Page 20 of Lovers at Seaside
She struggled against the lump in her throat. She’d thought about being with him for so many months, wondering, hoping what she’d felt wasn’t fabricated from loneliness. But she hadn’t imagined she’d be dealing with losing Bert, or finding Abe and trying to find herself again at the same time. She couldn’t believe he still wanted to be with her, given all that she was dealing with, when he could have any woman he wanted. She wasn’t blind to the looks pretty girls had cast his way all evening, though he acted as though he was. He could have a life unencumbered by film sets and unwanted photographers. Her life was across the country, and she spent it moving from one film set to the next. She knew emails would never again be enough. She had been falling for him for months, and in just the last two days she’d fallen even harder. What would happen if she allowed herself to really get close to him? Tell him all her secrets, follow her desires and her heart?
“I can see you overthinking this,” he said with a knowing smile. “If you’re worried about us not knowing each other very well, we’re getting to know each other better. That’s what people do.”
“This feels very far away from my real life,” she said honestly. “I know that’s a strange thing to say, but what you have here with your family and friends is beautiful and special, and it’s very different from the world I live in.”But it’s the life I’ve always wanted.“My schedule is never mine, the way it has been here. I’m usually bogged down with meetings, films, or public-relations events.”
“I realize this isn’t what you’re used to. But you’re here now. You’re living your life. For tonight, for now, thisisyour real life.”
He moved his hands up to her neck, and his thumbs grazed her jaw like they had right before he’d kissed her in the elevator. Her body remembered, heating, melting, aching for his glorious mouth to claim her.
“You mean you want this fortonight?Usfor tonight?” She didn’t do one-night stands, and she didn’t want to start. Not even for Grayson.
His eyes warmed. “I mean I want to spend time with you. Tonight. Tomorrow. A week from now. We can see what happens, let time decide what real life is for both of us.”
“Grayson…?” She sounded as breathless as she felt.
“Let’s not overthink this.”
His mouth came coaxingly down over hers, and for a second panic stole through her.Cell phone pictures! Rag magazines!But those thoughts were no match for Grayson’s kisses. She wanted this. His kiss, his touch, his caring, intense affection. For the first time since she’d lost Bert, she felt safe enough to let it all go and gave herself over to the sweet tenderness of their kiss.
Chapter Seven
LATER THAT EVENING Grayson pulled into Parker’s driveway and cut the engine. “Why don’t we let Christmas out and sit outside for a while? Unless you’re too tired and would rather I went home?”
“Stay. That sounds great.” She wasn’t ready for the evening to end either. After they’d danced—and shared more magical kisses—they’d spent time with Grayson’s family and friends. Parker was delighted when, as Grayson had anticipated, the girls wanted to exchange numbers. She was starting to think Grayson had some type of weird cosmic connection to her. How did he know they’d want to bring her into their circle?
Christmas smothered them with kisses before running off into the yard. Parker grabbed a blanket from the house, and they went out back and spread it over the grass by the edge of the bluff. Grayson put his arm around her and tucked her against his side.
“I heard Sky say we make a cute couple,” he said casually. They hadn’t been a couple when they’d arrived, but somehow, in the space of a few short hours, they’d become one. “Are you okay with that?”
She wondered how she could be sending vibes that told him she mightnotbe okay with any part of this. “Areyouokay with it?”
“What do you think?” He lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers. “But you’re pretty image conscious, and I don’t want to mess anything up for you.”
“Grayson, it’s not thatI’mimage conscious. I’m conscious of my public image because I have to be. It’s my career.”
“So I’m learning. But that doesn’t negate the fact that I don’t want to screw things up for you.”
“Well, that’s really nice of you, but dating you can’t mess things up for me, unless you have a torrid past you’re not telling me about.”
“No torrid past. I’ve never been a saint, but I wasn’t a scoundrel.”
“Then what’s not to be okay with?”
He shrugged. “Just making sure. How about you? Anything in your past that might tarnish my reputation?”
“No. Embarrassingly, I’ve always been a good girl.”
“I bet you have.” He kissed her again, a little longer this time. “I’ll never make fun of your goodness, but I might bring out your naughty side.”
“How do you know I have a naughty side?”Do I have a naughty side?
“Just a sense I get, that there’s a lot more to you than you let on.”
There he went again, seeing her more clearly than anyone else ever had. Could he also see that she was nervous about what was happening between them?
“I haven’t been in a relationship for so long,” she admitted. “I don’t know if I remember how.” The sea air swept up the bluff, serenaded by the sounds of the bay. She soaked up the peacefulness of the evening and the pulse-quickening waves of anticipation for what was yet to come.
“I guess that makes two of us. We’ll figure it out.” He laced their fingers together and gazed out at the water. “Tell me about your relationship with Polly.”
