Page 34 of Embraced at Seaside
Jana went up on her toes, holding tightly to his waist as his eyes darkened and her heart turned over in her chest. “I like this side of you.”
Their mouths came together in a series of slow, shivery kisses.
“I like this side of you, too,” he said with a knee-weakening smile.
She was sure she was walking on air the whole way back to the truck. The distance they covered felt shorter, the travel time to her house quicker than ever before. She couldn’t wait to wrap her arms around this new Hunter and explore whatever was happening between them.
They laughed on the way up the walk to her front door. When she stepped up on the porch, he spun her around so they were almost eye to eye. Her arms wound around his neck, and he gathered her hair in one hand and gave a gentle tug, sending shocks of lust through her.
“Thank you for tonight.” He placed his other hand on her lower back, pressing her against him. It was all she could do to watch the emotions passing through his eyes. They were easy to decipher.I want you.
He kissed the tip of her nose, her cheek, her forehead, and finally—finally—his mouth found hers. She lost herself in the feel of his kisses. His hold on her hair tightened, heightening her arousal and pulling a wanton sound from her lungs. She wanted to be closer to this new Hunter.
“Can I see you again?” he asked against her lips, before kissing her again, lighter this time, quicker, leaving her hungry for more.
“You’re leaving?” Her emotions skidded to a halt. She didn’t understand. They didn’tleaveeach other. They claimed and satisfied, and tonight she thought everything was changing. Getting even better. This would be the second time he was leaving her, when all she wanted was more of him.
He searched her eyes, and she wondered if he saw the desperation she felt. Was he messing with her again? Had it all been a stupid game to him? This was exactly why she needed to stop this nonsense. She never should have dared him to be romantic, even if she really, really liked him this way.
“Tonight changed me, Jana,” he said just above a whisper, sending all those crazy thoughts sailing away. Just like that. “You opened a door inside me, or something. Whatever it is, I want to play it out, see what comes of it. If I go inside with you and do all the things that I want to do to you…” He held her against his hot, hard body. “You might confuse what we do tonight for what we’ve always done.”
“I…I don’t understand, Hunter. We’ve already slept together. Now it’ll just be that much better.”
The muscles in his jaw bunched, and his eyes narrowed. When he spoke, it was with all the white-hot demanding heat she was used to.
“The next time we come together, it won’t bejustanything. At least not for me, and I hope not for you.”
He crushed his mouth to hers, kissing her like she was used to, like he wanted to tear off her clothes right that second. Spirals of ecstasy tore through her. When their lips parted they both gasped for air.
“The next time we come together,” he said with a heated stare, “it’ll beeverything.”
Panic chased the ecstasy away as she grasped for words. “Hunter, I…I’m not sure…I’m not sure we’re ready foreverything.”
“You let me worry about what I’m ready for, and prepare yourself, because I’m going to romance the heck out of you, and you’re going to love it.”
It wasn’t until after he drove away that she realized he hadn’t asked her to admit she wanted him.
Chapter Fourteen
HUNTER HAD BEEN working on the sculpture for the competition since seven o’clock that morning. He was acutely aware of the days he’d lost before he’d found his muse, and now, with just thirty days left until the competition, the pressure was on. Grayson was out meeting with a supplier this morning, and by the time Clark arrived, it was after ten. Clark had gone to see Nina last night, and when Hunter had come home to an empty house, he’d assumed Clark had stayed with her. But he’d heard him come in around three in the morning and knew that couldn’t be a good sign. He didn’t mind cutting Clark slack while he was having a hard time, but the guy could have let him know he’d be late to work this morning.
He went up front to talk to him, and the sight of Clark’s disheveled clothes and messy hair worried him—until he got a look at his buddy’s puffy, bloodshot eyes. He recognized the look of a hangover when he saw it.
“Trouble with Nina last night?” He couldn’t temper his irritation. It was one thing to cut him slack for having trouble with his marriage, but he wasn’t going to turn the other way at Clark throwing his life into a bottle. He’d watched his father disappear down that liquid trail, and it had been a long, painful road back.
“Nah. She was fine. Sorry I’m late.” Clark sat heavily and rested his head on his palm.
“Have a few too many last night?” He crossed his arms, and when Clark lifted his eyes and met his gaze, Hunter leveled him with a serious stare. “Were you with Robert?” Robert was single and liked to party, but he was responsible. Hunter had a hard time believing that Robert would stay out until three on a work night and get flipping drunk.
“At first. He took off around ten.” Clark’s phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket, glanced at the name, and sent the call to voicemail. “Oh, man.”
“What’s going on, Clark? I know I’m your friend, but seriously, dude. I don’t want any part of you cheating on Nina.”
Clark pressed his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose. “I’m not cheating on her.”
Hunter lifted his chin in the direction of Clark’s phone. “Who called? The same chick who’s been keeping you up at night all week?”
“There’s nothing going on.” He scrubbed his hand over his face and sat back, his shoulders sagging. “I swear it, man. She wants there to be, but I’m not ready for that.”
