She fits perfectly in his arms and in his life, sealing
his fate from the moment he watched the first graceful curve of her hands
across her body.
An hour later, the buzzing of his phone
interrupts their slumber. Fishing it out of his pocket, his stomach tightens at
the number scrolling across the screen before he puts it to his ear. “Give me
two minutes.”
He hits ‘end’ as she stretches her arm
across his chest and points her toes before looking up at him and smiling.
“Hi.”
Even with messy hair and sleep-heavy eyes
she’s beautiful. And, thankfully honest. No sneaking off, at least not this
time. “Hi.” He smiles and cups her cheek. “I’m sorry, sweetness, but I need to
make a call. Can you give me a few minutes?”
“Sure. I’ll see you inside.”
Waiting until the door clicks shut behind
her, he climbs out of the hammock and dials the number. “Make it quick. Is it
done?” Silence answers him back. “God damn it, I’m tired of your constant fuck-ups.
Fucking take care of it and call me back.”
He slams the cell against the railing and
takes a deep breath, trying to calm his irritation before returning to Shae. This
stupid idiot won’t ruin his time with her, not after she’s given him a little
more of herself as well as her entire day.
Inside the kitchen, she stands at the
counter slicing strawberries. Oranges, peaches, and cherries line the edge of
the cutting board. He wraps his arms around her torso and nuzzles her neck.
“What are you making?”
She leans back against him, but continues
working. “Sangria. Nathan usually has to work weekends, but he’s off today so
Carrie and I are making enchiladas for dinner. I thought it would be fun to
have a festive cocktail to go with them.”
“Can I help?”
“Of course.”
He releases her waist and heads to the
sink to wash his hands. Returning to the work area she has set up, he slowly
slides his fingers down her arms, covering her hands with his own. Rubbing the
top of her left ring finger, he takes a deep breath. His plans will have to
wait until she’s ready. After what happened last night, it’s going to be a
while.
“Is everything okay? You sounded upset
when you were on the phone.”
He stills. The last thing he wants is for
her to be thinking about his job. Releasing her hand, he places his finger on
her lips. “ Shhh .
No talking about work.”
Her kiss on his fingertip makes his pulse
quicken. He must return the favor. “Do you ever wear your hair up?”
“Sometimes. Why?”
Sweeping the long strands to the side, he
places kisses along her shoulders and neck. “It makes it easier to do this.”
Her body shivers in response, and she
drops the paring knife. “I thought you were supposed to be helping.”
“What? This isn’t helpful? Okay, I’ll be
good.”
She begins slicing again as he rests his
chin on her shoulder, his left hand splayed on her belly, his right resting on
hers as it moves up and down. She lays down the knife again and picks up a
strawberry, bringing it to his mouth. “Do you want to taste to see if it’s
ripe?”
He glides the tip of his tongue over her
thumb and each fingertip before biting into the fragrant fruit. “It’s good.
What do you think?” He picks up another one and rubs it across her bottom lip.
She licks her lips before fully opening her mouth. The graze of her tongue
against his finger explodes like a grenade to his groin. He steps backward and
makes a T with his hands. “Time out, sweetness. We’ve got to stop, or I won’t
be able to help myself.”
Leaning against the countertop behind
him, he blows out a long breath. She turns to him, feigning innocence with wide
eyes but a sly smile. Pressing her hands against his chest, she leans forward,
her lips only a few inches from his mouth. “Don’t you want to taste any more of
my fruit?”
“Shae…” He issues a warning. He’s willing
to wait, but his resolve is no match for this kind of temptation.
“Nick?”
his fate from the moment he watched the first graceful curve of her hands
across her body.
An hour later, the buzzing of his phone
interrupts their slumber. Fishing it out of his pocket, his stomach tightens at
the number scrolling across the screen before he puts it to his ear. “Give me
two minutes.”
He hits ‘end’ as she stretches her arm
across his chest and points her toes before looking up at him and smiling.
“Hi.”
Even with messy hair and sleep-heavy eyes
she’s beautiful. And, thankfully honest. No sneaking off, at least not this
time. “Hi.” He smiles and cups her cheek. “I’m sorry, sweetness, but I need to
make a call. Can you give me a few minutes?”
“Sure. I’ll see you inside.”
Waiting until the door clicks shut behind
her, he climbs out of the hammock and dials the number. “Make it quick. Is it
done?” Silence answers him back. “God damn it, I’m tired of your constant fuck-ups.
Fucking take care of it and call me back.”
He slams the cell against the railing and
takes a deep breath, trying to calm his irritation before returning to Shae. This
stupid idiot won’t ruin his time with her, not after she’s given him a little
more of herself as well as her entire day.
Inside the kitchen, she stands at the
counter slicing strawberries. Oranges, peaches, and cherries line the edge of
the cutting board. He wraps his arms around her torso and nuzzles her neck.
“What are you making?”
She leans back against him, but continues
working. “Sangria. Nathan usually has to work weekends, but he’s off today so
Carrie and I are making enchiladas for dinner. I thought it would be fun to
have a festive cocktail to go with them.”
“Can I help?”
“Of course.”
He releases her waist and heads to the
sink to wash his hands. Returning to the work area she has set up, he slowly
slides his fingers down her arms, covering her hands with his own. Rubbing the
top of her left ring finger, he takes a deep breath. His plans will have to
wait until she’s ready. After what happened last night, it’s going to be a
while.
“Is everything okay? You sounded upset
when you were on the phone.”
He stills. The last thing he wants is for
her to be thinking about his job. Releasing her hand, he places his finger on
her lips. “ Shhh .
No talking about work.”
Her kiss on his fingertip makes his pulse
quicken. He must return the favor. “Do you ever wear your hair up?”
“Sometimes. Why?”
Sweeping the long strands to the side, he
places kisses along her shoulders and neck. “It makes it easier to do this.”
Her body shivers in response, and she
drops the paring knife. “I thought you were supposed to be helping.”
“What? This isn’t helpful? Okay, I’ll be
good.”
She begins slicing again as he rests his
chin on her shoulder, his left hand splayed on her belly, his right resting on
hers as it moves up and down. She lays down the knife again and picks up a
strawberry, bringing it to his mouth. “Do you want to taste to see if it’s
ripe?”
He glides the tip of his tongue over her
thumb and each fingertip before biting into the fragrant fruit. “It’s good.
What do you think?” He picks up another one and rubs it across her bottom lip.
She licks her lips before fully opening her mouth. The graze of her tongue
against his finger explodes like a grenade to his groin. He steps backward and
makes a T with his hands. “Time out, sweetness. We’ve got to stop, or I won’t
be able to help myself.”
Leaning against the countertop behind
him, he blows out a long breath. She turns to him, feigning innocence with wide
eyes but a sly smile. Pressing her hands against his chest, she leans forward,
her lips only a few inches from his mouth. “Don’t you want to taste any more of
my fruit?”
“Shae…” He issues a warning. He’s willing
to wait, but his resolve is no match for this kind of temptation.
“Nick?”
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