“Not that much, and I don’t only stare at your ass.” I narrowed my eyes at his crooked grin. “I stare at all of it,” I whispered.
A heat flashed in his eyes. “I know. You’re not exactly subtle.” Instead of wrapping his towel around his waist, he let it almost fall as he turned and rubbed himself against me.
“Oh my God, Joe…are you giving me a lap dance at 6:30 in the morning?” I brought my hands to my heated cheeks, all of me flushed and hot even though I’d just taken a shower. I leaned against the counter as he turned to face me, cracking up as he gyrated his hips, his abs rippling as he ground against the terrycloth, letting it fall just enough to tease everything but stay covered.
A dirty grin split his mouth as he pinned me in place. “What’s wrong, not enjoying the show?”
I skated my hand down his still damp chest before our mouths crashed together. Our lips and tongues tangled as if this were the last time we’d kiss. He was ridiculous, andmine.
It didn’t feel right to claim him, but I hated the thought of him with anyone else. He wasn’t the type of guy who enjoyed a string of mindless hookups, even before we’d met, so I wasn’t concerned about that. But was it fair to be committed to someone you only saw once a month? For either of us? The joy from only moments ago evaporated like the droplets rolling down Joe’s chest.
“Stop it,” he whispered against my lips. “None of that yet, all right?”
“If not now, then when?” I raked my fingers through his wet hair, hating the same strain of despair reflected in his blue eyes.
He didn’t reply before he unfastened my towel and let it pool at my feet. His gaze held mine as he leaned in for another kiss. This one slow but hungry, his tongue making long sweeps into my mouth as his hand moved between my legs.
Avoidance wouldn’t help us, but I enjoyed every second.
* * *
Joe leftthe restaurant in the early afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day traipsing around town, talking about everything except where I’d be tomorrow.
“This town is really nice,” I said while getting lost in the crashing of the waves as we strolled up and down the beach. “It’s going to be hard going back to city noise. It’s all so peaceful here.”
“It is. That’s probably why I came here. I grew up in the city, but I knew, even then, it wasn’t for me. This is where I belong.” He cast a quick glance toward me, words unsaid dangling between us. He belonged here, that was obvious. The city was all I’d ever known, and I’d never considered the possibility of leaving. It was where I’d grown up and where my family was. As a child, I even dreamed about working in Manhattan and remembered how thrilled I’d been when I’d gotten my first job in Midtown. The world beyond the five boroughs had never occurred to me.
“You’re lucky. Not many know without a doubt they’re where they’re supposed to be.”
“True,” he said, staring out into the distance. “But I never hated knowing that until this week.”
When his gaze stumbled to mine, all I could do was nod.
“I want you with me every fucking day. And I know you can’t be because you have a life and a job that you can’t just leave, but I wish you could. I’m a selfish asshole, but I…” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I want you, and I’ll take whatever I can get.”
My eyes clenched shut when his hands framed my face. The conversation he kept putting off was here, but I wished I could run away from it like Joe had been doing until this point. He pressed a kiss to my forehead then my eyelids and cheeks before returning to my mouth. I felt every ounce of his affection and desperation as his mouth moved against mine, and I gave it right back to him. I hated knowing he belonged here, too. Because I didn’t.
“Don’t give up on us. Please. I want you; I want this. We can make it work. Please, Caterina.”
I nodded, my words trapped behind the lump in my throat.
“Yes?” he asked as he gripped my face tighter.
My voice was sandpaper as I tried to keep it together. “I want this, too.” I reached up to grip his wrists. “I’m not sure how it will work, but yes.”
“We’llmakeit work. And you have to come back in October for all that Halloween stuff you have planned.” Joe searched my face, hope illuminating his features and making him seem much younger than his thirty years. His gaze was expectant, almost pleading, and it felt like I’d already started to leave him. Things were changing between us before I’d even gotten into my car.
“That’s true. Wouldn’t be right if I didn’t come back and make sure it all went off without a hitch.”
The Beach Pub wasn’t the only merchant I convinced to sign up for the Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Maria’s Bakery, Boozy Spoons—the ice cream shop that pushed my inebriation over the edge at the festival—and even a couple of the hotels had been interested. I’d been searching for more opportunities like this one for the winter and found a few Christmas events. But I wanted to see how this all went first before I got ahead of myself. I’d started researching for Joe’s sake, but getting the whole town involved for initiatives like this would not only help them in the off-season but maybe even increase their profits in the summer. I took what I’d learned about social media for my clients at work and tried to use it to Ocean Cove’s advantage.
“There’s no doubt it will. You’re smart. And beautiful.” He ran his thumb along my bottom lip. “And I want you to stay mine.”
He’d never called me his outside of his bed before. I didn’t want anyone but Joe, no matter where he was. I’d take whatever I could get, too.
“Because if another man in Brooklyn makes you mozzarella sticks, I’ll lose my shit.”
Raising my gaze to the playful yet determined scowl on his face, I brushed his lips with mine. “I promise; no one but you.”
