Linking their fingers, he crossed her arms over his chest. She leaned forward until her breasts pressed against his upper back and she rested her cheek against the top of his head. She wanted to hold him, and be held by him.
“Are you watching the kids?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Yes,” he whispered back. Because it was that kind of moment.
They sat that way in silence, seconds and minutes passing, his warm breath across her arm.
Finally Matt raised their joined hands and pressed his lips to the back of hers before letting go. Jack and Gracie were calling for a trip into the ocean.
He rose and held out his hand. “The munchkins call.”
She avoided his gaze, suddenly embarrassed by her roaming hands.
“Abby.”
She stared at his outstretched hand. Don’t. Don’t reach for anyone. The familiar warning sounded farther away than usual. So, she took what he offered and his hand closed around hers, strong and sure, giving a little tug.
“Come swim with me. I won’t let you go. I promise.”
His dimpled grin turned hot, burning her, his deep voice fanning the flames.
“Don’t be afraid.”
That he would let her drown? No, she wouldn’t be afraid of anything if he was holding her. That’s what she was afraid of, because after today, he wouldn’t be.
—
The six of them waded into the ocean, Charlie attached to Matt’s side as usual. Gracie rode on his back, and Jack hung on to his outstretched forearm like a monkey. Matt held Abby’s hand tightly, and with Annie holding her other, he inched into the water, letting Abby get used to it. She still wasn’t a fan.
They stopped not far from shore, the waves lapping gently. The kids splashed and squealed until a flock of seagulls on the shore won their attention.
“Come here.” Matt tightened his grip on Abby’s hand before she could get away. With one arm around her waist, he held her tight against his side.
With his eyes still on the kids, he walked them slowly backward until Abby’s feet could no longer touch the bottom. She clung to his side, one arm holding on around his shoulders. The silky smooth legs he’d just stroked swayed and slid sensually against his own. All he could think was how much farther up her leg he’d wanted to go. Still wanted to go. The rolling water worked her tank top up, allowing his fingertips to find the soft skin at her waist. He should have forced her into the water days ago.
“What do you think? Good? Bad?”
“It’s okay. It was stupid to be scared.”
“It’s never stupid to be afraid. And you had damn good reason. Besides, here you are. In the ocean.” And here he was, closer to her than he’d been all week. And quickly becoming harder than he’d been in…a very long time.
While she kept her eyes on the kids, he kept his on her: soft, wet lips just inches from his; drops of water connecting her lashes, making them even darker and thicker. How could he have known her for such a short time and not be able to picture his days without her? “What would you be doing if you weren’t here?”
“Hmm.” She let her head fall against his shoulder. The sound of her voice hummed through him. “What time is it?”
He checked his watch. “Two-thirty.”
“If it wasn’t summer, I’d be picking up the kids at school.”
Weeks from now, when he was…wherever he was, he wanted to be able to picture her and what she was doing. “What about on a Tuesday, at nine-fifteen?”
“I don’t know.” He felt her smile into his neck. “Maybe the grocery store.”
Her thumb moved in a slow circular pattern over his skin, the sensation going straight to his balls. He adjusted her slightly, before she floated around and felt just how much her touch affected him. He concentrated on their shell seekers, scampering for the perfect find. Theirs. In a way, they had been theirs, at least for a week.
Chapter 12
Abby listened to the voices and giggles coming from the other room. The kids had let Matt in ten minutes ago, and here she was still in the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror, trying to see what Matt saw. Excitement and nerves chased each other around in her stomach.
Get a grip. This wasn’t a date; she and Matt had become good friends. That’s all. She walked out of the bathroom as ready as she was ever going to be.
“So, then what did you do?” Annie asked, sitting enthralled at Matt’s feet along with Jack.
“I used my knife to cut off the damaged parachute so I wouldn’t get tangled in it, then I pulled—”
Their eyes met. His heated gaze slid from her face, over her chest and the V-neck sundress that tied around her neck. He continued his perusal slowly down the length of her legs and back up again.