Page 33 of Sweet Love at Bayside
She smiled. “Good word.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “My girl likes me to use the right words.”
“Do you want to talk about him?”
“No.” He kissed her again, but instead of deepening the kiss, he held back. He realized he wanted to share this part of himself with her after all. When their lips parted, he said, “Yes. I’d like to tell you about my father if you’re sure you want to hear it.”
“I do. When we were dancing earlier, you said ‘Sometimes the hardest place to be is where everyone knows you best.’ That’s always been my safest place, with my friends and my father. Last night you said Drake and Dean and your friends were the ones who watched out for you. Aren’t they the same people who know you best?”
He shifted his eyes away, struggling against a wave of emotion.
She took his chin between her fingers and turned his face toward her. “Do you want to let me in?”
“You’rein, Des. You’re in so deep I can’t stop thinking about you.” He clenched his teeth, and she pressed her lips to the tight muscles in his jaw.
“Geez, everything you do…” He turned on his side so he could look into her eyes. “My father would have liked you. You’re smart and sweet, and strong, and you don’t put on airs. He used to say, ‘Never trust a person who puts on airs, and for Pete’s sake, don’t marry one.’” He laughed, remembering the way his father’s eyes would turn serious when he’d say that last part. “He was a custom homebuilder, and all I ever wanted was to grow up to be just like him. We used to talk about making Savage Custom Homes into Savage andSon.”
“I love that,” she said. “You followed in his footsteps. I bet he’s smiling down on you every day, so proud of the man you’ve become.”
He swallowed against the ache that had festered inside him for more than a decade and a half. “I’d like to think so. He also taught us other things. How to play the guitar, how to Jet Ski, parasail, surf. You name it, he taught us.”
“A music-loving adrenaline junkie?” she asked.
“I don’t know if it was that as much as he loved life, and he never wanted us to be afraid of anything or let anything hold us back. Although, cliff diving, now, that was a pure adrenaline rush. Maybe he was a bit of an adrenaline junkie.”
“You cliff dive? I’d be afraid tolookover a cliff.”
He pulled her closer and kissed her smiling lips. “I’m going to teach you to do all of those things.”
“In your dreams, big boy.”
“Trust me, baby, you’re in my dreams. Although I think you’d be more accurate to call themfantasies.”
She blushed, but her eyes went dark as a forest, and his body ignited. He groaned, and she trapped her lower lip between her teeth.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to stop talking and devour you.”
“Okay,” came out in a rush.
As his mouth came down over hers, she pushed at his chest, laughing. “No. Wait. I want to hear the story.”
“And I want to kiss you,” he said more harshly than he meant to.
“If you kiss me like you usually do, until my brain cells fry and my body turns to butter, I’ll never hear the rest.”
“Baby, you’re killing me. Now I’m thinking of my hands all over you.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “And your hands on me.” Her eyes closed, and he kissed each lid. “And my moutheverywhere.”
Her eyes flew open.
“Too much?” He’d pushed too far.
She shook her head, nodded, and then she shook her head again.
My mixed-messages girl.“Sorry, babe. I’ll tame my eagerness.”
“No,” came out fast and loud, and she clamped her mouth shut, eyes wide. When she spoke again, her voice was husky. “I mean, I like your naughty side, but I want to hear about your father. Hold on. Let me put on my teacher face so you can tell me without wanting to kiss me. Then we can…see about those kisses.”
She held her hand in front of her face, a sexy giggle slipping out, and he breathed deeply, trying to rein in his desires. It was a continuous losing battle. She lowered her hand, eyes serious, her face a mask of patience and calm as she stared at his chin. She lifted her gaze, and the second their eyes met, the space between them electrified.
