Page 39 of Dreams That Bind Us
Anna's mouth went dry as she took him in, unconcerned that she staredhard. The breeze had done a good job on the linen shirt, but it completely left out the way his wide, muscled expanse was cut and defined, with padded pectorals and a set of washboard abs that any New York model would give their eyeteeth for.
A swathe of dark hair sprinkled across his chest, dwindling to bare skin over his abs and then resuming in a sexy trail just below his belly button. She felt like a cat in heat, wanting to rub herself against him and lick every inch she saw.
He asked her a question, but Anna was so distracted that it only registered as an odd muffled background noise. His head tilted as he gazed at her questioningly. "Anna?"
Anna blinked as if coming out of a trance. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
His lips curled in a lecherous grin as he reached for her hand. "This is your fault. If unbuttoning my shirt is going to offend your delicate sensibilities, you shouldn't have splashed me so hard."
"You don't—" She cleared her throat and shook her head, wishing her brain would work again. "You're not offending me."
His smile grew even wider, and he tugged her hand. "Come on. Truce okay? No more splashing. Let's walk and enjoy the beach."
"No more splashing," she promised.
"What do you think of this?" James asked after a few quiet moments.
"You mean the island? The tour? Your new house?" They'd seen so much in the last few hours she wasn't sure what he was referring to.
"Yeah, all of that. I want your perspective."
Anna tipped her face toward the lowering sun. "I don't know where I've ever seen a more beautiful and perfectly curated spot. I can see why people spend a fortune to vacation here."
James nodded, pursing his lips. "I agree. I bought the house because not only would it be a good investment, but I also wanted to see how they handled the transaction and any other strange requests I made."
He was quiet for several moments, staring at his feet as they inched slowly through the light surf. "I've been thinking of selling off my Northeast businesses and investing down here, in addition to The Majestic, that is."
He pinned her with his fierce peridot gaze. "With Key West my home now, the thought of commuting back and forth every other month to New York for meetings is repulsive to me."
"I don't blame you. I'm sure it's a lot to manage while you're here."
"It's not as bad as you think. Most of the companies operate on autopilot, and the ones that don't, have solid teams in place. On top of that, my assistant is a whiz and handling my affairs in New York. But…" he dwindled off and came to a stop. "I just don't have the same drive for that cutthroat life anymore. When my mother died, my priorities shifted in the blink of an eye. But this feeling goes well beyond fulfilling her last wish even though it’s what originally brought me to Key West.” He sighed with frustration. “It's difficult to explain."
"I understand what you mean,” Anna injected. “It's like a part of you is gone and you have a new normal."
"Yes. That's it exactly." The corner of his mouth lifted. “And I want my new normal to be down here."
Anna's bottom lip dropped and her pulse accelerated as his eyes followed the movement. She held herself still as his hand cupped her cheek, barely breathing and praying that he didn't stop.
"Anna," he breathed softly before his lips captured hers in a sweet kiss.
His mouth molded to hers, gently encouraging and enticing her to let him in. With a moan, she lifted onto her toes, pressing herself against him as her tongue entwined erotically with his. With a deep growl, his arms encircled her, lifting her to his chest as he deepened the kiss.
She gasped as he cupped her bottom, kneading her sensitive globes in rhythm of his tongue. Her core clenched as sensation poured through her body. Anna threaded her fingers through his silky, brown hair, refusing to let the kiss end until she got her fill.
The clanking of dishes broke them apart and they glanced in unison at the staff wheeling a cart across the dirt path toward the table.
"That was probably for the best." James cleared his throat and set Anna back on her feet. "I don't want our first time tohappen in the sand with an audience," he added, a twinkle in his green gaze. He took her hand and kissed her palm. "Come on. Let's have dinner. You can tell me what you think of Sunset Key.”
Holy lord! This man is determined to drive me crazy.
Chapter 10
Key West
The rest of their time on Sunset Key was a blur—the dinner, the beautiful sunset, the ferry ride to the Key West docks. Anna was in a daze, a romantic and sexual muddle that left her wanting more.
Sexual frustration was such a strange feeling for her. She hadn't felt real desire for a man since her early twenties, and it was nothing compared to the intense feelings developing for James.
