Page 80 of Hard to Hold

“This is the part where you tell me how incredible I am, I repay you with some wine and cheese, and then later some dessert with my tongue buried between your legs.”

“Oh.”

Well, no woman is going to complain about that, now is she?

“Exactly. Any more thoughts on the matter?” he asks.

“I think we should go inside and practice our horrible sex.”

“Practice does make perfect,” he murmurs before we laugh and go explore our new place. “Or in our case, it makes it perfectly horrible.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

RUSH

“I’M STILL IN SHOCK YOU did this.” Lennox looks at me from across the deck. She has my T-shirt on and nothing else, its dark color accentuating the tan on her very long legs. Ones that I’ve been between the better part of the afternoon, and I’m definitely not complaining about that. The breeze is blowing through her hair and the sun is at her back as she takes a sip of wine.

She’s a sight to behold and for the first time since I’ve been in the States, there’s something—or rather someone—who might make me sad to leave and go back home.

“We both deserved a break.”

“I think poor Johnny deserved a break from us too.”

“I think he’s going to disinfect the entire house while we’re gone.” I laugh and grab a cracker and slice of cheese from the table beside me.

“Nothing could ruin my good mood today,” she murmurs and twirls around, some of the wine sloshing over the top of her glass. “Oopsie.” Her giggle floats across the patio, making me smile, and I realize she’s a bit tipsy. “Party foul.”

“It happens to the best of us.” God, she’s bloody gorgeous. I pat the spot beside me on the chaise lounge. “Come sit with me.”

She eyes me coyly, her smile carefree. “I thought I wore you out.”

“To sit, Nox.” God knows she did wear me out earlier. “Just to sit and watch the sunset.”

“In that case then,” she says and skips over before plopping down and snuggling into me. “Perfect. This is absolutely perfect.”

“It is,” I say and press a kiss to the top of her head as I pull her in tighter.

Business-savvy Lennox is sexy. Bedroom-vixen Lennox is every bloke’s dream. But tipsy Lennox is equal parts adorable and amusing, which makes me want to lean forward and kiss her senseless.

“I needed this,” I murmur against the top of her head. “Somewhere to go without people knowing or watching or wanting something from me. You have no idea how much I needed this.”

How much I needed you.

The thought takes a second to register and when it does, I push it as far away as possible, because I don’t need anything. Or rather, I don’t need anyone.

I did once.

And after she died, I vowed I’d never let myself need anyone again.

We sit in silence as the waves crash onto the shore and the sun dips slowly toward the ocean.

“You gave me the sunset,” she murmurs almost dreamily out of nowhere. “No one’s ever given me a sunset before.”

“That’s ridiculous. Surely—”

“Shh,” she says and presses her lips to mine. “Let’s enjoy it.”

She lays her head back on my chest.