Page 28 of Nights at Seaside
“I’m pretty sure he wasn’t, although he did revise the statement afterward and tell me exactly what you did. That fighting is what he does, not who he is, so maybe he’s confused by it, too. Or maybe he was trying to impress me by changing it, because he knows I’m not on board with fighting.” She didn’t get the feeling that he was trying to impress her either way, and the more she thought about their conversation by the brook, the more she wondered if he really wasn’t sure. She was still having trouble putting the hard and soft pieces of Sawyer together.
“Maybe you should go watch him fight so you can get a feel for it.”
“I can’t watch him get hit.” The thought made her stomach queasy.
“No, I didn’t think you’d agree to. But you could watch him train. I’ll go with you. I’d love to watch him do his thing.”
Not for the first time, she silently thanked the universe for sending her Blue. She had visions of watching Sawyer in the ring, totally losing it, and running from the fight club in tears. “Thanks, Blue, but what if it’s better that I just pretend he doesn’t fight and keep dating him? What if I can’t handle it?”
“Sky?”
She lifted her eyes to his.
“What if you can?”
Chapter Eight
BONFIRES WERE THE go-to summer activity on the Cape, and for the first time since Sky returned to the Cape, a bonfire didn’t sound appealing—at least not as appealing as going someplace to be alone with Sawyer. Sky wanted nothing more than to turn around and drive away, and spend the night with Sawyer, getting to know each other better. Emotionally and physically. Well, maybe physically andthenemotionally.
They’d exchanged flirty texts all afternoon, and by the time they’d seen each other, she’d practically jumped into his arms and devoured him. They’d kissed so many times since he’d picked her up for their date that she’d lost count—and each kiss made her want to kiss him again. And the things he said to her? The man strung words together like jewelers strung pearls, and she tucked each and every romantic nugget away.
And now, as he gathered her in his arms at the top of the bluff by Pete and Jenna’s house, with a cool bay breeze blowing her long skirt and his heated gaze warming her from the inside out, she felt selfish, wanting to whisk him away when she knew her brothers and friends wanted to meet him. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and she knew she should feel bad about it, but as he held her in his arms, she couldn’t muster that type of negative energy.
Sawyer touched his forehead to hers. “How is it possible,” he said in a tender tone, “that I missed you so much after only knowing you for one day?”
“I’ve been asking myself that all day.” She pressed her lips to his, thinking about how much she loved being with him.
“Then maybe we shouldn’t question it, and we should just go with it. You look happy, like you had a nice day. Did you?” he asked.
“My days are always great, but they’re even better when I get to see you.” She smiled up at him. “I did have something exciting happen.”
“I can see it in your eyes. Tell me.”
I love that.“I’m having a grand opening celebration for Inky Skies in a few weeks, and there’s this artist I really wanted to come. His name is Duffy, and he does caricatures. I thought it would be fun if he did them for customers. And he’s agreed to come by for a while. I’m really excited.”
“When is the grand opening?”
“The eighteenth. It’s going to be really laid-back and fun. A few of the street performers said they’d spend an hour out front drawing in the crowd. I have a lot to do between now and then, but I’d love it if you’d come by for a while. Maybe, if we’re still together, you could bring your guitar and sing for a while?”
“Ifwe’re still together?” He smiled down at her. “Are my days numbered?”
“Not if I can help it,” she answered honestly.
“How about this. How about if I bring my guitar and spend the afternoon with you? I’ll serenade you, or read some of my dad’s poetry to you while you tattoo big, hairy men.”
She laughed at thebig, hairy menreference. If he only knew how many guys shaved practically their entire bodies these days just to show off their tattoos. “You would spend the afternoon at my grand opening? You might be terribly bored.”
He kissed her softly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Sweetheart, if we’re together, there’s no chance of that.”
A breeze carried music up from the beach, but Sky’s pulse was already beating to songs of Sawyer. She tried to rein in her desire to press her body to his and kiss him again, but when his arms tightened around her shoulders, she couldn’t resist going up on her toes and kissing him. Their mouths connected urgently, as if they both knew that in a few minutes they’d be barraged by friends and family.
“We should go before they come looking for us,” she said against his lips.
“We should.”
He pressed his lips to hers again.
At the sound of barking, Sky reluctantly forced the lust from her brain and focused on getting down to the bonfire. The sooner they made an appearance, the sooner they could be alone again.
