Page 39 of Nights at Seaside
“Oh. Right.” Her cheeks flushed. “Um…The note you left for me and what you said last night when you held me. Are you…? I mean, is it you…?” She drew in a breath and exhaled slowly before meeting his gaze again. “Are you the P-town poet?”
“I don’t know what I was expecting you to ask, but it wasn’t that.” He gazed out at the water, wondering what in the heck she was talking about. “I don’t know anything about a P-town poet, but I’m pretty sure I’m not him.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure? Because there are so many similarities, that I just thought…”
“I think I would know if I were a poet. It’s kind of cool to know that you think my songwriting is poetic, though.”
“Sorry. It’s just that your words are so powerful. You’re like this incredible mix of strength and tenderness.”
He pulled her in closer and kissed her again. “I’m a man. I should be hard, rough, and callous.”
She laughed. “Oh, you’re hard, all right.”
“You are a clever girl, aren’t you?” He kissed her again, lowering her back to the sand as she laughed.
“I speak the truth,” she challenged.
“And I’m proud of it.”
Her eyes widened with feigned innocence. “Oh, my, you big strong man.” She batted her thick lashes. “Maybe you should show mehowhard, rough, and callous you are.” She wound her arms around his neck, and he showered her lips, jaw, and neck with kisses, inciting another heart-tugging giggle.
They made out like teenagers, kissing and necking on the beach until a family came walking over the dunes down a ways from them, but close enough to see them. Two towheaded boys ran toward the water laughing excitedly.
Sawyer helped Sky up from the sand. Her cheeks were pink from his whiskers. He rubbed his jaw. “I should probably shave this off, huh?”
“I love your scruff.” She touched his cheek, and he closed his eyes, soaking it in.
“I don’t want to scratch up your beautiful face.”
She went up on her toes and said, “Scratch me up, baby.”
He tugged her in close again. “What are your plans today?”
She shrugged. “Let’s see…Go home and feed Merlin, change into clean clothes, do some painting at the shop, and look for more chimes and maybe a new chair for the shop. I live averyexciting life.”
“Trust me,excitingis overrated.Happyis much better.”
She pressed her lips to his chest. “Everything you say is poetic.”
He draped an arm over her shoulder as they walked toward the house.
“That’s not poetic. It’s just the truth.”
“It’s also poetic.”
“You like me, so you hear more than the words I say.”
She gazed up at him with confusion in her eyes. His hand slid down her arm, and he laced their fingers together.
“You listen with your heart, Sky.You’rea true romantic.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But I don’t know how to listen any other way, and eventhatwas poetic. I’ve never met anyone like you, Sawyer. You make me feel things I never felt before, and…”
“And?”
She lowered her voice and said, “And do things that I don’t usually do with a guy after knowing him for such a short time.”
“Sky, you can’t possibly know how much it means to me that you trust me enough to be an intimate part of your life. You should know that I’m not a guy who hooks up with every woman I come across.”
