Page 11 of Sweet Love at Bayside
“Dinner?”
“It’s this thing people do where they share a meal and talk about their complicated lives.”
She dropped her eyes, and he slid a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up, leaving her no choice but to look at him.
“Say yes, Desiree. Don’t leave me hanging again.”
A playful smile reached all the way to her eyes. “Are you going to wear actual clothes, or should I expect you to be shirtless? Because it’s a little distracting.”
“That’s not really an incentive for me to wear clothes, but I will.”I can’t guarantee they’ll stay on.“However, you may go shirtless if you’d like, and I won’t complain.”
That earned another laugh. “Are you going to get me wet?”
“Only if I’m lucky,” slipped out before he could stop it, and he loved the appreciative glimmer in her eyes. “I like you, Desiree. You mesmerize me.”
She pressed her lips closed to suppress that unstoppable smile, failing miserably.
“I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“I didn’t agree.” She was still smiling.
“Yes, you did, just not verbally.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek, and she did that hold-her-breath-sigh thing that he’d replayed in his mind all night long. He pressed his lips to her cheek, and she closed her eyes as he whispered, “The line of women could wrap around the Cape, and not one of them would compare to you.”
“Rick.” She clutched his hand so tightly her nails dug into his skin.
“Hm?”
“That was an excellent line. Does it usually work?”
“I don’t know, but just in case, maybe we should try this and seal my fate.”
He framed her face with his hands and lowered his lips so close, her breath coasted over his lips, and her eyes fluttered closed. He wanted to stay in that prekiss moment for a thousand years, feeling her anticipation, his body thrumming with desire. He’d intended to give her a chaste kiss, but he knew he wouldn’t want to stop after only one. And she was careful, hold-her-breath, complicated-life, steal-his-every-thought Desiree. He should take it slow so as not to overwhelm her, only Rick didn’t know the meaning of the word “slow.”
But for Desiree, he wanted to learn.
He brushed his lips over hers and kissed the corner of her mouth. “See you at seven, beautiful.”
Chapter Four
DESIREE AND VIOLET found a leash for Cosmos in the pantry, along with a supply of dog food, treats, toys, and a dog bed, which was on a shelf with the tags still in place. They gave Cosmos a bath to wash the chlorine off him, and after discovering how much he liked the water, they took him to the beach, getting him dirty all over again. He was a little guy, with floppy ears, soft black-and-white fur on his body, tan around his paws and mouth, and the biggest brown eyes Desiree had ever seen. She’d never had a dog when she was young because her father was allergic, and as an adult, she worried that she was gone too much and a dog would get lonely. Cosmos was as nice of a surprise as the big, sexy man who had been carrying him, the man who had turned her insides to mush and then whipped all that mushy goodness into a torrent of hot, wicked desire. She’d been in the best mood, and anxiously awaiting their date, ever since.
Later that afternoon, Desiree and Violet headed down to the first cottage on the property, where their mother’s gallery and shop were located. The pup trotted happily beside them.
“Why were you jerky to Rick?” she asked Violet.
“I wasn’tjerky. But you saw how pissed he was when he got there. The last thing you need is a guy who loses his cool over every little thing.” Violet shoved her hands in the pockets of her cutoffs, causing them to slip lower on her slim hips and revealing even more of the colorful tattoos on her side.
She wore only her shorts and a black bikini top and, Desiree noticed with a touch of jealousy, she was in amazing shape. Vi was tall and lean with an all-over tan that indicated she might have sunbathed nude, while Desiree had curvy hips, and though she wasn’t a double D, her boobs would never fit in the tiny triangles Vi was sporting.
“He was fine once he saw it was me,” Desiree pointed out.
“Uh-huh. And if it hadn’t been you, but Lizza or me? Or anyone else? Would he have ripped them a new one because Cosmos had gone for a swim? He’s adog. They get into trouble. The guy needs to chill.”
“I get what you’re saying,” Desiree said, a little annoyed by her sister’s interpretation, which reminded her way too much of her mother’s lackadaisical attitude toward other people’s property. “But put yourself in his place. A dirty dog jumps into your pool, and his fur clogs the filter, the water gets mucky. It would be irritating.”
Violet shrugged. “It’s a dog. The guy should loosen up. And I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“So, you were worried aboutme?” She knew what Rick thought, but she wanted to hear it from Violet.
