Page 16 of Lovers at Seaside
His eyes darkened as he stepped closer. His thick, muscular arm circled her waist and tugged her against him. She. Couldn’t. Breathe.
“Ah, a freebie. Nice.” He nuzzled against her neck.
Oh, she liked that. Oh my…She halfheartedly tried to push him away. He was an immovable wall of rock-hard abs and other lickable muscles she shouldn’t think about. But she was. Constantly.
He brushed his thumb over her lower lip, sending delicious shivers of heat down her spine. Grayson held up his thumb, showing her the smudge of chocolate he’d wiped off, and made quite a show of sucking the sweetness from it. She wondered how many M&M’s it would take to smear chocolate over her whole body.
“I see my chocolate girl is in full force tonight. It’s a good thing I’m here to rescue you. Come on. We’re going out.”
Her mind was still a little fuzzy thinking about his mouth, and thumb, and just about everything else. “Out?” she said absently.
“Yes. Out. I can’t let you sit around and eat junk food all night. The next thing I know, I’ll be prying your mouth from a tequila bottle and carrying you up to bed.”
Oh, yes. Come right in.She gulped that thought down.
“And what kind of friend would I be if I made you sleep alone again? I’m not sure I could do that to a sweet girl like you.”
Stumbling backward with the visualsthatbrought to mind, she pointed over her shoulder. “Let me get the bottle. Chocolate.”Ack! Shoot me now!“I meanchange.”
He laughed. “Don’t change. You look gorgeous.”
Her brain finally broke free from imagining him perched above her, naked.
“I can’t go out like this. I have to shower, put on makeup, do my hair. One cell phone picture will make someone a lot of money and make me seem like a skank.”
“Where do you come up with this nonsense?” He whistled toward the yard, and Christmas bounded into the house.
Now she had another reason to admire him. “How’d you do that?”
“Don’t change the subject. Come on, let’s go.”
Thinking of everything she’d have to do to prepare to be seen in public, and not in the mood for any of it, she said, “I really don’t feel like going out. I’m watchingA Nightmare on Elm Street. Come in and watch with me?”
“What is it with you and horror movies?”
She wasn’t about to admit that she’d grown up using them to remind herself that she was brave and could get through anything—because sitting alone in the dark and watching bad things happen on television reminded her that there were worse things than not having a family.
Luckily, he didn’t seem to expect an answer.
“Come on, Parker. You need to get out of your own head for a while.”
“Maybe I do, but I don’t want to spend the energy getting ready.”
His tone turned serious. “Is that why you won’t go out with me?”
“Wait. Are you asking me out on a date?” Maybe she’d reconsider. The time it took to shower and do her hair and makeup would definitely be worth a date with Grayson.
He was looking at her like he wanted it to be a date. “Do you want it to be?”
Yes. But I need time to get ready.Would he wait? Where did he want to go? How should she dress?
Suddenly his arm swooped around her waist and he hoisted her over his shoulder.
“Grayson! What are you doing?” She struggled as he closed and locked the door, holding her against his shoulder with one arm. Him and that stupid key!
“You were overthinking,” he said casually. “I told you it would hold you back. You need to stop doing that and cut loose a little.”
“Put me down! I swear I’m going to kill you.”
