Page 45 of Her Athlete's Wedding Secret

“Is that so?” Benson gave her a look that scorched her. Suddenly she wished he would kiss her again.

They were seated at the restaurant, and Benson ordered the Mahi Mahi. Tessa went with the soft shell crab.

Their waiter brought them glasses of chardonnay, and Tessa sipped hers. Out in the distance, she could see waves crashing against the shore. Emerald peaks stretched into the sky. They truly were in paradise. “This place is unreal,” Tessa said. “Have you ever been here before?”

“Not to this island, but I’ve cruised the Caribbean before.”

“It’s incredible. I could build a beach house here.”

“There are a lot more incredible places we could see together.”

For a moment, Tessa thought he might suggest getting rid of the idea that they had to be divorced after three years. Some crazy errant thought came into her mind. Would it be so bad if they could work things out and stay together permanently? Was there a way he could make a place for her in his heart?

Their food came, and they ate off each other’s plates. “This is fantastic,” Tessa moaned. “I think I could live here forever.”

“You just got here.” Benson laughed. “Just wait until you see the other parts of the island.”

“I think I was born for this life.”

“It sure does beat the smog in New York City.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not giving up on my dream of being a star reporter with a big city newspaper. But I wouldn’t mind vacationing down here regularly.”

Benson took a sip of his wine. “I could get on board with that.”

“Let’s take a picture,” Tessa said. She scooted close to Benson, and she could smell his expensive cologne. It smelled like sandalwood mixed with his own scent. It did funny things to her insides when she was this near to him. She pulled her phone out to snap a selfie of them. She inspected the picture.

“We look good together,” he murmured in her ear. Goosebumps shot down her arm. She turned to him. “You think so?”

He met her eye. “I do.”

She thought he was going to kiss her at that moment, but he pulled out his phone instead.

“Text that to me, and I’ll post it,” Benson said.

“Sure,” Tessa said. What was she thinking? She knew Benson didn’t want anything romantic. She was letting her imagination run wild.

When they’d finished their dinner, they left the restaurant and walked toward the beach.

“This resort is huge,” Tessa said. They passed a line of darling little gift shops. Some had beach supplies like towels and swimsuits, other stores had saltwater taffy. There were a few designer stores and even an art gallery. “Carrington would love to see this art gallery. Layla, too. They both love art.”

“We can do some shopping tomorrow if you’d like,” Benson said.

“Sure.”

Finally, they found the entrance to the beach. They stepped out onto the sand. She took her sandals off, and it slipped between her toes, soft and warm. The sun was setting over the water. “How beautiful.”

He took her hand in his, and they walked down the beach together. Orange and pink rays shot across the sky. The beach had mostly cleared out for the day, and only a few stragglers remained.

Benson took Tessa’s hand, and they walked down the beach. She supposed he was doing it for show, but there weren’t that many people there, so it seemed strange that he would choose this moment to put on an act. It felt nice, so she didn’t stop to question his motives. She was beginning to feel the magic of the island working on her. She could feel herself getting sucked into the fantasy that this place helped create. That everything was perfect between them. They were a normal, happy couple in love. For this moment, she could allow that for herself, indulge that part of her that longed for her happily ever after.

Benson stopped walking for a moment. He looked into her eyes, and the expression there made her breath catch in her throat. Desire. He wanted her. And this was no act.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Tessa Patrick.”

That was right. She wasn’t Tessa Randall anymore. No one had called her Tessa Patrick before. Her throat went dry. “Thank you.” The wind picked up, and her hair blew gently across her face. Benson reached up and tucked it behind her ear. His touch sent a shiver down her spine.

“I’d like to try something,” Benson murmured. “Be still for a moment.”

Tessa stood quietly, looking up into Benson’s eyes. He placed his hands on either side of her face in such a loving, tender way. And then he brought his lips to hers. Every question flew from her mind, and all she knew in that moment was Benson. Everything about him felt familiar and new all at once. Their mouths moved together in synch, and nothing else mattered. She had to have him. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She couldn’t get enough. He deepened the kiss and growled against her mouth in a primal way that turned her insides to liquid fire. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. There was a raw hunger there. He bent back down and kissed her again and again, like he was cherishing her body and soul. A sob wrenched from deep inside him, and he flung himself away from her.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t. I thought I could, but I was wrong.”

Tessa put a hand to her mouth. Her lips were swollen from the passionate kiss. She’d never experience a kiss like that. She didn’t even know they existed, and she’d read her fair share of romance novels. This kiss topped anything her imagination could have conjured up. Her heart longed for him to take her back in his arms, but he wouldn’t step close to her again. He had a haunted look in his eyes, and she wondered if he was thinking about Megan.

Disappointment tore through her. Couldn’t she have one ounce of happiness of her own without it being tainted?

Benson wouldn’t look at her, and she wondered what kind of inner demons he was fighting to pull away so abruptly from a kiss like that.

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