Sunsets at Seaside(15)

In the quiet of the night there was only the two of them and the sound of their quick, heady breaths. Her fingers traveled beneath his open collar, through his light spray of chest hair to the hot skin beneath. She’d never done this, taken her time touching a man like this, while he watched her every move. She’d never even made the first move. She wasn’t a virgin. There had been one guy. In high school, when she was rebelling against being her mother’s perfect cello-playing daughter. She’d dated a few men since then, but had never opened herself up to sleeping with them. She’d never wanted to do this to anyone. And just touching clearly wasn’t enough, because she was already aroused. Whoa, it had been forever since that happened spontaneously. She withdrew her hand from his shirt, and he covered it with his, trapping it against his chest.

“Don’t stop,” he said quietly. “That felt nice.”

You have no idea how nice. He held her gaze, and she wanted to sink into the sensual well of emotion in his eyes and bathe in it.

“I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this.” Why was she whispering? They were alone in the dark. The other cottages were dark. Surely no one could hear them. But she wanted quiet with Jamie. She wanted quiet and dark and—

He shifted his weight and brought his right arm around her back, then gathered her hair and drew it over one shoulder.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m not usually like this either. I can’t stop looking at you, and it’s taking all of my strength not to do what I really want to do.”

“You don’t even know me.” Shut. Up. Shut. Up.

He shook his head. “But I’d like to.”

Her pulse quickened. Her hand was still pressed to his chest, and she had no plans on moving it anytime soon.

“Wh-what do you really want to do?” She pressed her lips together, unable to believe she’d asked and so thankful that she had. Bella must be wearing off on her.

He drew his brows together. “Stay here all night and talk to you. Kiss those amazing lips of yours and see if you taste as sweet as you seem. Bury my hand in that gorgeous hair of yours—” He slid his hand beneath her hair and fisted his hand in it, angling her head back just a little. “And set my lips on your neck.” He pulled her in close and pressed a kiss to the base of her neck, which zapped her brain cells.

He opened his mouth, his soft lips sending shocks of desire through her body. His tongue slid along her skin as he kissed his way to the tender spot below her ear. She didn’t even know she was sensitive there, but she was trembling against him. “And taste you until you’re squirming so badly you have to kiss me back.”

His whisper stole her breath. She could barely think past the desires coursing through her. He took her earlobe between his teeth, then sucked it into his mouth, and she worried she might die on the spot, it was such a rush. She fisted her hand in his shirt and a heated whisper tumbled out.

“Kiss me.”

Their eyes met for a split second before he lowered his glorious lips to hers and she got her first taste of him. She felt each kiss all the way to her toes, soft and unyielding at the same time. His mouth was hot, every stroke of his tongue, eager and hungry. He deepened the kiss, and it sparked an urgency for more that she didn’t understand but didn’t have any desire to fight. She threaded her hands in his hair, earning her a deep, masculine groan from deep in his lungs, which vibrated in his chest as he pulled her closer. She’d never been kissed like this before. Had no idea a kiss could consume her like this. How could anybody kiss like this and ever move on to anything else? Their kiss eased to a slow passion that burned through every inch of her shiver-ridden body. He kissed her more softly, drawing his lips away, and she pressed on the back of his head, unwilling to relent just yet. This was too delicious, too mesmerizing, too freeing. He met her need and deepened the kiss again. Their tongues crashed, air passed from his lungs to hers, then back again. She felt something inside her whir like a bird’s wings, and as they finally, reluctantly, drew apart, a needful sound escaped.

“I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you.” His whisper was low and gravelly.

She opened her mouth to say something. What, she had no clue. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t speak. She could only want. She pulled his mouth to hers again, melting against him, and she went a little crazy—fisting her hands in his shirt, clawing for more of his sinfully delicious mouth. Oh gosh, what was she doing? She had to stop. She knew she should. She wasn’t this type of girl. She didn’t attack men with her mouth and cling to them like they were hers for the taking. But…he smelled so good, and he was so strong, holding her against him, returning her desire with an intensity she’d only dreamed of. She kissed him harder. She could kiss him all night. They didn’t have to do anything more. Just to have this connection, this inferno blazing between them. It was more than she’d ever felt for anything. Except the cello. She loved playing as much as she loved kissing him. No, no, no! This was so much better, hotter, more satisfying, all-consuming. She needed oxygen, but she couldn’t pull away. Wouldn’t. She’d rather drown in this kiss. Tomorrow the girls would come out and find her body seared from the inside out, lying lifeless on the bench with a smile on her lips, and someone would win five dollars. Just when she was about to draw away with the need to breathe, he breathed air into her lungs. Oh, she was head over heels for him, for his kisses. She was hopeless. She slowly became aware of his heart beating against her hand again. Of his erratic breathing mirroring her own. Of the feel of his hand pressed against the back of her skull, the other hand firmly holding her hip. Her clutch on his shirt softened, and everything in her mind settled and came together in one final, breathtaking press of their lips.