I lift up ever so slightly, enough to gaze down into those emerald eyes. “I love you and, fuck, you look good under me, on top of me, on my arm, in my bed, next to me when we drive to go to dinner. All I want is you.”
She stares back at me. “I love you too, and the butterflies in my belly take flight every time you are close to me or I’m thinking about you.”
“If I had that kind of power, I would have done that the first night we met. You dug your nails into me, and the rest is history.” I tell her with love in my eyes. I want to spoil her and protect her every second of every day.
Moving to my side, I take her with me. She looks tired now. Her eyes flicker shut. This woman has been through the wringer the last few days. Knowing she probably just wants to go to sleep, I slide onto my back, and her head rests on my chest. I cover her up and stroke her head.
“That feels so good. If you keep doing that, I’m definitely falling asleep.”
“That’s the plan, sweetheart.”
FORTY-SEVEN
Kendall
Istretch out and realize I’m lying on a warm, firm body. I snuggle closer, and a shiver runs through me as I think about last night. When it felt hopeless, the tide turned. I still can’t believe his dad came around so quickly, realizing he was going to lose everything if he kept acting like a dictator.
“Dane…Dane…” I sling my leg over his body and lower it ever so slightly. I nudge my knee into him to see if it will wake him up. Leaning up to his ear, I whisper, “We need coffee.”
His groggy, rough, and sexy voice ripples through me. “And who’s theweyou’re talking about?”
I laugh, bringing my hand to my mouth. A little too loud first thing in the morning. He brings his lips down to kiss my forehead, and I press further against him. This is exactly where I want to be—wrapped in his arms.
He flies out of bed and pulls me with him. “Let’s make some coffee.”
I stumble along behind him. “What’s the rush?”
“It’s early enough that we can catch the sunrise from the boat.”
He throws on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I grab one of his oversized t-shirts that just barely covers my ass. It’s dark enough out, and no one is awake at this time. And if someone sees me, they’ll think I have my bathing suit underneath, so I go with it.
In the kitchen, he makes quick work of making our drinks, and the smell of fresh-ground coffee tickles my nose.
Once the coffee finishes brewing, he pours it into a couple of cute mugs. Then he speeds out the door, and I say, “Not too fast, I’ll spill my coffee.”
“We don’t want that.” He laughs at me as he glances over his shoulder and stops, takes the mug from my hand, kisses me, and says, “Come on, slowpoke.”
I swat at his back.
Keeping my balance as I step off the dock and onto the pontoon, I grab my coffee mug from the cup holder and throw myself on the back seat. “Ahhh, this is the life.”
The boat rocks in a slow rhythm because of the shifting of weight, while the water slaps against the hull. Dane starts it up, backs up, and glances at me with a dazzling smile that captivates me, sending goosebumps racing over my body. “It sure is.”
My stomach tumbles to my feet, and I shake my head. Even when his eyes meet mine, it feels like his touch—gentle, purposeful, strong.
He drives us to the other side of the lake where the best view of the sunrise will be…so he says. Watching him as he seamlessly steers the boat, forearms cording, his powerful presence has my lady parts tingling.
It’s a smooth stop, and he throws the anchor overboard. He looks at his phone and taps a few times. I wonder what he is doing, and then the music plays softly. He grabs his coffee and slides into the seat next to me. Picking up my feet, he scooches closer and lays my feet to rest on his lap. His fingers drag up mythigh, right to the edge of my panties, and back down, sending scorching heat all over my body so intense I arch my back.
The perfect morning with him.
I rub my hands on his arm. “Can we have more days like this?”
“Sweetheart, you can have every day like this.” He squeezes my shins with his free hand. “Come stay with me for the rest of the summer, here on the lake.”
I choke on my coffee. “What? You want me to stay with you.”
He chuckles. “Yes, I want you here all the time. I know we both work a lot. It would be nice to slide into bed right next to you, no matter what time it is.”
