Page 62 of Freedom's Kiss
She shook her head but smiled as she slid into the seat and buckled up.
He put the car in reverse and pulled out of the drive, pointing the car toward the highway. After making a left turn, he rested his hand palm side up on the center console. He could easily reach over and take her hand, but he needed to be sure this was something she wanted too. That he hadn’t been too forward, led where she didn’t want to follow.
Warm fingers grazed his palm, sending delicious chills up his arm. Her hand lay atop his, palm to palm, digit to digit. His gaze flicked down. How could such a light touch have such a moving effect on him? Her hand was small compared to his. Her fingers shorter by an inch. Delicate. Soft. Capable. She rotated her wrist and let her fingers slip into the space between his own, and he curled his around her hand.
“Remind me to thank your mama.”
He didnotwant to talk or think about his mama right now.
“For raising such a gentleman.”
He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. He really should stop. Kissing her so much, that is. But ever since the first moment his lips met hers, they didn’t want to be anywhere else but on her. He cast her a wicked grin. Okay, so maybe Anita Carrington hadn’t raised such a gentleman after all.
They crossed a bridge over the intercoastal waterways, and Olivia sat up straighter. “Are we going to the beach? You should have told me. I’d have changed into a bathing suit.”
A gentleman, Adam.He shut down all avenues his brain wanted to jump to. Unlike some arguments, he could control himself when a woman showed a little skin. And in the Florida heat where the only reprieve from soaring summer temperatures was to jump into a pool or the ocean, swimsuits weren’t only practical, they were necessary. Only, maybe not today.
He looked out the side window and watched as the fronds of a coconut palm blew in the wind. Perfect. “We’ll come back to swim another day.”
She tilted her head. “Okay, beach but no swimming. A romantic stroll, perhaps?”
“Add that to our to-do list.”
“We have a to-do list? That sounds…like work.”
He laughed. “A list of things we want to do together. Is that better?”
“Hmmm….” Her lips pushed to the side. “What else would be on this list?”
“Kissing needs to go on the very top, if you ask me.” He glanced over to find her face reddening. He really shouldn’t take such pleasure in making her blush. “Your turn to pick something.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve always wanted to go on one of those canoe trips at night when the bioluminescent algae is in bloom.”
“Done. Add it to the list.” He parked the car and gave her a threatening look. “Don’t you dare open that door.”
She grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good.”
He walked around the car and opened her door, then fished out the dollar-store bag from the back.
“What’s that?”
He sealed his lips and started humming a tune fromMary Poppins. Picking up her hand, he led her down the steps covered in loose sand and onto the beach. The white granules crunched under his feet and made walking difficult.
When they reached the hard-packed sand where the tide had recently been playing a game of tag, he stopped. Water pushed up onto the shore by their feet, the ends of the waves white and foamy. Beyond the sand bar in the distance, the beginning of waves built, and the water near their toes receded to be replaced a second later with the flow of more water.
The ocean sang in its peaceful cadence, the roar of a crash followed by the soft shushing. A seagull cawed overhead, and Adam breathed in the salty sea air. He let the familiar feel of sand between his toes, sun on his skin chased by a gentle breeze, and the consistent ebb and flow of the ocean drain the stress from his muscles. He’d been at the courthouse less than twenty minutes, and even that small amount of time had twisted him up in knots.
“Wait. I know that song.” Olivia sang a few bars. “We’re going to fly kites?”
Adam took another deep breath. “I was eleven when Amber was born. She was sickly as a baby. Very colicky, and she cried all the time. Mom and Dad were exhausted from tag-team rocking and bouncing her. Trent, Michael, and I got to the point where we couldn’t handle all the racket her little lungs made.” He screwed up his face. “She’s cute and quiet now, but you wouldn’t believe how loud she could scream back then.”
Olivia laughed when he shuddered dramatically.
“Anyway, we had to get out of the house, so we’d ride our bikes to an open space and fly kites.” He shrugged, though he wasn’t sure why. Kites might have sounded like a dumb first date, but he’d wanted to share something meaningful and personal with her.
“So I take it you’re pretty good at this kite-flying thing.” She laid a soft hand on his arm, but her eyes held that twinkle he loved so much. In one touch she assured him she understood why he’d chosen this activity while also lightening the mood.
