Page 50 of Sweet Passions at Bayside
His gaze lingered on her mouth. He could stare at her lips all day long. He forced his gaze north and lost his breath at the emotions staring back at him. He needed her in his arms.
He stepped forward, one arm sweeping around her waist, the other holding the bouquet he’d made for her, of tiger lilies, purple lace cap, Queen Anne’s lace, yellow flag bottoms, daisies, and other flowers he knew she’d love. “Hi, beautiful.”
“Flowers?” she said softly. “You should give dating lessons. I’ve never been given flowers. They’re gorgeous. Thank you.”
He liked knowing he’d achieved anotherfirstwith Emery. “Not nearly as gorgeous as you.”
He’d missed her so much today he’d ached with it. He tried to go slow, but his body would have no part ofslow. He kissed her ravenously, causing them to stumble. Her back met the wall, and she made a mewling sound.
He tore his mouth away. “Sorry. I got carried away. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she panted out. “That wasn’t a cry of pain.”
She grabbed his shirt and tugged him into another fierce kiss. He wanted to drop the flowers and strip her bare, so they could finish what they’d started that morning. But this wasn’t what he’d planned for tonight. This was their secondexample outing, and he wanted her to know she was worth more than just sex, that together they could enjoy more than hot make-out sessions. He forced himself to pull away, groaning as their lips parted.
“That wasnotmeant as an example,” he said sharply.
She giggled. “I have a feeling I won’t have to worry about any other guys kissing me for a while.”
A while my eye.He tightened his grip on her. Yeah, he was fiercely possessive about her, and he wasn’t about to let anything come between them.
Emery must have read his mind, because she said, “We can delete those last three words.”
“Wow, you’re amazing.” He kissed her, quick and tender, so he didn’t get sidetracked again. He released her only to pick up the tall green gardening boots he’d bought for her earlier in the day.
“Flowers andrain boots? Is my man into something kinky?”
“Doll, you just keep calling me your man, and rest assured, I’m intoyou. We’ll be as kinky as you want to be.” He dropped to one knee and began removing her sandals. He couldn’t resist sliding his hands up her outer thighs and kissing the soft expanse of tanned skin just beneath the hem of her skirt.
Her breath left her lungs in one fast breath. An invitation? When her eyes fluttered closed, he knew it was, but one taste of her would unravel him, and he had plans for them tonight. He forced himself to finish taking off her sandals.
Later, he’d take more than a taste.
She gazed down at him as he withdrew a pair of pink ankle socks from his pocket. “Socks,” she whispered. “You thought of everything.”
When it came to Emery, thinking of the little things wasn’t difficult. It came naturally. He wanted her to be comfortable. But he wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to mark his territory. He held up the socks for her to read the message written across the toes:TAKEN.
“Only you, big guy…” She smiled as he put the socks and boots on her feet. “How did you know my size?”
He pointed to her flip-flops, which he’d collected from around the living room and lined up by the patio doors.
“My, aren’t you a clever boy,” she said as he rose to his feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. “These boots are super cute. Do you know something about the weather that I don’t?”
“No, and no more questions.”
“If you’re not going to tell me where we’re going, at least tell me if I should change my clothes.”
He was thrilled by how openly affectionate and accepting of their budding relationship she’d become. When he’d kissed her at breakfast in front of their friends, he’d expected her to recoil. Not only hadn’t she recoiled, but she’d said they felttoo right to be wrong. He felt like he’d won the lottery. He was determined to prove to her that their long-distance friendship was the foundation of their future.
Dean took her hand and led her to the kitchen. He filled a vase with water and said, “You’re this landscaper’s fantasy come true. You’re not changing a thing.”
He put her bouquet in the vase and held her hand, guiding her as they walked out the back door. “If that outfit gets dirty or ruined, I’ll buy you a new one.” Her skirt barely covered her butt, and she looked so delectable, he said, “I’ll buy you a closetful of them.”
They wound through the gardens and around the tall bushes buffering his house from the rest of the resort property. He loved his privacy, and when he’d bought into the resort with Rick and Drake, he’d considered remaining in the cottage he owned in Eastham. But the minute he’d seen the cottage he now lived in, he’d fallen in love with it. Cordoning it off from the rest of the property in a way that looked natural made all the difference. He had no commute to work, except on the days he worked at the gardens at the hospital or LOCAL, where he enjoyed teaching residents how to care for the gardens.
They followed the narrow path lined with wildflowers and low-lying shrubs he’d planted in the spring. The solar lights in the ground hadn’t turned on yet, but they would soon, as the evening swallowed the last of the daylight.
A breeze swept over the dunes, and Dean pulled Emery closer. “Cold?”
