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Behind them, the members of the band were sitting for a spell, relaxing and having a beer before packing up their gear.
“Want to walk on the beach?” Elizabeth asked.
“Sure.”
Just as they reached the sand, someone started to play the piano, and not long after the male singer joined in, his vocals clear and pristine, even without the benefit of a microphone.
“Oh, I love this song,” Elizabeth said. She twirled in the sand and smiled at Will flirtatiously. “Dance with me.”
They danced slowly, holding each other close, and he listened as she sang along quietly. He'd heard her sing before, but usually it happened by accident; she was shy about it, even though she had a pretty, melodic voice. At the moment, perhaps due to the champagne she’d consumed, she didn't seem self-conscious at all. She tucked her head under his chin and sang against his chest, swaying with him in the moonlight.
He swallowed thickly as the lyrics of the song hit home. It was about sticking around and following through, and although it was by chance the band had chosen this song, the words were fitting, echoing in his mind, and he had the sudden urge to drop to his knees and promise her that hewouldstick around, hewouldfollow through. But instead of doing that, he continued to hold her close, afraid to ruin the moment.
The members of the band applauded when the song ended, but Will and Elizabeth continued to embrace, listening to the waves as they crashed onto the shore. Eventually she lifted her head and raised her eyes to his, then slowly rose on her tiptoes to kiss him.
He cradled her face as the kiss deepened, and her hands slid from his shoulders, over his chest to his waist, and she held his hips tightly, swaying a little at first, then leaning into him. He dragged his lips from hers and kissed across her jaw to her ear, then slowly down her neck, relishing the taste of her. His mouth moved back to hers, and her hands wound into his hair as his glided down her back, curving over her bottom and pulling her up against him until she finally broke the kiss.
“Will.”
His eyes opened slowly and he leaned forward, his breathing unsteady, until his lips were just barely touching hers.
“I love kissing you,” he whispered, before slowly drawing her bottom lip into his mouth and running his tongue across it before releasing it. “You taste so sweet.”
She groaned quietly. “Please don't take me home tonight. I don't want to go home.”
He sighed and brushed his lips across her cheek. He didn'twantto take her home—how could such a perfect day end with them apart? It didn't seem right. But she'd been drinking, and although she wasn't drunk, she was certainly a little tipsy.
She kissed him again, lingering at his lips, and he sighed. “Lizzy…”
“I know what you're thinking. But we'll just sleep, okay? I know I’m a tiny bit drunk, and I know how you feel about waiting, and that's okay. I just want to stay with you. I need you to hold me and I want to hold you—”
“I don't want you to go home either. I want you to stay.”
Not ten minutes later, they were walking back to Will's house via the beach. Well, Will was walking; Elizabeth had decided to hike up her dress and hitch a ride on his back. Tanned arms hung around his shoulders, her little silver heels dangling from one hand, and he clasped her gently under her smooth thighs. Her legs gripped his waist, her breasts were pressed to his back, and he could feel her warm breath on the back of his neck. The heat of her skin seared through his clothing, and as he walked, he pondered how this little stroll down the beach was not helping him keep his resolve.
She kissed the side of his neck and lay her cheek against his hair as she hummed the song they’d just danced to.
“Can you see the lights on the Vineyard?” she asked.
He turned to look across the water. “I see them.”
“Can we go back again in the fall?”
“I would like that.”
She sighed deeply, but didn't say anything else, and he lightly squeezed her legs. “Getting sleepy back there? We're almost home.”
“I'm not sleepy. I was just thinking about my grandparents’ house… Uncle Ed mentioned it’s up for sale again. It makes me sad to think it's just going from one person to another without anyone knowing its history. Did I tell you my grandfather built it?”
Will’s eyebrows rose. “No. Wow.”
“He was a master carpenter, and it was his wedding gift for my grandmother. Their first and only home. The care and detail he put into it, into the littlest things… It’s a boarding house now. The guy who owns it owns a couple of restaurants, and some of his seasonal employees stay there. I can only imagine what it looks like inside.”
He heard the sadness in her voice and it tugged at his heart, but before he could respond they’d arrived at his backyard, and found Georgiana and Matt sitting in the Adirondack chairs.
“Well, look at this!” Georgiana exclaimed. “Welcome home.”
“Hi, guys!” Elizabeth called out happily.
