Page 60 of Summer on Sunshine Bay

“James!” She ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Lila,” she cried, sobbing into his neck. He was warm and damp and smelled like soap and safety.

His fingers closed around her biceps, and he held her away from him, looking as frantic as she’d felt before she was in his arms. “She’s not hurt, not physically.”

“Thank God.” He blew out a breath. “You scared the hell out of me.” Then he looked her over and frowned. “You’ve been crying. Why? What’s going on?”

Through her sobs, she told him what she’d overheard. “It’s because of us she’s marrying him, James. She doesn’t want her baby to grow up like she did.”

“Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay,” his said, his voice gentle and soothing. He wrapped an arm around her and walked her into his bedroom, guiding her to his bed. “Sit down.”

He left her sitting on the edge of the mattress and walked into the bathroom, returning seconds later with a box of tissues, a cold cloth, and a glass of water.

“Thank you.” She sniffed, taking a tissue and wiping her nose.

“You’ve got blood on your leg. What happened?” He crouched in front of her and wrapped his hand around her calf, lifting her foot to rest it on his knee.

“I had to get out of there. I didn’t want Lila to see me like this. I needed you.”

He looked up from cleaning her knee, the damp cloth stilling in his hand.

“I mean, I needed to talk to you,” she said, flustered by the sight of him crouched in front of her. His bare, golden-tanned chest made it difficult to get the words out without stammering. “You…you’re the only one who would understand. I told Gia I had to go to the grocery store, but I forgot the car was in the shop, so I took Willow’s scooter.”

His lips twitched. “You rode the scooter here?”

She nodded. “And I may have accidently driven it into your car.”

“You drove it into my car?”

“It actually drove itself into your car after it dumped me into your neighbor’s driveway. I’ll pay for the damage.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, leaning in, his lips almost touching her sensitive skin.

She was no longer worried about his car. She was worried about the heat building inside her at the feel of his warm breath caressing her knee as he blew on the scrape.

On what felt like one of the worst days of her life, her libido had decided to come out of hibernation. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. It was James, after all. A man who’d once turned her on with a glance, a smile, or a brush of his fingers against hers.

She felt the heavy weight of his gaze, watching her as he pressed a soft kiss on her knee. She shivered, desire spiraling out of control inside her.

“James,” her voice came out on a breathy exhalation. She sounded breathless and needy. “We have to—”

“Did you mean what you said, Eva?” His voice was a rough rasp. “Did you need me?”

“No,” she said, because she didn’t need anyone. And then he pressed a kiss on the inside of her leg just above her knee. “Yes.”

“Good, because I’ve wanted to kiss you since the night at La Dolce Vita.” His hands skimmed the outsides of her thighs as he rose up on his knees. “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes. Please.”

He took her face between his hands. “I don’t remember you being so polite,” he said, then whispered what she’d asked him, begged him to do to her one long-ago summer night. When she’d loved him, and he’d loved her, and they couldn’t get enough of each other.

He kissed her then, and it was the same as it used to be. His towel hit the floor, and her clothes soon followed. They explored every inch of each other with their hands and mouths until Eva didn’t think she would last another second. “James, please,” she begged.

He reached out a hand toward the nightstand without removing his mouth from hers, and then he groaned. “I don’t have condoms.”

“I haven’t been with anyone for more than a year.” It was closer to two but she was loath to admit it. “And I’ve always been careful. It’s also highly unlikely I can get pregnant.”

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