Page 40 of Whispers at Seaside
“You want to hear how I fantasized about you?” he asked, hoping she’d say yes, because he wanted to see just how much the sultry single mom had been holding back.
She nodded, her eyes widening with anticipation, darkening with lust.
He squeezed her thigh. “How I wished I’d have stayed longer so we could get to know each other more intimately? How on the long drive home to New Jersey I thought about having these gorgeous long legs wrapped around my hips as I loved you so deeply you felt me the next day?”
“Yes,” she whispered anxiously. Her fingers fisted in the blanket.
“How I imagined you in your sexy lingerie, lying in the center of my bed, watching as I drew your panties down slowly. With myteeth.” He paused, letting the visual take hold.
Her body began to tremble. “Should I tell you how I wanted to feast on you until I knew your taste by heart and youachedfor me to make love to you?”
She whimpered, and he slid the strap of her dress down as he continued his naughty questions, testing her boundaries.
When her eyes widened, he said, “Don’t worry, baby. We won’teverdo anything you don’t want. And I promise, wewilldo everything your little heart desires. Are those the types of texts you wished for?”
“Yes.” Her voice was shaky, her skin flushed.
He gathered her close and gently lowered her to her back. He lifted her head and slid a pillow beneath it. Then he took one of the extra blankets and tucked it beside her for warmth. She reached for it, and he placed his hand over hers.
“I’ll warm you up, baby. Trust me.”
Chapter Fifteen
AFTER MAKING LOVE on the beach last night, Mira had fallen asleep nestled safely in Matt’s arms on his king-sized bed. Matt lay awake for a long time, thinking about how quickly he’d become accustomed to a life outside of the classroom. A life where his top priorities were governed by what he wanted and not red tape and boxes that needed to be checked off. It was midafternoon, the sun was shining, and Matt felt happier than he had been in years. He looked down at his shorts and flip-flops.
I might never wear socks again.
It was a silly thought, but a thought he never would have had before taking this sabbatical. He glanced at Mira, leafing through a book a few feet from him in an eclectic bookstore in town. She looked beautiful in a sexy green tank top that set off her hazel eyes and a pair of white shorts. How was it possible that she looked more radiant every day?
She glanced up, and a shy smile curved her lips. When he’d woken up with Mira in his arms, it had taken all of his willpower to let her sleep in rather than waking her up to satisfy his own ravenous desires. Luckily, she’d woken up shortly after with the same insatiable appetite for him. Making love with her was heavenly, made even better by her willingness to trust him and explore her naughty side, which he loved as much as her sweet and her maternal sides. They made love before breakfast and again before showering and throwing on bathing suits beneath their clothes, and taking off on bikes to explore the island. They checked out an art gallery, a handmade clothing store, and a jewelry store, where Mira practically drooled over a canary diamond ring. They had lunch by the water, and for the last hour they’d been perusing this cozy bookstore, which smelled like apples and cinnamon. He’d known how well he and Mira would get along, but he hadn’t realized how effortlessly their lives would come together.
“What’s that look?” she asked quietly.
He closed the distance between them, aware of her quickening breaths and the darkening of her gorgeous eyes. Sliding a hand around her waist, he whispered directly in her ear—because he loved the way she held her breath every time he did.
“Thinking about how hard I’m falling for you.”
She nibbled on the corner of her mouth and gazed up at him with a sultry, slightly shy gaze that made his insides soften and his outside harden.
“Matt,” she said dreamily, and went up on her toes to kiss him. “This is all wonderful, but it scares me a little.”
“I know it does. I told you I’m considering my options. With the dean position out of the picture, and the research and writing fulfilling that academic craving I know I’ll always have, I don’t miss teaching.”
Worry lines crept across her forehead. “I’m not asking you to stop teaching.”
He pressed a kiss to those lines, hoping to ease them. “I know you aren’t. You never would. I’ve been growing tired of teaching for quite some time. It’s the research and writing that holds my interest, and even that is hampered by administration. Sunshine, so much has changed for me these last few years. Watching my siblings fall in love and manage to be happy both professionally and personally has opened my eyes to the things I always wanted but put off to ‘one day.’ I’m in my thirties. One day has come, and I’m still churning the academic wheel. When my father began talking about retiring, I realized that I haven’t been around in a meaningful way since I was eighteen. I don’t want to miss out on being part of his life anymore. Or part of my brothers’ or Sky’s life. Or Bea’s. And then I met you and Hagen…”
He slid a hand to the nape of her neck, gazing into her hopeful and worried eyes. “And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you ever since. I know you’re scared to let yourself fall for me, or to let Hagen become reliant on me, because my future is up in the air, but I’m going to prove to you that I’m worth the risk. You can’t deny what’s between us, sunshine. It’s too strong.”
“But how will we…?”
“Figure it out? We have to trust that we’ll both know what the right thing to do is when we get to that point.” When she smiled, he pressed his lips to hers. “Let’s pay for these books and go parasailing.”
Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Parasailing?”
He carried the books to the register and paid while they discussed the idea.
“I might be afraid of heights,” Mira said nervously.
