Page 22 of Booked for Summer

‘Maybe. But then you’d have missed out on an important first.’ He raised a brow and she grinned, blue eyes sparkling with humour. ‘First time you’ve played rock-paper-scissors on Galley Beach.’

Laughter shot out of him. He could have told her laughing was also a first on Galley Beach but he’d already told her more than he was comfortable with. Instead, he took her hand and helped her to her feet. To his astonishment, she reached up on tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

‘Thank you.’

Her lips weren’t even on his mouth. It shouldn’t feel so good. Yet combined with the soft look in her eyes, the sweet smell of her, he felt an odd wave of dizziness.

Women didn’t thank him for buying them a drink, like he’d done something special. They expected it.

Clearing his throat, he began to lead them back through the restaurant, his focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Not on the soft curl of her fingers around his hand, or the press of her body as it bumped against his. Definitely not on the weird sensation under his ribcage.

Or the throbbing heaviness in his groin.

ChapterNine

Jade’s heart began to gallop as they neared the yacht.

She’d made up her mind to go back with Liam the moment he’d asked her what she wanted to do with her life. When he’d admitted he had to make the reservation for their drink, it had sealed the deal. He could have made things easy for himself and accepted her suggestion they drink on his boat again. Instead, he’d taken her somewhere special. A place he clearly thoughtshewould appreciate.

He didn’t date, but he’d phoned ahead and booked a table.

He wanted to have sex, yet he’d listened to her rabbit on as if what she’d said was important to him.

The hottest man she’d ever met had treated her with respect. And enjoyed her company.

As he helped her onto his boat, the butterflies in her belly reacted like they were on speed, flapping their wings a million miles an hour.

And that was before he slid his hand against her lower back and drew her to him, close enough she felt the heat of his skin through her top. Far enough away she wanted to fling her arms around his neck and jump into his arms so she could feel that lean, hard body against hers.

‘Kiss me.’ Her voice sounded scratchy, rough to match the feel of her top against her aching nipples. ‘Please.’

He groaned, dipping his head to do exactly that. Not a tentative first kiss now, but a full meeting of mouths, of tongues. She felt him everywhere, not just with the flicks of his tongue, the press of his lips, but his restless hands that smoothed up and down her back, then cupped her face. The press of his thighs, the hard length of him that pulsed against her belly.

‘I’ve been thinking of undressing you all afternoon,’ he rasped.

‘I’ve been thinking of you undressing me for some of the afternoon,’ she admitted, inhaling sharply as he slid off her top with a sure, deft touch before finding the zipper of her skirt and pushing it down.

‘Only some?’ As her clothes pooled at her feet, his fingers traced the edge of the lace of her bra before slipping under, his thumb rubbing her aching nipple.

‘Um.’ Her own hands dragged off his jacket before reaching into his jeans, their touch less practiced, less sure, but the need to feel him, to see him, driving her on. ‘The rest of the time I imagined me undressing you.’

He gave a strangled half laugh, half growl as her fingers curled round his hard, pulsing length. ‘What is it about you that I can laugh even when you’re holding my dick?’

Class clown, needs to spend less time making people laugh and more of making something of herself.

‘What do you usually do when someone holds it?’ she asked. She squeezed, and his groan reverberated through her.

‘I don’t feel like I do now. Like I’m about to shoot my load after two good pulls.’ He swore crudely. ‘If you don’t want this to end with you pressed into my mattress, you need to tell me now.’

Was she ready for this? Ready to have sex with a guy she’d be unlikely to meet again, yet would potentially ruin her for anyone else? ‘I want to see your bed.’

‘Thank fuck.’ He lifted her into his arms, but then paused. ‘Wait, is thatseemy bedor lie on my bed?’

Laughter bubbled out of her. ‘I want to have a nosy inside your bedroom.’ As his big body froze, she ran her nose up the side of his neck and inhaled. It was a close call, but he really did smell better than a paperback. ‘And then I want to test out your mattress. With hot, sweaty sex,’ she added, just in case it still wasn’t one hundred per cent clear.

For a brief moment his body seemed to sag with relief and then suddenly she was being carried like a fairy princess through the cabin lined with cream-leather sofas and downstairs, to a bedroom with dark walnut panels and a huge bed with rumpled sheets.

‘I wasn’t expecting a visitor,’ he huffed as he pushed the bedding aside.

---