
His strong arms wrapped around her body and he sighed. “I believe you would have. It was a long time ago.”
They sat like that for a long while, their silence buffered by the sound of the ocean and the smell of the sea. Eventually—Jessica didn’t know how much time had passed—his grip on her eased. Their eyes connected, and when their mouths came together, the rest of the world fell away. All that was left was the sound of their breathing, the feel of their hearts beating fast and hard against their chests, and the passion that had them kissing with desperation, grasping at each other’s bodies. She ran her hands through his hair, over his neck, and all over every inch of his muscular back she could reach, while his hands traveled up her sides, making her crave more of him. The sadness of their confessions swirled around them and morphed into something thinner and smaller with every breath, then changed shape completely, spiraling into a common thread that wound around them and bound them together.
“Jess,” he said in a heated breath.
Three dates. Three dates. Three dates. Oh geez! Three whole dates?
She couldn’t answer. She could only kiss him more. His hands were everywhere—Oh my, yes—sending a shudder of need right through her. Shivers of heat chased that shudder deeper, and when he used his other hand to hold the back of her head as he kissed her neck, then licked it with his tongue, it was all she could do to fist her hands in his shirt to keep from begging for more. But, oh, did she want more. He used his teeth to unzip her sweatshirt, and it just about killed her to have his mouth that close to her skin. He drew back for an instant.
“Waist up?”
“Waist up.” Ohgoshohgoshohgosh.
He lifted her shirt and kissed her belly, and her body electrified. She could hardly believe she was making out on the beach. She didn’t do things like this! But every pass of his tongue took her higher, until she couldn’t think and couldn’t take it anymore. He moaned, a guttural, masculine sound of appreciation that made her pulse skyrocket. She was going to hyperventilate. She was sure of it. She couldn’t catch her breath, except to beg.
“More. Oh please, Jamie.”
He kissed and teased until her mind went numb and her body turned into a bundle of oversensitive nerves. Every kiss, every touch, took her closer to the edge.
They tumbled to the sand, groping and kissing, their bodies aligned. Goosebumps raced across her flesh as his big hands gripped her ribs and he kissed a path down the center of her stomach and lingered around her belly button. His thumbs stroked the sensitive skin beside her hips, and she felt as though she might come apart right then. She buried her hands in his hair and he grazed his teeth along her waist. Then he moved up her body, aligning their bodies again, and took her in a long, passionate kiss that nearly made her lose her mind. Their hips gyrated. Tingling began in her arms and legs. Something unfamiliar, wicked, and wild coiled deep in her belly, tugging, reaching, teasing. She’d read about these sensations, but she’d never actually felt them. Her heartbeat quickened. She was so aroused. This had to be what all the fuss over sex was about.
Above the waist. Above the waist.
Oh good heavens, they were totally clothed, their bodies moving in a mesmerizing rhythm, and she was embarrassingly close to having her first orgasm. She sucked in a breath, and he trapped her earlobe in his teeth, as he’d done the other night.
“How close are you?” he whispered.
She mewed. Mewed! He knew? She was mortified and even more turned on.
“Close…I think.”
He sealed his mouth over hers and kissed her hard, demanding. It was erotic and sensual and so darn hot that she lost all control, and fireworks exploded behind her closed lids.
She was panting, embarrassed, and totally and completely taken with this patient and compassionate man who also happened to be off-the-charts sexy and able to turn her world upside down while almost fully clothed. Jessica covered her eyes with her arm. He gently moved her arm aside and kissed her eyelids.
“Hey,” he whispered. “Don’t hide. You’re stunning, Jess.”
She clenched her eyes shut. She wished she could disappear, slip beneath the sand and tunnel to the sea. But even from behind closed lids, she sensed his smile and felt the heat of his gaze. She opened her eyes, and he was indeed smiling down at her.
“Oh no,” she whispered.
“Stop.” His whisper washed over her, soothing her worry. “You’re beautiful.”
“But I…” She glanced down at her body. “You…”
“I’m fine.” He rolled onto his side beside her, one arm draped over her belly.
She turned onto her side, still reeling from how her body reacted to him. “You nearly turned me inside out. I should do something in return.”
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “No, babe. I wanted you. Badly. I didn’t do that because I wanted payback.”
“Wow, you’re a real giver.” She laughed and buried her face in his shirt. “I’m terribly embarrassed. I’ve never done that, and I didn’t even know I could.”
“Why are you embarrassed? We dig each other. That’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, but I don’t…you know. And to do it without…you know.” Oh geez, shut up! Her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
“You don’t you know? Well, we’ll have to fix that, now, won’t we?”
He gathered her in his arms again and kissed her tenderly. “You’re incredible. Don’t ever be embarrassed around me. I think you’re lovely.” He kissed her again. “And incredibly sexy.” He kissed her neck. “The sweetest person I know.” He gazed deeply into her eyes. “And I want to spend more time with you, and I want to make you…you know.”
Oh yes, now she knew.
And she wanted to…you know…even more.