Page 100 of Bayside Heat
She heard the office door close and opened her eyes. Drake was descending the steps with a blanket draped over his shoulder, carrying his guitar case. His shorter hair gave him an edgier look. His scruff did that normally, but the close cut made his jaw seem sharper, his eyes more cutting. He opened his door and set the blanket and guitar behind the seat.
“Now that you’re a rock star, you can’t leave home without your guitar?”
He scoffed. “Would you expect anything less?” He reached over, unhooked her seat belt, and hauled her across the bench next to him.
“What took you so long?”
He kissed her. “You look beautiful in my truck.”
“As opposed to outside of your truck?” she said sassily.
“There, too.” He slid his hand beneath her hair, gazing at her like she was a precious jewel he couldn’t believe he’d gotten his hands on. “All the little things I’ve thought about for so long are finally coming true. This is going to sound cheesy, but every time I see you looking a certain way, or in positions where I never thought we’d be, you look even sexier to me. You’ve been in my truck a million times. But coming out of the office and seeing you smile when you notice me and being able to openly enjoy that feeling? That’s pretty fucking incredible. And this? You and me?” His lips came tenderly down over hers. “Pure perfection, Supergirl.”
Serena felt like she was riding on air as Drake drove down to Hyannis and parked on a side street. Serena knew exactly where he was headed, and she was touched so deeply, it was all she could do to watch him as he grabbed the blanket and guitar and reached for her hand. He led her down the overgrown trail toward the creek she’d frequented as a kid, and all the worries and questions in her mind subsided. Her beautiful man knew exactly what she needed.
Drake lifted branches for her to duck under and held her hand as she climbed over rocks and around fallen trees. A pungent, marshy smell greeted them when they stepped into the grassy clearing near the edge of the creek. The rickety old dock was still there, slanted as ever, missing decking in the same places it had been when she was young. He took his guitar out of the case, and she realized he’d brought the first guitar he’d ever owned, from when they were kids.
He reached for her hand again and said, “Come on. Backstreet Boys are calling us.”
“Ohmygod,” came out with a squeal. “Are you kidding?”
A coy grin slid across his face. “You know I’m not. You and Mira made us listen to that damn CD all the time.”
“Oh Lord.” She went with him onto the dock, holding his hand as she stepped over the missing slats. She kicked off her sandals and sat on the edge, her feet dangling over the inky water.
Drake remained on his feet and began strumming the tune to “I Want It That Way” as he kicked off his flip-flops and sang, “Yeah-eah.” He winked and sang, “You’re my fire, Supergirl. My only desire.”
He changed the lyrics and sang about how they weren’t two worlds apart and how he could reach her heart when she told him what she wanted.
Moved by his humor, his voice, and his generous, loving soul, she jumped to her feet and danced as he sang. When the song ended he went right into “Larger than Life,” once again changing the lyrics to speak of them, and then directly into “When I Come Around” by Green Day and then “What I Got” by Sublime. She sang with him, both of them dancing as he played. He parlayed that song into “Little Red Corvette” and then about a dozen more songs from their youth, fast, slow, funny, romantic. She danced and sang until her cheeks hurt. And later, breathless and happy, they sat on the dock for a long while, talking about their childhoods and their current lives and everything in between.
“This is why we need a rooftop deck on the community center at the resort,” she said as she lay with her head in his lap.
He leaned down and kissed her. “Let’s not talk about work right now. This is our time, and there’s something I’ve been wanting to do for way too long.”
“I’m not stripping naked on this dock.”
He cocked a brow with a seductive glimmer in his eyes. God, she’d do anything with him.
