Page 106 of Twice as Tempting

“Well, first we went to Gary’s house and talked cars for a long time. Then we went to lunch at a nearby deli, and after we dropped Gary back off, I asked your dad if we he wanted to go for a coffee.”

“But you don’t even drink coffee!”

“I know, but I thought it was a nice thing to do. Don’t tell me you’re mad at me for spending time with your dad.”

He was right, damn it! “No. It’s just that this is our last day here, and I wanted us to spend it together.”

Damian wrapped his arms around her again, oblivious to the attention that they were attracting. “We’re together now, and we’ll be together all night long,” he said, his voice becoming deeper, huskier.

“That’s true,” Kelly admitted, softening against his rock-hard chest.

“There’s something that I want to do tonight.”

“Me too,” she said, giving him that look.

“Besides that, I mean.”

“Oh. What else?”

“I want us to be on the beach at sunset.”

Kelly had a hard time hiding her surprise. Damian wasn’t one for overly romantic gestures, preferring to show his love for her in simple ways. “Ok…”

“Frank mentioned that the sunsets on the beach are spectacular, and I’d like to see one before we leave.”

Wow, Damian and my dad must have really bonded! “I’d love to watch the sunset with you tonight,” she said.

“Good. Let’s go get something to eat so we’re back in time,” he suggested.

The men around the pool got one last glimpse of the long-haired beauty with the sensuous curves as she was escorted into the hotel by the equally attractive Greek man. Or maybe he was Italian, who knew?!

Kelly was mostly unaware of the attention, although she thought she heard someone mutter, “Lucky bastard,” as they walked by.

They decided to eat dinner at the hotel restaurant so as not to miss the sunset. Kelly almost ordered a salad, since she had downed a hamburger earlier, but changed her mind when she saw a plate of fried shrimp being delivered to a nearby table.

“Oh, what the hell! I’m on vacation,” she said aloud.

While she and Damian tucked into their meals, they talked about various “safe” topics, such as the auto shop, the bookstore, and their families. Ever since Kelly had sent Emma a picture of sunny downtown Naples earlier, she had been barraged with photos of the snow scenes awaiting them in Michigan. Apparently, Zack had been doing the same thing to Damian, and they shared a good laugh over it.

Talk turned to Emma and Zack’s wedding, which was just two weeks away. Since they were on the topic of weddings, Kelly considered making some joke about her and Damian getting married someday, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. They were having such a wonderful time, and it was their last night there, and…

“Something on your mind, Kell?” Damian asked after the waiter had cleared their plates.

“No, not really. Just enjoying our last night together.”

Damian reached his hands across the table and entwined their fingers together. “You keep saying that as if we’re not going to have any other nights together except this one.”

“Sorry. I didn’t realize that I was doing that.”

“C’mon. Let’s get out of here. I want to find a nice, private spot on the beach.”

What is his fascination with the sunset tonight?

When they got down to the beach, Kelly slipped off her sandals and tucked them into her tote bag. Damian took her hand, and as they walked, he glanced over at her every few minutes and smiled.

It was a beautiful evening. The ocean breeze tossed Kelly’s hair around, and the sound of the waves lapping at the shore soothed her. They passed several other couples, who, like them, were scoping out a private patch of sand on which to watch the sun go down. Of course, there were plenty of families too, their children playing hide and seek with the sea as the cool water tickled their toes before receding.

They walked for a long time while the sun set itself up for its final bow of the evening. Finally, they left the packed sand along the water’s edge and trudged into the soft, white, powdery sand that sunbathers had been laying out on earlier that day.