A key.
She stared at it, brow wrinkled, her heart pounding.
“To my place,” he said. “Or your place. Or any place, Lena, as long as you’re in it. No pressure. No expectations.”
Her hand trembled as she took the key. It was cold, unfamiliar, yet it held a promise. “You’re giving me a key?” she breathed.
“I’m giving you a choice,” he corrected, voice husky.
She looked up at him, searching his face, his eyes. “You know I have trust issues, right?” her voice quavered.
“I’ve got patience, Lena.”
“I talk too much.”
A soft smile played on his lips. “I’m a great listener.”
“I leave shells in people’s rooms when I’m anxious,” she admitted, a nervous laugh escaping.
His smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You’re my favorite security breach, Lena Harris.”
A laugh sprang from her lips, the sound bubbling up from her heart, pure and unrestrained. She went up on her tiptoes, her hand cupping his jaw, and she kissed him. It was a slow kiss, deep and real, tasting of salt and promises. His arms tightened around her, anchoring her, grounding her in the here and now. In them.
When she pulled back, her breath mingling with his, she looked into his eyes and saw her future. Messy, uncertain,but theirs. Real. She wasn’t just close to okay—she was there, standing on the precipice of happy.
For years she’d believed safety meant distance—another exit, a clean break. This felt different. Not safer, buttruer.
Lena giggledas they crashed into his door, neither one letting go of the other long enough to properly navigate the route to his room from the beach.
The kiss on the beach had not been enough, not for either of them. The salt of the sea still clung to their skin, and the faint smell of sunscreen and summer air wafted around them, heightening their senses.
“Can’t get the door open if you keep doing that,” he murmured against her lips, even as he fumbled with the handle.
“Then stop being so sexy,” she whispered back, nipping at his lower lip.
The door finally gave way, and they stumbled inside. He tucked her hair behind her ear, fingers trailing along her neck to her shoulder, slowly sliding the strap to her dress off, even as his lips found hers, nudging her mouth open, his tongue circling, tasting her. Devouring her.
“God, Lena,” he breathed. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
Pleasure beaded through her bloodstream, and she wanted more. The glide of his lips on her skin. His hands on her body. His touch was both familiar and exhilarating, every movement setting her nerve endings alight.
“Show me,” she whispered.
As if he read her mind, his fingers tightened slightly, spinning her and pulling her ass snug against him, eliminating all space. His erection was snugged into the cleft of her ass, and he moved his hips against her, letting her feel the hard length pushing against the rough denim of his shorts.
“Feel that?” His voice was rough, raw with need. “That’s all for you.”
His fingers stroked her skin, skimming her dress down. Waves of desire, of need, crashed over her, buckling her knees, and she swayed with the force of it. She leaned back against him, trusting him to support her.
“I’ve got you,” he promised, breath wafting over her neck, before licking and nipping along her jawline. “I’ve always got you.”
Each touch sent shivers down her spine, igniting a fire deep within her.
“Please,” she heard herself say, barely recognizing her own voice. “I need?—”
“I know what you need.” His hands continued their exploration. “Tell me anyway. I want to hear you say it.”
Her dress fell to the floor, leaving her in just a lacy thong. The cool air hit her bare skin, but it did nothing to quell the heat rising within her. His hands came up under her swollen breasts, cupping them, weighing them in his talented hands.
