Chapter 6 #2
Seeing her laugh made his heart feel lighter than it had in weeks. Not wanting to pressure her for answers she might not be ready to give, he reached out to her. “Let’s go to lunch, and I’ll show you some more of the island.”
She slayed him with the tender look she gave him as she took his outstretched hand.
He took her to the Oar Bar, where she marveled over the thousands of brightly painted oars. Jared insisted she have a lobster roll and clam chowder to get the full New England experience. She loved them both, as well as the view of the bustling Salt Pond.
“That’s the McCarthys’ Marina over there,” Jared said, pointing to the right side of the pond.
“They’re one of the more well-known families on the island.
David was once engaged to their daughter.
” Jared went on to tell her the story of how David had recently saved the lives of his ex-fiancée and her newborn son.
“Wow. He must’ve been freaking out the whole time.”
“He said he’s never been so scared in his entire life—or more determined to do what he’d been trained to do.”
“She must be very thankful. I can’t imagine owing my life or my child’s life to my ex.”
Jared raised a brow. “Do you have an ex who’s a doctor?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Yes, I think I would.”
She tossed her napkin at him, and while she’d dodged the question, watching the playfulness return between them only added to the hopeful feeling he’d been carrying around all day.
After lunch, he took her into town, where they checked out every one of the shops that lined the waterfront.
The only thing she bought was a black bikini off one of the sale racks so she could swim in his pool.
When she admired a bracelet made of silver scallop shells, he’d doubled back to get it for her while she continued on to a store full of crazy hats.
Back in the car, he reached for her hand and slid the bracelet onto her arm. When it was in place, he brought her hand to his lips and lingered there, breathing in the flowery scent of her lotion.
“Thank you,” she whispered, looking at him with liquid brown eyes full of all the same love and longing he felt for her.
He could no longer resist the need to lean into her, to kiss her with weeks’ worth of pent-up desire.
She returned the kiss with an equal amount of ardor, oblivious to their location parked along a well-traveled street.
“God, Lizzie…” He rested his forehead against hers and focused on drawing air to his oxygen-starved lungs. “I want you so badly. You can’t possibly know how badly.”
“I want you just as much, but we haven’t resolved anything. And what you said last night—”
“I don’t care. I just want you.”
She studied him for a long moment, seeming to memorize every detail. “Let’s go home.”
In the year they’d spent together, Elisabeth had made love with Jared hundreds of times.
Maybe even a thousand or more. She’d done things with him that she’d never done with anyone else.
However, as she stood before the mirror in her bathroom, wearing the silk gown she’d brought with this possibility in mind, it felt like the very first time all over again.
At this point, she was stalling, letting the nerves take over when she knew she had nothing to be nervous about. This was Jared, and he loved her. No matter what differences they might’ve had or might continue to have, she’d never once doubted his love for her.
She emerged from the bathroom to find him sitting on her bed, wearing only the olive-green cargo shorts he’d had on earlier.
As she took in the view of his muscular chest, she licked her lips, aching for a taste of him.
He stood and held out his hand to her, a twitching muscle in his cheek the only indication she could see that he might be nervous or undone by what they were about to do. “Come with me,” he said gruffly.
Elisabeth took his hand and followed him through the living room to a huge master suite surrounded by full-length glass walls that overlooked the water.
Sheer white curtains billowed in the late afternoon breeze.
A king-size bed covered by a beige duvet took up one side of the room and a comfortable-looking sitting area occupied the other half.
The lamps were made of shells, and Elisabeth leaned in for a closer look at one of them.
“This is lovely,” she said sincerely. “Your friend Sydney has wonderful taste.”
“I’m glad you like it. I told her to keep it simple because I know that’s what you prefer.”
“I thought you’d had it for three years.”
“I have, but I didn’t worry about decorating it until I had someone I wanted to bring here. Sydney spent all last winter on this project. I was planning to bring you here this summer.”
“You thought of me when you were decorating it,” she said softly.
“I think of you all the time.”
She slid her hands up and over his chest until they landed on his shoulders.
His arms encircled her waist, drawing her into his embrace. “You look beautiful.”
“So do you.”
“I’ve got nothing on you.”
“How many times have we had this fight?” she asked with a smile.
“Not nearly often enough for my liking. I think we need to have it at least a million more times before we declare a winner.”
“At least.” Before him, Elisabeth had never made love during the day.
Her limited encounters had occurred in the dark, most of them with men who were out to please themselves first and foremost. Since she’d been with Jared, her horizons had been broadened in every possible way, but again, as he walked her backward toward the bed, everything between them was new again.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, perceptive as always.
“For the first time in weeks, not a thing is wrong.”
“Then why are you doing that thing you do with your lips when something is on your mind?”
“I’m nervous.”
“No, Lizzie,” he whispered, running his hands up and down her arms. “Don’t be.”
“I feel like my whole life is on the line, and I’m going to do something to mess it up again.”
“The only thing you could do to mess it up is shake your head.”
The comment was so unexpected that Elisabeth couldn’t contain the bubbling laughter that escaped from her lips. “So we’re laughing about that now?”
“I didn’t mean that to be funny,” he said, his lips quivering with amusement. “But I guess it is. As long as you don’t do it.”