A Maine Christmas...or Two (20 page)

He brushed his lips against hers with a promise of what might be, stealing her breath as she fought for some semblance of control. “Staggering indeed, my sweet Summer.”

“Oh!”
Summer
…had he just given her a nickname? And damn if it didn’t make her want him all the more.

He brushed her cheek while his eyes locked on hers with an intensity that sent her heart stumbling into a free fall. “It might be awfully soon for confessions, but I need you to know that there’s only one reason I’m here—and that’s you. I’ve come back for you, darling, and I’ll not rest until I’ve made you mine once more.”

Oh, boy
. And after that kiss? It was a damn good thing he was still holding onto her, since his words had her head spinning.

“I…um…” The heat that flamed across her face and chest left her wanting to fan herself like some Victorian virgin getting ready to swoon. And could she possibly sound like a bigger idiot? But he couldn’t possibly mean what she thought he meant, because that would be insane…and totally hot. Her romance writers would be
all
over this one—not that she’d be spilling the beans.

He gave her a final whisper of a kiss, ensuring that her brain was totally scrambled and riding a tsunami of hormones. Slowly, he loosened his hold on her, though the fierce desire in his eyes had yet to fade. He reminded her of a wolf stalking its prey, and damned if she didn’t want to let him catch her.

“You’re blushing, darling.” The intensity of his gaze left her thinking there was nowhere near enough oxygen getting into her lungs, and was why she actually believed him when he said she was the reason he’d come back after all those years.

It dawned on her that they were making out like horny teenagers on the side of the road by the busy edge of town. Somehow, she miraculously managed to put a little space between them, before running her hands over her body to smooth out her dress.

“Dinner?” Her voice was breathy and ragged, betraying the effect he’d had on her.

“Definitely. I’m famished.” The way he looked at her, the way his gaze roamed over her body, settled on her lips for a moment and then shifted to her eyes, left her entire body tingling with a thrill she hadn’t felt in a long time.

It made her want to drag him back to the inn and have her way with him until they lay there spent in a tangle of naked limbs. So it was a good thing he had enough willpower and sense to tuck her in at his side, his strong arm holding her close as he guided them down the road and towards town. “So, what do you recommend? It’s been so long since I was last here.”

Just like that, he’d brought things back around to being a normal date—as if he hadn’t just scrambled her thoughts and left her body zinging like she’d been caught in a lightning storm. She did her best to turn her attention back to the mundane task of picking out a place to eat. “There’s a great fish and lobster restaurant, a cute little bistro that specializes in using only local and organic goods, a few funky sandwich shops and cafes, and a great brick oven pizza place.”

“It’s been awhile since I had Maine lobster, but I could also go for a good pizza. Do you have any preference? I’m up for anything.” The way his gaze settled on her as he spoke those last words left her heartbeat tripping over itself.

She tried to steady her voice and failed miserably. “No preference at all.”

Riley grabbed another piece of pizza and bit into the crispy crust, loving how the tangy goat cheese and Kalamata olives mingled with the sweet caramelized onions, all of it accented by the smokiness of the wood fire oven. It may not be a traditional pie, but they had gotten one of those too, since it turned out Thorsen really was famished. And with a body as lean and muscular as his, she was sure he had the type of metabolism that demanded to be fed.

“That was really good.” Thorsen finished off his crust and took a long sip of his beer, before settling his gaze on her. “Just one more reason to stay on the island, isn’t it?”

Did he mean permanently? Nah…he couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Or would he? She felt like a teenager again, trying to decipher every nuance in a conversation. The wise thing to do would be to let it slide, and see if it came up again.
Or…
she could just be blunt and stick her foot in it, since the words were out of her mouth before she could think them through. “By ‘stay on the island.’ do you mean for vacation or longer than that?”

“I meant what I said, Riley. I like this island—and I like you even more.” He leaned in and gave her a smile as he reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I know you have a lot going on right now, but I’m a patient man and I’m in no rush. Clearly, you hadn’t been expecting to run into me, and I’m fully aware that this must all seem a bit sudden.”

“
A bit?
” She shook her head with a laugh. “You know, you’re damn charming. And I’m beyond flattered.”

He twined his fingers with hers, his gaze soft and seductive. “
But…
it sounds like there’s a ‘
but’
coming.”

“But my life was just thrown into total chaos this morning, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to surface back to a normal life. And as sweet and romantic as it all sounds, what you’re proposing sounds more like a fairytale than reality.” She had to be realistic if she didn’t want to get her heart broken, because Thorsen sure as hell could break her heart, and unfortunately, she’d learned the hard way that most guys didn’t stick around much past the end of the summer. “I’ve just been burned one too many times. Even when people swear up and down that they’ll stay on the island, it doesn’t tend to be a reality.”

“I’m not like other guys, Riley. And I’ve lived enough of my life to know what I want. And darling, that’s you.”

Hand in hand, Riley and Thorsen wandered back towards the inn, the sprawling grounds and cliffside bathed in the light of a nearly full moon. Having him so close had Riley’s heart thundering against her ribs and her mind racing. Those mind-blowing kisses from earlier that night and that declaration of his were running on an endless loop in her head.

Even after all those years apart, there was still something between them. Call it a spark or chemistry, or maybe it was their shared past, but having him back after so many years apart made her realize that few other guys had ever had this sort of effect on her.

It would be so incredibly easy to let him into her life. Yet, she had a lot on her plate. With the sale of the inn pending and Anna snooping around, she wasn’t sure Thorsen was a distraction or complication she needed.

Or…he could be
exactly
what she needed to keep her mind off her troubles. Having Thorsen to snuggle up against at the end of a long day of dealing with Anna might be just the thing to keep her sane.

With her hand still in his, she looked up at him with a flirty smile, once again thinking that the man was striking. His hair was streaked with every color from flaxen to deep caramel while being just long enough to look casual, his eyes were intelligent and the brightest blue, while a few days’ worth of stubble rounded out his rugged good looks.

She turned towards him and slipped her hands around his waist, the feel of him solid and the warmth of his body welcoming. The night air coming in off the ocean held a bite to it and there was no better way to ward off the chill than snuggling against a gorgeous man. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in hanging out by a fire? We stock the fire pits each night with supplies for making s’mores.”

“Darling, I’m up for anything if it involves you.” He brushed her cheek with a gentle touch, his gaze holding hers as he leaned in and gave her a whisper of a kiss. “Though I should warn you that I might be tempted to collect on my debt.”

Oh, boy.
A molten heat coursed through her and headed south, making her blush like some damned school girl—yet again. It’d been over a year since her last serious relationship, and though she had no problem with the occasional romp or distraction, none had felt this intense. It left her feeling like she was back on that ledge, teetering above a raging sea.

***
End of Sample. ***

One Sweet Summer
by Cali MacKay is now available!

Please continue reading for sample chapters of
The Billionaire’s Obsession by J. S. Scott

S
imon Hudson stood
silently in the shadows of the opulent lobby, his hands in the pockets of his jeans and one shoulder propped against the frame of a large window that faced the street. His whole body was tense, his dark brown eyes scanning the sidewalk with the intense and total focus of a madman.

Where in the hell is she? It’s ten forty-five.

He knew Kara was working tonight. She had called in sick for the last two evenings, but was back to work at Helen’s Place, waiting tables on the swing shift. He had checked. His mother owned the bistro where Kara worked and was generally pretty forthcoming with information when Simon wanted it, but he was careful. If he wasn’t, his only parent would be hounding him to find out why he wanted information on Kara. His wonderful but inquisitive mom would be like a bloodhound after a scent if she thought that Simon’s interest was anything but casual. He would be nagged to death, his mother wanting to know exactly what his intentions were with Kara.

Simon frowned. Like he had any intentions? He had fantasies and all of them involved Kara spread out on his bed, screaming his name as he made her come, over and over.

Simon took a deep breath and slowly blew it back out, trying to get his body to relax and telling himself that he must be insane to take exactly the same position, night after night, for some woman who he had never officially met. But here he was…again, his back to the curious doorman, leering out the window like an unbalanced stalker, waiting to get a glimpse of Kara Foster. Something about the woman brought out strange, territorial, and protective instincts that kept him here, keeping watch, waiting for her to walk by his condo building on her way home from work.

And then, when he spotted her, he’d do the same thing he always did. He’d follow her at a distance, trying not to alarm her, and wait until she had let herself into her apartment safely before he turned around and walked back home.