Kensington squealed as she felt me gaining on her. She hadn’t been kidding. She was fast. Her long legs carried her over the soft sand. I reached for her arm just inches before her feet touched the foamy water rolling onto shore. She laughed and turned toward me as I pulled her against me. Her green eyes glittered in the moonlight. Her lips softened, begging me for that kiss. My mouth covered hers. As her body pressed closer, my arms wrapped around her. Her lips parted and our kiss deepened. The coastal breeze was brisk, but heat swirled around us.

I lifted my mouth from hers. Her expression was a mix of teasing and wild flirtation and longing. I’d been holding back, not wanting to send her scurrying off, but something told me that that had been a mistake. She was confident, a woman who was sure of herself and what she wanted. And hell if I wasn’t the luckiest damn bastard in the world to have her in my arms.

I’d already grown obsessed with her smile. I knew every line around her mouth as if I’d taken a picture and glued it to my brain. “You surprise me at every turn,” I said.

“Do I? I like that. Keeps you on your toes.” She hopped up and pushed her mouth to my ear. I could feel her lips against my skin. “Cole,” she whispered seductively.

“Yes?” My voice had grown ragged in anticipation of what she might say.

“My feet are freezing.”

I laughed and took hold of her hand. “Then climb on my back, my quick-footed cutie. I’ll give you a piggy back ride to the house.”

“But I don’t have my riding crop and spurs.”

“As hot as that sounds, I’m sort of relieved about that.” I turned my back toward her.

Kensington climbed on and wrapped her arms around my neck. She propped her chin on my shoulder. Her long legs went around me, and I looped my arms through them. I hiked back across the sand toward the beach house.

“Can I just say that I was sure by this time of the date I’d be ready to go back home. I thought there’s no way this amazingly handsome guy is for real.”

I wasn’t completely sure where this was going. We reached the yard. She lowered her feet to the ground. I turned around. Her long dark hair swirled about her shoulders, causing a long strand to curl up in front of her mouth. She brushed it back. “I’ve never connected with someone so quickly, Cole. I don’t know why I’m feeling the need to lay myself out there with these declarations but there it is. Guess I’m tired of looking back on relationships and adding up how much time I’ve wasted. And since you’re just standing there looking slightly stunned and possibly even thinking about how you might just make a run for it, I’m going to assume—”

I reached for her and pulled her into my arms. “You kidding? What guy in his right mind would run from someone like you, Kensington?” As my mouth came down over hers, she threw her arms around my neck. I lifted her and she wrapped her long legs around me. Still kissing, I managed to get us through the sliding glass door and into the house.

Chapter 13

Kensington

Cole smoothed his slightly callused hands up along my thighs to my panties. There was still a slight hesitancy in his moves, and I thought it was cute as hell. Something told me, it wasn’t in his nature to be hesitant when it came to seducing women. I devised a quick plan of encouragement. Something that was totally not in my nature, but everything about Cole seemed different. I was willing to take a chance and toss my heart out there. The worst that could happen would be my heart would get broken. Then I’d pick up the pieces and move on with the notion that real love would forever elude me.

I pulled my mouth from his. Immediately he dropped his hands and worry crossed his face. “Moving too fast?”

I shrugged shyly. “Maybe you could get my wineglass from outside. You know, to help loosen me up.” I nearly laughed at the words. Any looser and I’d be a puddle at his feet.

His shoulders seemed to shrink in disappointment as he walked back out to the yard. I had to move quickly before I chickened out. I whipped my dress up and over my head. I dropped it on the sofa and standing in just my bra and panties, waited for him to return. It took him longer than I’d expected, and suddenly, I wondered if this whole plan was just going to end in major embarrassment. I was seconds from reaching for the dress when he stepped back inside with the wineglass and blanket. His expression assured me taking it off had been a good option.

A frisson of nerves went through me, but I took a long, steadying breath and held out my arms. “Just so you know, I don’t normally do this kind of thing.” I waved my hand in front of my scantily clad body. “This, I mean. Especially not on a first date.”

“Damn, just when I thought this night couldn’t get any better.” He crossed the room in three steps. His arms went around me. He lifted my hair from my neck and trailed kisses along my shoulder and over the swell of my breasts. His fingers dragged the straps of my bra down my shoulders. I held his head against me as his tongue licked and teased my nipple. Moisture soaked my pussy as his hands pushed below my panties and smoothed over my bottom.

He grunted and pulled his mouth from my breast. “Damn, Kensie, I can’t slow down. I knew I wanted this. I knew I wanted you badly, but I was holding back.”

I unfastened my bra. “I could tell. Thought you just needed a little encouragement.”

I could see his throat move with a hard swallow as he watched the bra fall away from my breasts.

“What a night.” He swept me up into his arms and carried me down the hallway to a bedroom. I pushed the door open with my foot, and he carried me inside. There was a slight dusty smell inside the room as if it had been closed up for some time. The walls were whitewashed to go with the nautical theme, which included an oil painting of a ship over the bed.  A polished telescope stood in front of a large window that overlooked the beach. In the opposite corner, in complete contrast to the coastal decor, sat a shiny black drum set surrounded by a wall covered in framed, handwritten music sheets.

With me still wrapped around him, Cole leaned down and yanked the sea shell print bedspread back with one hand. He kissed me once more before lowering me down on the center of the mattress. As he was carrying me down the hall, I’d had about two seconds of mind debate that I was jumping into this too fast. But my ‘you only live once’ side had won out. Staring up at the incredible man towering over the bed and the look of heated desire in his hazel eyes, I knew I’d let the right side win. I could live with regrets later, but for now, I just wanted to be in Cole’s arms.

Cole yanked off his shirt. A myriad of tattoos crossed his muscular chest and arms. Looking at him sent a rush of heat through me.

“Hmm,” I said in a light tone, but inside, a flutter of urges were overwhelming me. “Not bad.” I was dying to smooth my hands over his naked skin.

“Not bad. Guess I’ll have to live with that. Maybe I can excel in other ways.”

I sat up on my knees and reached for the button on his pants. “You know, of course, that I’m teasing you.”

I unzipped his pants as I pressed my mouth against the muscular ridges of his stomach. His fingers tangled in my hair as he held my face against him. I trailed kisses down his flat stomach as I pushed his jeans down around his thighs. His cock pushed free, thick and glistening with moisture.

I wrapped my fingers around him and peered up at him. Cole gazed down at me from beneath heavy lids. He reached up and ran his thumb across my bottom lip and pushed his finger inside my mouth, coaxing me to taste him.

I held him firmly in my grasp as I pushed the slick, fleshy tip against my lips. My tongue swirled through the salty moisture. He groaned as I took him deeper into my mouth.