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“That’s not why I’m shaking,” he muttered before capturing her lips in a consuming kiss. “You make me weak, Pres.”
Boy, could she relate. She had the will of a wet paper bag around him. Tenderly, she unhooked her legs from his waist. He slipped free, making sure she was steady on her feet before letting her go. But he didn’t leave right away. He bent his head and rested his lips against her neck, his arms holding her tight.
Being naked on his boat under the fireworks should have led to naughty, kinky sex. The kind of sex they’d just had was far more intimate. In the small, overheated space with his breath on her neck and his hands on her body, she came to an unpleasant realization. Somehow, even though she’d tried to stop it, Cash had burrowed past her defenses. He’d buried himself in her body, but he hadn’t stopped there. He kept going until he’d wedged himself into her heart.
Yeah, baby, in the way you mean. Totally safe.
She trusted he wouldn’t impregnate her or put her in any physical danger, but if she allowed herself to fall for him... Well, there wasn’t anything safe about that, was there?
“Grand finale.” He kissed her neck again as cracks, pops and whistles dominated the night sky.
“Thought we did that already,” she joked, not feeling like joking at all. Not with the complicated emotions clogging her chest.
“You’re amazing. Completely amazing.” His top half vanished out of the privacy panel. He returned with a pair of board shorts and stuffed his legs into them. Then he stepped out, leaving her to pull herself together.
In more ways than one.
She cleaned up with a beach towel, tied on her bikini top and tugged on a pair of shorts followed by a T-shirt. Her arms shook, a warning that the mistake she’d made was bigger than forgoing prophylactics. Her chest felt too full. She missed him already and he was standing right outside the privacy panel.
She heard motors rev to life as boats left in search of another party opportunity. She emerged and Cash folded the fabric dressing room back into the dashboard before cramming his party clothes into a bag.
“Now where do we go?” She felt jittery, anxious to return to his house. Maybe then she could relax. Or at least retreat to her room.
“Nowhere.” He lay on his back on the wide sunbathing bench on the back of the boat. “Come here.”
She couldn’t say no to him, which was most of her problem. She crawled onto the platform and tucked herself against his side.
“Best fireworks ever, don’t you agree?” he murmured.
She inhaled the fragrant chemical smell of spent fireworks. “Incredible.”
“Agree.” His lips were close to her ear.
When she turned her head, she caught him watching her. She was propelled back to her dorm room, his bulky body taking up most of her twin-size bed, his eyes on hers while she apologized for making him wait to have sex with her. He’d always said the same thing.
You’re worth the wait.
“You were worth the wait, too, Cash.”
He knew exactly what she meant. His hand cupped her neck and then he was kissing her again. A boat blazed by and some guy shouted, “Get a room!”
He grinned against her lips, not letting the interruption ruin the moment.
They watched the sky in silence for a minute until she said, “I had a great time at the party. Despite Mags being horrible.”
His low laugh was relaxed and easy. Quite a departure from his demeanor at the party earlier. She was feeling the equally relaxed. She could slip into a deep sleep while bobbing on the water with naught but his arm supporting her head.
“Carla is nice.”
“She’s a good person.” He gave her a quick squeeze. “But she’s no you.”
Presley wanted to argue with the compliment, especially since she was planning on finding out his secret and exposing it to the world.
“I wish you’d let me help you with Mags,” she tried again, unable to stop herself. “She deserves to be called out. You deserve to be happy.”
He was happy.
Right now, with Presley in his arms, he was happier than he’d been in a long time. And because that light, easy feeling was a rarity for him, he didn’t want to talk about his DUI or Carla, and he especially didn’t want to talk about Mags Dumond.
