A half laugh sputtered from her damp lips. His delicious taste lingered in her mouth—spice, liquor, hunger. She wanted another taste but tried to gather her composure. “Yeah. Wow.”
His grin warmed her insides. His thumbs rubbed her scalp, keeping her close. Their bodies were still plastered together. She felt his erection through the thin fabric of her dress.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” he admitted, trailing kisses along her jawline. Down her neck. Bit gently between the tender flesh of her collarbone. Shivers exploded through her. “And now I’m in real trouble.”
She bent her head back for better access. God, he melted her in all the right ways. Rowan had never been this attracted to a man. “Why?”
“Because I want to do it again. The idea of Howie having the right to see that tat is driving me a little crazy.”
She gasped as he nibbled and tasted like she was a buffet and he was starved. “That’s a bit archaic. No one has the right over my body but me.”
“Let me rephrase. I want to be the man invited to see it. I want to see you strip naked for my pleasure and have the honor of exploring every inch of your beautiful skin. With my hands. My mouth. My tongue. My teeth.” He trailed his lips up to her ear to whisper the next words. “I want to hear you say my name when I’m deep inside of you as you orgasm.”
Oh. God.
She was on fire from his dirty words and loved every moment. Grabbing his face, she dragged his mouth back to hers for another drugging kiss. Her hands coasted from his shoulders to thrust in his thick, dark hair, mussing up the strands like she’d fantasized. “I should’ve known you’d be a talker.”
He bit her lip, then chuckled. “I should’ve known you were dangerous.”
“I have my own fantasies, Suit.” With wicked intention, she arched against him with invitation. “Seeing you messed up. Hair disheveled. Tie ripped off. Shirt wrinkled and open.” She pressed kisses slowly to his full mouth, addicted to his taste. “Lipstick on your face. Pants unbuckled. No control.”
“Fuck yes. Let’s do it all.”
She laughed and clung as they fell into another long kiss. He was completely addicting. She was a complete goner. “We have to get back to Kelsey.”
“You’re right.”
Slowly, she pulled away, dragging in a deep breath. Rowan watched while he smoothed his hair and straightened his shirt. Everett never took his gaze from her. She stayed quiet, not wanting to break the magical moment. It was a kiss she already knew she’d never forget. As an old woman, she’d always remember the way Everett Hale had kissed her on this beach.
“I thought I could control this, but I can’t. Or I don’t want to.” A troubled frown creased his brow. “I can’t stop thinking about you, Rowan. I want to see you again. Spend more time together.” His eyes darkened with hunger. “Intimately.”
Rowan knew what he was asking. Somehow, they’d gone from rivals to ... this. Whatever this was. In that moment, she realized it was the first time since her dad passed that she wanted to take the leap. What was wrong with having a summer affair? She wanted this man. As long as they were careful with their expectations, no one would get hurt.
“Me, too.” The words felt right. The satisfaction and hunger on his face confirmed he felt the same.
“I’m glad. I just need to be careful with Kels. I don’t want her to have any ...” He trailed off, emotion flooding his gaze.
“Expectations,” she finished. “I understand. We should set the rules.”
His lip quirked. “I love rules.”
Rowan laughed, burying the sting of his words. She knew what they were agreeing to and she was okay with it. She wanted to experience an affair with Everett Hale. It just had to be carefully contained. “I know. We agree this will end when summer does. You’ll go back to New York.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll keep teaching Kelsey to surf. I’m good with whatever you want to tell her about us, but we can keep this a secret for now.”
“Yes.”
She continued to rattle off the mental list in her head. “We respect each other’s privacy but we don’t sleep with anyone else.”
“Thank God. You’re not with Howie?”
She shook her head. “No. We’re like cousins—nothing romantic between us.”
His smile was sharklike. Arrogant. Satisfied. Confident. “I’m glad you’ll be mine.”
Her entire body tingled with excitement. Damn, he was dangerous. “We keep communication open. If we don’t want this anymore, it can’t affect Kelsey. She’s the most important.”
