Page 82 of Bayside Heat
Violet finished her bacon and said, “There’s a cure for that. It’s called a few shots of tequila.”
As Violet and Daphne discussed tattoos, Drake sat down, bouncing Hadley on his leg, which earned him more sweet baby giggles. He pulled Serena down beside him and said, “She’s pretty cute, huh?”
“There really isn’t anything sexier than you holding a baby. Seeing you with her almost makes me want to drag you back to the bedroom.”
Hadley’s brows knitted tighter than ever, and her face turned red. A second later, the smell of baby poop wafted around them, causing everyone to laugh.
“Oh gosh. Sorry.” Daphne took her from his arms and grabbed her baby bag. “Babies are the ultimate love-moment blockers.”
“You can say cockblockers or fuckery finishers,” Violet said. “I’m pretty sure your little one isn’t going to be repeating anything you say anytime soon.”
Desiree gave her grief for using foul language in front of their new friends. Rick and Dean were busy harassing Drake about spending so much time with Hadley, and Serena sat back and enjoyed the show. She missed this fun banter, the closeness with the girls and teasing the guys. It was a wonderful morning, and Daphne fit right in. Although Hadley seemed a bit nonplussed with all of her newfound aunties and uncles, which was what Emery dubbed them, except Drake, whom she seemed to adore.
After Daphne left, they cleaned up and made plans to go tubing after the tasting session with Brandy, which was now scheduled for two weeks after the grand opening.
They spent the afternoon hanging out on the beach, and Serena made a point of lying beside Drake with her hand on his chest to mark her property.
Drake lay with his eyes shaded by his sunglasses, his lips curved up in a sinful smile as he said, “How about if I strip down and you put that hand on the property you really want to mark?”
“Hey!” Mira snapped. “How about no naked debauchery when I’m around?”
“It’s okay. This is the property I want to mark anyway.” Serena laid her hand over Drake’s heart.
He placed his hand over hers and pulled her down to whisper in her ear. “Nice cover, babe. Next weekend we’ll lie out naked behind your cottage and you can mark any part of my body you want.”
That gave her something to look forward to.
By late afternoon, Serena was doing everything she could to procrastinate leaving, but she knew traffic would be hell, and she needed time to get ready for her work week. She’d purposefully left her work at home this weekend, knowing she wouldn’t give up a second of her time with Drake and that Drake would feel guilty if he knew she wasn’t getting her work done. But hey, that was what lonely Sunday nights were for.
After saying goodbye to Chloe and all their friends, Serena and Drake stood beside her car, kissing and murmuring promises to call. Why was she getting teary-eyed? She wasn’t the kind of girl who cried at goodbyes.
Drake lifted her chin. She loved that intimate touch, the way it set her apart from all other women. She loved everything he did, like the way he was gazing at her right then, as if he understood and wanted to erase all her sadness.
“I know it’s silly, but it’s harder to leave this time.” She half laughed, half sighed into his chest.
“What can I do to make it easier? Do you want me to come there on the weekends instead? Would that help?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I want to see everyone. It’s hard leaving you, but it’s hard leaving everyone else, too. I’m sure it’s just that I haven’t found close friends in Boston yet.” Even as she said it, she knew that wasn’t all that was bothering her. She’d been replaced, and Drake hadn’t needed her to set up the music store. Life was going on without her. She’d known it would, but thinking about it and experiencing it were two totally different things. And after spending the morning with Hadley, she couldn’t stop worrying that she and Drake were on different time tables. She knew she was getting way ahead of herself, but he’d looked out for her best interests for so long, she couldn’t ignore the possibility of something so important to him.
