Chapter 33
CHAPTER 33
P aige was fairly certain she still had green paint behind her ear, but she didn’t care. She was in a hurry to get to Blake. She’d needed that time in her studio to regroup and figure out where everything in her world stood, but now she just wanted to be with him.
She threw on a long sundress and a sweater. Even in the middle of the summer, the nights were cool by the water. It took her longer than she’d hoped to get ready because she had to blow dry her hair. Otherwise, she would really freeze.
She put on a pair of strappy sandals and skipped down the stairs. Blake was still putting food into the basket. He looked up, and his eyes sparkled.
“You look gorgeous.”
She blushed. “Thanks.”
“You want to grab a blanket, and we’ll head out?”
They both had their hands full as they walked down to the beach and made small talk about the weather and the many birds that flew around them.
She spread out the blanket, and Blake dug out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. He handed her one and tugged her close to him. Neither said a word as they sipped their wine.
“This is beautiful,” he said. The lake spread out in front of them, framed by tall pines with waves lapping up on the shore. Birds chirped in the canopy above them. Everything about the place was peaceful.
“I know. I’ll miss it if I move to back to Mackinac.” If Blake didn’t stay with her, Lukas would find a way to make her move back.
“I like it here. I see no reason to move back.”
He smiled at her, she wondered if that would be the moment when they finally kissed, but he let go of her and stepped away. Disappointment flooded her chest, but she didn’t say anything.
He set his glass down and pulled out plates and other things. She sat next to him, probably closer than she would’ve two days ago.
“We’ve got grapes, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I didn’t know what you liked best, so I brought them all. Which would you prefer?”
“I don’t care. Surprise me.”
He raised his eyebrows at her. “Is that how it’s going to be?”
“What do you mean? I do like them all.”
“Fine. Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Because you said you wanted to be surprised.”
“Fine.” She said with a grin and closed her eyes.
She could hear rustling in the basket, and then Blake shifted next to her.
“Open up,” he said. She wasn’t expecting this, but parted her lips a little. He pressed a raspberry into her mouth, his finger lingering on her lip. She chewed and swallowed the sweet fruit and waited. This time it was a blueberry, but instead of simply letting his finger linger, he traced her bottom lip and then her top.
She wanted to open her eyes and watch him, but that would ruin the moment. So, she kept her eyes closed and waited. The anticipation was excruciating.
“This one is my favorite,” he whispered in her ear.
She waited and then felt lips press against hers. The kiss was soft and deliberate, creating a mess of desire in her body, but it was over way too fast. She blinked her eyes open and found him staring deep into her eyes.
“Did I tell you that you could open your eyes?”
“What do I get if I close them again?”
“More of my favorite,” he whispered.
She quickly closed her eyes, and he chuckled. “You like that one too, huh?” he mumbled against her lips.
“Very much.”
He kissed her again, just as lightly as before, but this time he didn’t pull away. She wanted to fling her arms around him and pull him close and maybe rip his shirt off, but she let him lead.
His lips moved gently against hers, and she responded in kind. He parted his lips and slowly licked the edge of hers. Every movement was slow and deliberate. She’d never been kissed like this before in her life.
He brought a hand to her face and stroked her cheek, still placing light kisses on her lips with the occasional flick of the tongue. Desire burned in her stomach.
She leaned up and pressed harder into the kiss, and he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. She squeaked, and he chuckled.
She opened her eyes, and they just stared at each other for a few moments. She relished this moment with him and was so grateful he’d waited until now to kiss her because this night would be unforgettable.
“Thank you,” she said.
“For what? Kissing you?”
“Yes, but also for making it memorable.”
He pecked her nose. “You’re welcome.”
He lay back on the blanket, but she didn’t climb off of him. She hovered over him, her hands on his chest. He placed his hands on her hips and moved her forward a few inches.
She leaned over him and watched his eyes for a moment. They were stormy with desire. She crushed her lips against his, much more aggressively than he had with her, but he didn’t disappoint. He gripped the back of her head, and their lips and tongues moved furiously against each other.
He moved his hands down her back and held her tight against him. This was a night she’d never forget.