Page 21 of Sweet Love at Bayside
“Drake. Dean. I don’t know, friends and family.”
A wistful look washed over her face, and he remembered her comment about her mother. He wondered if she had any family in Virginia. “You didn’t seem to want to talk about your mother, so I won’t push even though I’m curious. But can I ask about the rest of your family? Do you have any other siblings? Is your father in the picture?”
“I have no other siblings, and my father’s definitely in the picture. He’s an investment banker, and he was transferred to Connecticut last year, but we’re still close.”
He was glad to hear that. She was so cagey about her mother, he wondered what was really going on, and it made him want to protect her from whatever it was.
“And we’ve already established that Violet watches out for you.”
“She’s a whole other story. My family is complicated, Rick. I don’t want to bore you with the details.”
“I can handle complicated, and I’m sure I won’t find it boring.”
She looked down, fidgeting with her hands.
“I’ll tell you what. Let’s eat dessert, and when, and if, you ever want to talk about it, I’d love to listen.” He pulled a container from the bag. “Close your eyes.”
She did, and folded her hands in her lap, which was about the cutest thing he’d ever seen. It was easy to picture her patiently leading a class of preschoolers, teaching them letters and games and how to make friends, keeping her naughty side locked up tight. She was kind and careful and perfectly self-aware, especially when she was thinking naughty thoughts and became flustered and turned on. He loved that so much, he wanted to push all her buttons.
“I can feel you looking at me,” she said sweetly.
“I’m undressing you with my eyes.”
Her eyes remained closed, but her mouth curved up. He didn’t know what had inspired him to play this game. He’d never done it before. But she seemed to be coming out of her shell more and more, and he wanted to keep peeling away those layers until he saw the very heart of who she was, not who she wanted everyone else in the world to believe she was.
“I’m going to put something in your mouth,” he said, thinking a slew of dirty thoughts. “And you tell me what it is.”
“You didn’t tell me this was a game of trust. It’s a good thing we’re not playing naked.” Her cheeks pinked up, and her fingers curled tight.
She had no idea what she was doing to him when she said dirty things in that sweet voice. “I’ll add naked desserts to our list of things we should do together. Open up that pretty mouth of yours, beautiful.”
He set a piece of dessert on her tongue, and a blissful look came over her.
“Mm—” Eyes closed, she licked her lips, swallowed, and licked her lips again.
Holy. Cow. That sound, her mouth…
“Oh my gosh. That is delicious. What is it? Chocolate, strawberry,something?” She licked her lips again, eyes still closed.
Every stroke of her tongue brought him closer to taking the kisses he was dying for.
“I know what it is,” she said excitedly. “It’s on the tip of my tongue.”
He was about to offer to lick it off the tip of her tongue when her eyes flew open.
“Cheesecake! Right?” Before he could confirm it, she pressed her hands to his thighs and said, “Let me do you!”
She was so sexy, looking at him with those big green eyes, her hands squeezing his thighs. He wanted to pull her onto his lap and kiss her breathless. But she was so excited, he also wanted to keep this going.
“Anytime, sweetheart.”
“You are so bad. See? The guys I know would never say that. Or call me ‘sexy as a kitten,’ or look at me like you areright now.” Her voice trailed off to a whisper, and she fidgeted with the edge of the sweatshirt. “I like the way you look at me.”
“That’s a good thing, because I like looking at you, and I plan on doing it all summer long.” He was trying his hardest to take things slow, but he wasthis closeto kissing her, and once he did, he wasn’t going to stop.
Her smile twitched, and her gaze flicked up to his. “So, you meant it when you asked about a summer romance?”
“Yes, I meant it. But don’t worry; you’re not locked in to anything. One date. Two.Forty.This will be whatever you’d like it to be.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to look past a first date, but he found himself hoping forforty.
