Page 22 of Whispers at Seaside
“I’ve tried to keep it vague, but you know Hagen. When he was younger I told him that some children have mommies and daddies and some have only one parent, and I loved him twice as much as any parent could.” She laughed softly, remembering the day that no longer worked. “He bought that for a while, and then I told him the best truth I had. I said I didn’t know where his daddy was, but that I was sure he loved him very much. I know he signed over all his rights, but I have to believe that part of him thinks about the child he’s never met. I consider it a hopeful truth.”
Matt clenched his jaw. “Do you mind if I ask what his name is?”
Mira hadn’t said his name in so long, it felt strange bringing it up from her lungs. “Larry Manning.”
LARRY MANNING.THE name rooted itself into Matt’s mind like a disease as they walked back down the pier at a snail’s—or robot’s—pace. He kept a protective hand around Mira and couldn’t resist putting a hand on Hagen’s shoulder as well. The thought of what Mira had experienced made him sick with anger. No woman should be put through that type of anguish, much less given the responsibility of lying to her child about it. Hagen was a smart, loving child, and he deserved a father who adored him. There was no good answer for the little boy. Nobody wanted to feel unwanted, not even by a no-good scumbag like Larry Manning. The truth had the potential to scar Hagen for life, leading to trust and intimacy issues that could impact every relationship he ever had.
If Matt felt protective of them yesterday, he felt ten times as protective tonight.
“Can we get ice cream?” Hagen asked.
It took all of Matt’s reserve to bite his tongue and let Mira answer. There was nothing he wouldn’t give Hagen right now. Or maybe ever.
Chapter Eight
AFTER EATING ICE cream as they walked along Mayo Beach, they crossed the street and Hagen played on the playground until he tuckered himself out. It was almost nine thirty when Matt carried him from the car into Mira’s cottage, fast asleep.
“You can lay him on his bed and I’ll change him into his pajamas.” Mira turned on a night-light by Hagen’s door. It was quiet, save for the sounds of the bay seeping in through the open windows.
Matt gently laid him on the bed, brushed a kiss to his forehead, and whispered, “Good night, little buddy.” He turned to Mira and asked, “Would you like help getting him changed?”
“No, thanks. I’m okay. I’m used to this, and he’s a really sound sleeper. There’s a bottle of wine in the cabinet above the fridge if you want to pour us each a glass.”
He was so loving toward both of them, it seemed natural, like they’d been part of each other’s lives in a much deeper way than just friends since last summer. But Mira was getting way ahead of herself. It was hard not to with a man like Matt. He made it easy to want more.
She found him standing at the French doors, gazing out at the water. He looked impossibly handsome in jeans that hugged him in all the best places and a short-sleeved button-down shirt. His thick hair always looked finger-combed, brushed away from his face. His looks were striking in a natural way, like model David Gandy. She’d bet hundreds of coeds had crushes on him.
“Hey, sunshine.” He smiled and reached for her, his eyes distractingly seductive as he gathered her against him. “Is Hagen okay?”
“Fast asleep. Once he’s out, he sleeps like a log.”
One hand slid up her back, the other pressed against the base of her spine, keeping her close. “Does that mean I can kiss his mommy now?” He kissed her neck. “You need to tell me the rules.”
“Rules,” she said absently, enjoying his warm breath tickling her skin and the feel of his soft lips as he kissed a path up her neck.
His hand slid beneath her hair, cradling her head as he brushed his lips over hers in a whisper of a kiss. Her body tingled with anticipation. He gazed into her eyes, his hard, tempting body flush with hers. She melted beneath the heat searing through their clothes, and when his mouth came down over hers, she abandoned all thought, surrendering to the need that had been mounting all day. His lips were soft, despite the urgency of their kiss. She moaned, and he made a deep, guttural noise that weakened her knees. She stumbled backward with the force of their kiss, clawing at his arms, her entire body arching against his in an effort to get closer. Her back met the wall, and she threaded her fingers in his thick hair, clinging to him as they ate at each other’s mouths wildly, though quietly, rocking and grinding with maddening precision. Then his hands were sliding up the back of her shorts—Oh wow that feels good—lifting her up, guiding her legs around his waist and using the wall for support. He took the kiss deeper, sending spirals of ecstasy winding through her.
His mouth left hers and her head tipped back, eyes closed. She drew in a lungful of air, trying to get oxygen to her brain, but he was kissing and licking her neck in the most exquisitely enticing long, slow strokes.
It took her a moment to realize they were on the move. He carried her to the couch and carefully laid her on the cushions, then came down over her. Oh, he felt good! She’d forgotten how the weight of a man changed the feel of her own body. She felt feminine and sexy as he smiled down at her and shifted his weight, lying beside her with his leg and arm over her, so his body blocked the view from the hall.
“Don’t worry, baby.” With one finger he moved a lock of her hair away from her face and kissed her softly. “We aren’t going to get caught naked on the couch.”
Do I look worried?How could she worry withhimtaking care of her? She knew he would never put her or her son in an uncomfortable position.
“I just had to be closer to you. I’ve spent so many months repressing my feelings just to make it through the day. Now that I’m here, now that we have time to explore what’s between us, I don’t want to hold back.”
She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Her heart soared knowing he’d been holding back, too.
With a feathery touch, his fingertips brushed her knee, moved up her thigh, over her hip, and along her torso. Even through her clothing his touch gave her shivers. He cupped her cheek and kissed her again, deep and sensual. The strength of his hand on her cheek, the feel of his whiskers against her skin, and the strong strokes of his tongue exploring her mouth consumed her. Her hand wound around his neck, and her entire body reached for him.
He lowered her to her back, never breaking the kiss.Oh, this kiss!She could live inside this kiss! But a kiss was nowhere near enough. Her hand pushed beneath the back of his shirt, claiming his hot skin. She couldn’t stop a greedy moan from escaping and felt him smile against her lips.
“Guys like you only exist in magazines and fantasies,” she whispered.
Her hand moved over his soft skin and the hard ridges of his back, his muscles flexing as he leaned further into her and his hand snuck beneath her shirt. Thank goodness Serena had convinced her to go full-on sexy with her lingerie.
“I assure you, sunshine, I definitely exist.” He lifted her shirt and pressed a kiss between her breasts.
