"Too long." I take another sip of wine. "To be honest, I'm glad we're moving past it. It’s time."
She nods slowly, studying me over the rim of her glass. "Thanks for picking Hibiscus Harbor tonight. It was a good idea to get away from Pelican Point's fishbowl."
"I figured we deserved one night where the entire town wasn't watching our every move."
"They're invested now," Merri answers. "They want to see what happens with us, if we'll keep getting along or go back to our old ways after the competition is over."
"And what do you want?" The question comes out before I can stop it.
She sets down her wineglass, her expression turning serious. "I want to see what happens. I'm interested in finding out."
My heart kicks up. "Yeah?"
"Mmmhmm." She looks almost shy as her teeth catch at her bottom lip. "I can’t stop thinking about you since the cold storage room. It feels like everything has shifted, and I can't go back to seeing you as just my nemesis anymore."
That's it, all the permission I need.
I set my glass down and tug her toward me. "Good. Because I haven't been able to get you out of my head either."
Our mouths meet, slow and searching. She tastes like wine and heat, and I want to consume her. She sinks into me with a sigh, her hands moving up to circle my neck and draw me in. It's that little sound she makes, a half gasp, half plea that breaks my restraint. That sound bypasses every rational thought I have left and goes straight to my cock. I drag her into my lap, fingers sinking into her hair.
We break apart for air, both breathing hard, staring at each other in shock. Her pupils are blown wide, lips swollen from my mouth, and I know we just crossed a line we can't uncross.
"Wyatt," she whispers.
The way she says my name, breathless and wanting, makes my pulse hammer.
"Tell me to stop," I beg against her mouth. "Tell me this is a bad idea, and I'll stop."
Instead, she kisses me again, harder this time, and any remaining restraint I had dissolves completely. Screw good ideas. This is Merri in my arms, and nothing else matters. I stand, lifting her with me, and she wraps her legs around my waist, her dress riding up her thighs.
"Bedroom," she says. "Show me your bedroom."
I don't need to be told twice.
I carry her upstairs, my hands cupping her ass and lifting her easily, my mouth devouring hers the entire way, only breaking apart long enough to navigate the hallway to my room. We fall onto the bed, and she's already tugging at my shirt while I work the zipper on her dress.
And when I finally have her beneath me, skin against skin, staring up at me with those sweet green eyes full of want and trust, I know I'm completely gone.
Her skin is warm beneath my palms as I trace the curve of her waist, learning the softness of her. Merri's breath quickens,her fingers threading through my hair as she draws me down for another kiss. This one is urgent, deeper, like we can't get enough.
Her skin is warm beneath my palms as I trace the curve of her waist, learning the softness of her. This is Merri Gallagher in my bed. After years of antagonism, I get to touch her like this.
"You're so beautiful," I murmur, peppering kisses down her throat. "I've wanted to tell you that for weeks." I drag my teeth across her collarbone and groan as her nails dig into my back. Every point of contact between us feels electric.
I work my way down her body, hands and mouth discovering every inch of her, taking one rosy nipple between my lips while my fingers tease the other. She arches into me with a sharp inhale, and I lavish attention on her breasts, sucking and licking until she's writhing beneath me, her thighs pressing together. The way she moves under me, the sounds she makes—I want to memorize every detail.
When I trail kisses down the smooth expanse of her stomach, she arches with another sharp inhale that sends heat straight through me. I've imagined this more times than I'll ever admit, but nothing prepared me for the reality of her.
"Wyatt," she breathes, her fingers tightening in my hair as I settle between her thighs. "God, yes."
I part her with my thumbs, exposing her glistening sex. Christ, she's gorgeous. The first taste of her makes my vision blur. She's sweet and slick against my tongue as I lap at her entrance before circling her swollen clit. Her hips buck when I suck that sensitive bud into my mouth, and the desperate, needy whimpers she makes send my blood pounding south. I want to hear her make those sounds for the rest of my life.
"Please," she manages, her thighs trembling as I work her higher. "Wyatt, I'm so close."
I slide two fingers inside, curling them to find that spot that makes her cry out, and continue the relentless attention of mymouth. She's already tightening around me, and I know I won’t last long. Her inner walls clench as she shatters, crying out my name as her orgasm rolls through her.
I move back up, taking my time. She pulls me into a deep kiss, her hands roaming over my chest and shoulders with hungry exploration. When she wraps her fingers around my hard length, stroking from base to tip with deliberate pressure, I nearly come apart.
