“I didn’t say you did, but maybe I want to give you something no one else has.”
She sighed. “I want you to be you, Arik. Not what you think I need or want to give me to one up someone else in my past.”
Which made him sound more like his parents than he felt comfortable with.
“I am being me. Remember, I’ve got a lot of time on my hands. I bet you’re thinking about work tomorrow. Or chores you’ve got to do around your place. Grocery shopping and laundry.”
“Guilty.”
“I don’t have those things.”
“You’re just trying to fill your time before you move on to another location.”
“I don’t plan on going anywhere,” he said. “Do I want to find something to do with my time? Sure. There have to be needs on this island. That’s something we can talk about on our date. Maybe I can fill a niche.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I’m not sure when you’re serious or not.”
“Me neither.”
She laughed again, but he chose not to say more.
He was right, the minute he turned his SUV off, she got out, retrieved her bag from the back and walked to her car.
He was right next to her and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t tense or move away. That was something.
“Is our contract over now?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Is it?”
“It was supposed to be for the wedding and now we can go back to the real thing. In my mind it’s over.”
“Then I guess so,” she said.
“Good. You won’t say I broke the rules now.” His mouth landed on hers, his tongue nudging her lips open and swooping in.
He’d been craving a taste of her for days.
Having her in his arms, her warm body pressed against his in the bed—however accidental it might have been—had been a test of willpower.
She sighed into his kiss. Her tongue coming out to play along with his, her arms around his neck.
She didn’t appear to be too concerned if anyone saw them in the parking garage and he sure the hell wasn’t.
What he wanted to do was stay like this for hours. To have it be the last thought she had of him and not the depressing family drama he’d just subjected her to.
But it’d done what he’d hoped to accomplish. Let her know where he came from and she wasn’t backing away.
She was actually trying to get closer.
“Get a room,” someone shouted, then laughed.
Natalie jumped out of his arms, her face flushed deeper than a cherry on top of a sundae.
“Guess they told us,” he said.
“You’ve got a room and I need to return to mine. We’ll talk soon.”
“We will,” he said. He grabbed her suitcase and put it in her trunk while she laid her dress bag over it.
