Page 32 of Nights at Seaside
“Why does everything you say make me want to kiss you?” He pressed his lips to hers again, knowing he could kiss her a million more times and he’d never tire of it.
“Hey!” Jenna snapped her fingers. “You two.”
“What?” Sky said with feigned annoyance.
“No making out around the fire.” She held her hands up beside her mouth as if she were telling a secret and said, “Your brothers will see you!”
“Too late,” Hunter said. “She’s a big girl. She can kiss whoever she wants.” Hunter nodded at Sky like he’d done her a big favor—and to Sawyer, he had.
Sky blushed, and it made him want to kiss her again.
It was obvious how much her brothers cared about and protected her. They’d given him the third degree while she and Grayson had been talking. Sawyer hadn’t taken offense by their inquisition, because if he had a sister, he might do the same thing. He was glad she had people who loved her enough to look out for her. But he could also see that Sky was a little uncomfortable. He shifted, giving her a little more space. She furrowed her brow and scooted closer to him.
“Don’t let them scare you off,” she said, touching his leg.
“I was just giving you space. I thought I was making you uncomfortable.”
She shook her head and smiled. “Never. I like to be close to you.”
She didn’t need to tell him twice. He pulled her against his side and kissed her cheek, feeling the eyes of her brothers and Blue on him, despite what they’d said.
“Sawyer.” Blue’s voice cut through the heat simmering between them.
“We were trying to figure out what song you were playing the other night,” Blue said.
Sky rested her hand on his thigh, making it hard for him to concentrate.
“That was just something I’d thrown together,” Sawyer said modestly.
“Thrown together?” Jenna smiled. “If you can throw together a song like that, you should be a professional songwriter in addition to being a boxer.”
“Thank you, but they’re just words strewn together.” He’d been told the same thing a number of times over the years, and like all those times, he shrugged off the compliment. His father was the wordsmith in their family. But even as he denied it, he knew that his songs were so much more than just simple words strewn together. They were some of his most intimate emotions, torn from his soul and sung aloud as a way to keep them from dragging him under. And even now, as he sat with Sky and her friends, verses were forming in his mind.
“We have an announcement.” Amy smoothed her dress over her belly and waited for everyone to look over. “Tony and I have decided to sell our second cottage.”
“Really?” Sky’s eyes widened.
“Yup.” Amy smiled at Tony.
“We thought we’d see if you or Blue wanted to buy it, and if not, then we’ll hold on to it for a while,” Tony explained. “We’re not in a hurry to get rid of it, but with the baby coming, we were thinking of getting something bigger, maybe on the water. And we aren’t interested in selling it outside of the families of the current owners, so we thought we’d offer it up.”
“Is that the cottage you’re renting?” Sawyer asked Sky.
She nodded. “Bella, Jenna, and Amy, along with our other friends, Leanna and Jamie, all own cottages at Seaside, and they grew up spending summers together there. The cottages were passed down through their families.”
“Since Tony and I got married, we have an extra one.” Amy rested her head on Tony’s shoulder. “Maybe we should hold on to the cottage for a while after all. It came in handy this summer for Sky. Right, honey?”
“Right, kitten,” Tony answered before pressing his lips to hers.
“I wouldloveto buy it, but since I just opened the shop, I think I’d better hang on to the little savings I have,” Sky said.
Blue ran a hand through his hair. “I just got a call this afternoon about that lighthouse deal that fell through last summer. I’m considering sinking my cash into that.”
“Well, we just wanted you guys to know. Leanna’s brothers or sister might be interested, too,” Amy said. A breeze swept up from the bay, and she shivered against Tony. “It’s getting lateandcold. I think I’m ready to call it a night.”
Sawyer touched Sky’s cheek. “Are you chilly?”
“You know what? I think I’m ready to call it a night, too.”
