Page 52 of By The Book
Claire allowedDenz to help her out of the SUV. He tucked her hand in his for the walk toward the door, and between her aching feet and the extra glasses of champagne she’d had with the girls before leaving, she was a little wobbly.
They made it to the porch and she giggled when she stumbled on the stairs.
“You okay there, bubbles?”
“Bubbles? Oh, the bubbly. Yup, feeling fine.”
“You look it,” he said, a smile in his voice. “Come on, up you go.”
She gasped when the arm he had wrapped around her waist tightened and he simply lifted her up and carried her to the porch before setting her down again. “You’re very strong.”
“You’re very cute.”
“You’re sweet.”
Denz shifted her until her back pressed against the screen door, and he pressed against her front.
“You think I’m sweet?”
The look on his face in the dim light of the porch was anything but sweet. “And sexy.”
His eyes sparkled as he stared at her.
“Right back at you, sweetheart.”
Claire watched as he lowered his head. She closed her eyes and lifted her face, welcoming the kiss. Her head whirled from the sensation, and while she wanted to blame the champagne, she knew it wasn’t entirely to blame.
No, it was Denz. Ever since their talk, he’d stayed by her side and showered her with attention. He’d fetched her cake and even fed her bites of his. He’d danced with her, teased her, touched her neck and the soft lobe of her ear, his big hands at her waist or the small of her back or perched along her chair.
Denz ended the kisses and lifted his head, and she saw the desire in his gaze that he didn’t try to hide.
“Sweet dreams, Bubbles.”
“G-good night.”
He took her keys and unlocked the door before handing them back to her. She went inside and locked the door behind her, then moved to the kitchen sink to look out the window.
Denz stayed on the porch for a long moment before turning and heading toward the garage.
Claire watched him go, wishing she was brave enough to follow.
Chapter 21
Ten days later, Claire donned her bathing suit and finished packing her beach bag for a day on the water. She was insanely nervous about going out with Denz in such a public way, but Oliver had invited Denz and Claire to join in on the fun, and Claire knew Marsali was behind the invitation.
Ever since the wedding, she and Denz had spent every spare moment of time together. They went to the beach to sun or to walk, out to eat, to the movies. They went on a dinner cruise on the Cape Fear River, took the ferry to Bald Head Island and spent the day riding from beach to beach on a golf cart, and checked out several restaurants and music groups downtown.
They cooked out with Tommy and her father, rode bikes through the neighborhood, and had ice cream on the swings by the pier. Every day held a new adventure of some sort, and even though some of the time was spent doing mundane things, like washing her Jeep after taking it out on the sand, it was still special and fun due to the man she was with.
Claire left her bedroom and moved through the house to find Tommy waiting in the living room. “Wow. You beat me.” Here she thought she’d have to prod him along.
“I didn’t want to make you late. Is it a big boat? How many Jet Skis do they have? Where are we going?”
She smiled at the barrage of questions and shook her head. “You know as much as I do. I guess we’ll find out when we get there.”
“And they’re okay with me coming, too?”
“Denz invited us both.” Apparently that wasn’t the thing to say, because Tommy’s excited expression changed to a frown.
