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Chapter Eleven
AJ
When he pulls the blanket from the bag, the first thing I notice is the smell.
It smells just like Sawyer.
I wrap it around my shoulders and instantly feel the warmth. And the crazy part is, I’m not one hundred percent sure it’s from the actual blanket itself. It’s almost like it’s him who’s wrapped around my shoulders, holding me close and keeping me warm. How crazy is that?
“Better?” he asks.
No, not really. I have this ache between my legs that always seems to creep up whenever I’m around him. Of course, that’s not what he means, and there’s no way I’d actually say that aloud. Well, not unless I was asking for the man to get into my pants. Not that I’m not asking, it’s just that he’s not exactly offering. At least not on our first date. So instead of focusing on the fact that I’m suddenly wet, slightly horny, and ready to jump his bones right here on the beach, I decide to answer his question referring to the blanket.
“Much.”
“You’re blushing,” he adds with a sly grin.
“Am not. I don’t blush,” I retort, blushing further.
“I bet you do when it counts,” he replies, that grin turning wolfish. Something tells me he wasn’t referring to a blush of embarrassment, but one that is reserved for the bedroom. Naked. Panting.
And now I might be panting.
“I can’t wait to make you blush,” he whispers, moments before his hand slides up my jaw and slips into my hair. He’s playing with the curls, wrapping them around his fingers, and gently tugging them. It doesn’t hurt, but still sends fire rushing through my veins.
“I really want to kiss you.” His words are breathy and heady.
“I’d be okay with that.”
His hands slip farther into my hair until he’s cradling my scalp with his big hand. “It’s not exactly first date appropriate.”
“We almost slept together before we knew each other.”
His smile starts slow and gently takes his gorgeous face from handsome to stunning. Breathtaking. “I almost threw up on you,” I remind.
“You did throw up on me. My shoes, actually,” he adds, his bubble of laughter mixing with my groan of embarrassment.
“Holy shitballs, are you serious?” Cue utter humiliation. If a tsunami could sweep in now and carry me out to sea, that’d be great. My head drops to my hands praying he suddenly gets a strong bout of amnesia and forgets all about me and my horrible gut-purging attempt at seduction.
Sawyer moves closer, placing both hands on my head and raising my chin. His eyes hold a sparkle of humor, but also something else. Something deeper that steals my breath. The man just confessed that I threw up on him and he…wants me?
“Actually, the vomit didn’t bother me in the least. I’ve seen worse in the locker room following a doubleheader. It was after the puking that sent me into a tizzy. It was the fact that I had a beautiful woman in my bed for the first time in months and I didn’t want to let her go. And when I came back to my hotel room later, after my job interview, and found her gone, it bothered me more than I should probably admit. Because spending just that brief time with you brought me to life for the first time in so fucking long.”
I let his powerful words soak in, absorbing and relishing them. The fact that it’s the first time someone spoke so candidly about his feelings for me–even if they are sparked by the sexual chemistry neither of us seems to deny–doesn’t go unnoticed.
Instead of speaking, I lean forward and press my lips to his. They’re warm as they instantly move against mine. I may have initiated the kiss, but Sawyer quickly takes control. His lips part mine just enough for his tongue to slide inside for a taste. His hands hold me firmly, at just the right angle for him to take what he wants. And holy hell, do I want him to take. More kisses and whatever else comes next.
Instead of moving into that category, however, Sawyer pulls back. “That’s against the rules,” he groans, releasing his hold on me. The fact that he adjusts his pants, which suddenly seem a bit tight in the crotch area, doesn’t go unnoticed.
“I’m not a fan of the rules,” I tell him honestly. I wait for him to call me out on the fact that I’m a teacher, and rules are a part of my daily routine, but he doesn’t. I think he knows that I wasn’t referring to my day job as much as I was meaning with him.
“I like a rebel,” he says, offering me a warm smile.
“It’s dark.” I realize that night has fallen around us, reinforcing the fact that time just seems to fly when I’m with him.
He seems to take notice too, and quickly puts a bag on his lap. Sawyer pulls a long, narrow box from his bag of goodies as well as a lighter. I giggle when I realize what he has. Pulling out one stick, he hands it to me and grabs the lighter. Sparks fly as the sparkler flames to life, bright against the darkened sky.
“I haven’t done this in years,” I confess, smiling, as my hand moves.
