talking about a work colleague.”
He stared at her, speechless.
“You pushed me away because of my parents? You took what they said to heart and tried to make it a reality for me?”
“It made sense. You’re so goal-oriented, Sar. So determined to be the best you can be. You want to be a professor so bad I can even taste it. I didn’t want to get in your way.”
Sarah shook her head, dumbfounded. Water and sand flew everywhere. She wasn’t sure whether to lay into him and smack him for being an idiot, to thank him for wanting what he perceived was best for her, to hug him for respecting her parents’ wishes so loyally—even if he had misunderstood those wishes, or to just jump him here on the beach because, damn it, she loved him so much it hurt. “You did it for me?”
“Uh-huh.”
She held out her hand in question. “Why?”
“Why do you think?” He took a step towards her.
“Uh-uh.” She shook a finger at him. “Don’t you turn the question around on me. Don’t do that. Just tell me why.”
“Because, Geek Girl, I did what I believed was best for you.”
“What if I believe you’re what’s best for me?” She took a step towards him.
“Achieving your dreams is what’s best for you.”
“ You’re my dream, Surfer Dude.”
His eyes darkened. “Wet dream. There’s a difference.”
“You’re my wet dream too. But that’s not what I’m referring to now.”
“I’m your lover, Sar. A hook-up when we’re feeling horny. That’s it.”
“Correction. You were my lover. You put an end to that four nights ago.”
“For your own good.” Another step closer.
“You obviously have no idea what’s good for me.” She met his step with one of her own. “Which is a conundrum really, since you seem to know me better than anyone else in this world.”
“Sam’s good for you.”
“He is. Really good.” She took another step, closing the distance between them. “Sam was the one who let me in on your little secret.”
Charlie frowned. “What secret?”
“The one about you loving me.”
Charlie blinked. “He told you that?”
“He did, when I was blubbing like a baby on his shoulder—about you. But then I think he would have said anything to cheer me up.”
“So you realize it may not be true?”
She smiled confidently. “You’d save me from a burning building, Char. You pulled me out of the ocean. And you tried to live up to my parents’ wishes for me. Sam might have said it to cheer me up, but it’s true. Every last word of it. Besides, there isn’t another person alive who’d stop in the middle of a fire and let me take my doctorate off the wall.”
He shrugged. “I could never let you live without it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I only want what’s best for you. I only want you to be happy.”
“Why?”
Charlie gave a frustrated growl, grabbed her hand and yanked her into his arms. The towel fell to the sand behind her. “Because, Geek Girl, I fucking love you. And if you’re not happy, I can’t be happy.” And with that, he crushed his lips to hers, and kissed her as though there were no tomorrow. As though he’d almost lost the woman he loved and couldn’t quite believe he held her in his arms again. As though he’d never let her go.
And Sarah kissed him back, matching every bit of passion and longing she tasted on his tongue. Her heart tumbled in her chest, as though it had been caught in some mad whirlpool of its own making.
He kissed her for a very long time, until a wolf whistle and a catcall from somewhere down the beach made him pause and pull away.
She looked at him dreamily, loving how swollen his lips were, how unevenly his chest heaved against hers. “See?” she whispered. “A conundrum. Because I can’t be happy if you’re not in my life.”
“Then I guess we’ll just have to fix this. I guess I’ll have to be in your life.”
Oh, thank God. Thank God! “I guess so. But…”
Charlie looked alarmed. “But?”
She bit
He stared at her, speechless.
“You pushed me away because of my parents? You took what they said to heart and tried to make it a reality for me?”
“It made sense. You’re so goal-oriented, Sar. So determined to be the best you can be. You want to be a professor so bad I can even taste it. I didn’t want to get in your way.”
Sarah shook her head, dumbfounded. Water and sand flew everywhere. She wasn’t sure whether to lay into him and smack him for being an idiot, to thank him for wanting what he perceived was best for her, to hug him for respecting her parents’ wishes so loyally—even if he had misunderstood those wishes, or to just jump him here on the beach because, damn it, she loved him so much it hurt. “You did it for me?”
“Uh-huh.”
She held out her hand in question. “Why?”
“Why do you think?” He took a step towards her.
“Uh-uh.” She shook a finger at him. “Don’t you turn the question around on me. Don’t do that. Just tell me why.”
“Because, Geek Girl, I did what I believed was best for you.”
“What if I believe you’re what’s best for me?” She took a step towards him.
“Achieving your dreams is what’s best for you.”
“ You’re my dream, Surfer Dude.”
His eyes darkened. “Wet dream. There’s a difference.”
“You’re my wet dream too. But that’s not what I’m referring to now.”
“I’m your lover, Sar. A hook-up when we’re feeling horny. That’s it.”
“Correction. You were my lover. You put an end to that four nights ago.”
“For your own good.” Another step closer.
“You obviously have no idea what’s good for me.” She met his step with one of her own. “Which is a conundrum really, since you seem to know me better than anyone else in this world.”
“Sam’s good for you.”
“He is. Really good.” She took another step, closing the distance between them. “Sam was the one who let me in on your little secret.”
Charlie frowned. “What secret?”
“The one about you loving me.”
Charlie blinked. “He told you that?”
“He did, when I was blubbing like a baby on his shoulder—about you. But then I think he would have said anything to cheer me up.”
“So you realize it may not be true?”
She smiled confidently. “You’d save me from a burning building, Char. You pulled me out of the ocean. And you tried to live up to my parents’ wishes for me. Sam might have said it to cheer me up, but it’s true. Every last word of it. Besides, there isn’t another person alive who’d stop in the middle of a fire and let me take my doctorate off the wall.”
He shrugged. “I could never let you live without it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I only want what’s best for you. I only want you to be happy.”
“Why?”
Charlie gave a frustrated growl, grabbed her hand and yanked her into his arms. The towel fell to the sand behind her. “Because, Geek Girl, I fucking love you. And if you’re not happy, I can’t be happy.” And with that, he crushed his lips to hers, and kissed her as though there were no tomorrow. As though he’d almost lost the woman he loved and couldn’t quite believe he held her in his arms again. As though he’d never let her go.
And Sarah kissed him back, matching every bit of passion and longing she tasted on his tongue. Her heart tumbled in her chest, as though it had been caught in some mad whirlpool of its own making.
He kissed her for a very long time, until a wolf whistle and a catcall from somewhere down the beach made him pause and pull away.
She looked at him dreamily, loving how swollen his lips were, how unevenly his chest heaved against hers. “See?” she whispered. “A conundrum. Because I can’t be happy if you’re not in my life.”
“Then I guess we’ll just have to fix this. I guess I’ll have to be in your life.”
Oh, thank God. Thank God! “I guess so. But…”
Charlie looked alarmed. “But?”
She bit
Similar Books
