Jake felt like they sat there for hours.Savannah on his lap.Talking, kissing.Laughing.In his case — and he knew in Savannah’s, too, perhaps even more so — relaxing into this new space they’d stepped into.
He loved her.He’d known it for a while.He hadn’t been joking when he told Josh that for him, it might have been love at first sight.But he wasn’t the kind of guy to get swept up or carried away.
Did he wish they’d gotten here sooner?Absolutely.But at the same time, he knew that it was not only more realistic but also probably better this way.It wasn’t in his nature to rush things, and he could see that was what Savannah needed.He smiled, and happiness buzzed in his chest.Not rushing was part of what Savannah loved about him.All the time that had passed since the day they first met at the garage had given her the chance to see who he really was – to relax into being around him.
He pursed his lips.It had even given her the chance to move away from him.It wasn’t as though she’d come back because of him — but he liked to think he might have been part of the pull that drew her back here to Summer Lake.
He tightened his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her lips.“We should probably think about dinner.”
She gave him a puzzled look.“Are you hungry?”
“I could eat, but…” He checked his watch and had to laugh at himself.“Damn, it’s still early.I thought we’d been sitting here longer than this.”
She smiled through pursed lips.“Are you telling me that you’re bored?”
“Savvie,” he said in a stern voice, “you should know better than that.And if you don’t yet, you’ll learn with time.I’m never bored when I’m around you.It’s just that I get so caught up in it that it seems like hours must have gone by.”
She crossed her eyes at him and said, “Nice excuse, mister.”But he could tell by the way she smiled that his words meant a lot to her.
He poked her in the side and chuckled.“You know damn well they’re not just words.But since we have more afternoon left than I realized, what do you want to do with it?”
Her eyes widened, and his heart rate picked up.If she said she wanted to go upstairs, there was no way he’d say no.He’d intended to wait till tonight before they went anywhere near that conversation.He wanted her to be sure.Even now — just because he’d finally told her that he loved her and she’d made him the happiest guy in the world by telling him she felt the same — that didn’t mean there was any hurry.
“Do you want to walk on the beach again?”she asked.
“Yeah, I’d love to.You haven’t seen the beach at the end of the street here yet, have you?”
He was a little disappointed that her mind hadn’t gone to the same place his had.Of course he wanted to take as much time as she needed, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t eager.
He came back to the moment when she said, “Not with you.”
It took him a moment to figure out that she was talking about the beach.
“Right.Of course.You used to come over here as a kid, didn’t you?”
He relaxed when she nodded happily and said, “And we used to hang out on that beach sometimes.It’s probably my favorite one.There never used to be anyone down there, but I don’t know if that will have changed now.”
“I’ve never seen anyone down there.I don’t go all that often, but it’s good to walk by the water.And the way it’s in its own little cove — you can see a long way across the lake, but you can’t see any houses or anything.”
She grinned at him.“I know.That’s what I used to love about it.”
He tapped her temple, then tapped his own.“See, we’re on the same wavelength.What do you say?Do you want to walk down there now and then come back past Giuseppe’s?We can eat there if you want, or get takeout if you’d rather come back here.”
He loved the way she smiled as she nodded.She seemed more… confident, maybe.He hoped that was it.He hoped that knowing he loved her made her feel more relaxed, if nothing else.He couldn’t give her confidence — he knew that.But the more she relaxed, the more likely she was to find it for herself.
“I think we should collect takeout and bring it back here.”
His heart swelled in his chest.And he had to shift his hips so that she wouldn’t feel what swelled in his pants when she leaned in and kissed him and added, “I don’t want to be around other people tonight.This is the first time we get to… be alone.”
Watching her bite down on her bottom lip made him need to do the same.
What started out as a slow kiss soon turned deeper, hungrier, until it was almost desperate.Her hands came up around his shoulders, then her fingers slid up into his hair, and before he was aware of what was happening, they were no longer sitting on the sofa but lying on it.Her legs spread wide, him wedged between them, rocking his hips desperately.
He forced himself to lift his head and look down into her eyes.Her cheeks were flushed, but she wasn’t embarrassed.She grasped the front of his shirt in both hands and murmured, “Maybe the beach can wait.What do you think?”
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get his brain back online.But even then, he wasn’t sure if it was the voice of reason or the voice of desire that answered.
“I think you’re right.”
