Page 35 of Summer Reading

There was a shift in the air. I wasn’t sure if it was the space between us vibrating with awareness or if it was just me, but suddenly the chirp of the crickets and the sound of Tyler’s music faded beneath a steady hum that coursed through my whole body. The night air seemed to thicken, and I was having a hard time drawing a breath.

Did he mean that the way I thought? Was I overthinking things? Probably. His gaze met mine, and beneath its scorching heat, every coherent thought I had flew right out of my head. Instinct took over and I stepped closer to him.

His eyes darkened with an intensity that made my stomach drop in anticipation. He held out his hand as if in invitation. I had no idea to what, but I didn’t hesitate. I put my hand in his, and he tugged me close. I didn’t resist the pull and found my front pressed up against his chest just like I had been on the ferry boat when we first met.

“You fascinate me, Samantha Gale,” he whispered.

I would have said the same about him, but I was too distracted by the crispness of his shirt, the feel of his hands catching my hips, the way the yellow porch light picked up the copper strands in his hair. I was on sensory overload, but for once it was intoxicating, like drinking too much champagne.

He ducked his head and placed his lips on mine. His kiss was firm but gentle, and I could feel the rough rub of his close-shaven beard against my chin. It was a tentative getting-to-know-you kiss, delivered in little sips and slides, gasps and sighs. It was lovely, and then it turned hot.

He pressed one hand on my lower back and pulled me in tight. His other hand slid up my back and dug into the hair at the nape of my neck, holding me still while his tongue traced the seam of my lips, encouraging my mouth to open to him. I welcomed all of it, and heat rushed through me much like the wave of hot air that’s released when opening an oven door. My hands slid up his shirtfront and clung to hisshoulders, while the kiss deepened and my insides melted into a puddle of fiery, aching need. Mercy.

When I would have instinctively pressed up against him and demanded more, he eased back the throttle, gentled the kiss, and released me, pressing his forehead to mine while we both attempted to get our bearings. I was lost. It was like getting just a taste of something that dazzled the senses only to have it taken away.

My body tipped toward his, inviting more, but he didn’t pull me in. His hands lowered to my hips, keeping me at a safe distance, which was weird, because the moment his mouth met mine, I hadn’t felt safe at all. Instead, I was quite certain that every wall I had built, every shield I’d employed, and every safety net I had strung could be demolished by this man. The realization shook me.

It must have shown on my face, because he dropped his hands from my hips and said, “Sorry. Too soon? I should have warned you I was making a move.”

I shook my head. “No, your signals were very clear. I could have shut you down.”

“You sure about that?” he asked. “I can be very single-minded.”

That surprised a laugh out of me. “So can I.”

We stared at each other in bemusement. Oh, I enjoyed this man, but it was complicated. First, Tyler was my responsibility this summer, and I could not get distracted from my purpose, which was to take care ofhim. Second, I had absolutely no idea how I was going to tell Ben, whose passion was books, that I was not a reader. When I dropped that bomb on him, hot librarian guy was definitely going to leave skid marks. It had happened before, and I had no doubt it would happen again. And I understood. I mean, it would be like him telling me, the professional chef, that he didn’t eat. How could this ever work?

Perhaps I should have been more on my guard and stopped that kiss in its tracks, but it’d been so long since I’d dated anyone, and he was so ridiculously attractive. Even more so now with his rumpled hair and swollen mouth, I could feel my body leaning in just to be near him. I arched my back.

“Why did you kiss me?” I asked. It came out more bluntly than I’d intended, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“You mean aside from the fact that I’ve been thinking about it since I met you on the ferry?” His smile was pure mischief and he said, “After our conversation at the bar, I felt the need to be clear about who I’m interested in.”

My heart thumped hard in my chest, and it was all I could do not to clarify and ask, “Me?” Instead, I just nodded, trying to be cool when I was anything but.

“See you Monday, Samantha. We need to talk about your cooking program for the teens, among other things.”

I sucked in a breath. How did the man make twosimple words, other things, sound so wicked? Wait. What did he say? I shook my head to clear it.

“You’re approving the program?” I asked.

“Of course,” he said. “You’re clearly a brilliant chef.”

“Yes!” I did a fist pump. I was back! Plus, I’d get to see him, which was even more exciting to me than cooking. Shocking, I know.

He turned and headed for the stairs.

“Ben, I—” I began—yes, I was stalling him, not quite ready to let him go—but the front door banged open, and there was Tyler. Probably a good thing before I confessed all about myself and scared the man off island.

“Sam, you have to show me that T step again,” Tyler said. He was breathing hard and soaked in sweat.

I glanced from him to Ben and said, “Never mind, we can talk on Monday.”

Ben nodded. “Looking forward to it. Good night.”

I would have watched as he fired up his motorcycle and rode away, but Tyler started dancing, thumping the floorboards of our old porch hard enough that I thought he might fall through. Clearly, I’d created a monster.

Chapter Nine

---