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Drew guided Lacey through the sand until they reached Spero’s back patio. Guests laughed and enjoyed the end of another gorgeousisland day. Ethan waved from the bar and gave Drew a thumbs-up, which only made Lacey’s brows furrow.
“Ignore him. He can revert to being a horny teenager at times.” Lacey laughed at his nonjoke. “I could listen to that sound all day, every day.”
“What sound?” She looked at the kids splashing in the pool, and although he could listen to that as well, that wasn’t what he’d been referring to.
“Your laugh.”
“Well, you have yourself to thank for that,” Lacey said as Drew pulled out a chair for her at a small round table before sitting down next to her.
Lacey glanced around before relaxing back in the cushioned chair. “It’s so gorgeous here. To think it’s almost Christmas. Back home I’d be freezing, the skies would be gray, and the ground would be covered in snow or worse, dingy slush. I much prefer it here.”
“Let’s do this again next year,” Drew said, hope rising within him.
“We’ll see.” Her skepticism hadn’t dissipated, but that made him only more resolved to prove they belonged together. “I’m going to miss all of this.”
“Yeah, I will too.”
Drew waved a server over, and both he and Lacey decided to have the restaurant’s special for the day. Before long the two were enjoying their meal, though every once in a while Lacey would look out to the water and sigh.
He didn’t need to ask what she’d been thinking, because he had the same thoughts running through his head—their time was limited. Not wanting to bring it up, he pushed his now-empty plate to the side and placed his hand on hers.
“Come on, let’s head inside.”
Even after she extended her trip, it still felt as though time had flown by. They walked hand in hand toward the elevator. Although she’d been able to prolong her hotel stay for as long as she wanted, the airlines weren’t as accommodating. Drew even tried to pull a fewstrings, but the only available flight he could find her would be after the first of the year, and that she couldn’t do.
She stared into his eyes. “This is the last—”
“No, don’t say this is the last time we’ll see each other. This might be our last night at this resort, until next time, but it won’t be our last night. I promise you I’ll make this work… I’ll makeuswork.” Her swallow was audible. “Trust me?”
“Yes, of course.”
And with that Drew brought his lips to hers and poured his heart and soul into his kiss. After they broke apart, he looked into her eyes. “Stay with me tonight. Let me love you, Lacey. Let me show you how much you mean to me.” He could practically see her thoughts running through her head. He hoped, deep down, that she wanted to be with him, wanted to feel every inch of him. He softly cupped her cheek. “What do you say?”
“I say yes.”
Drew’s smile stretched across his face. He pressed the elevator’s call button repeatedly, making Lacey laugh at his impatience. If the rooms weren’t on the top floor, and he wasn’t afraid of tripping, he would have carried her up the stairs.
The doors slid open, and Drew snatched Lacey’s hand, pulling her into the lift. And as soon as those doors closed, he kissed her breathlessly. He’d never forget their first kiss, or any of them, for that matter, and the best part was that they seemed to get better and better.
When they reached his floor, he scooped her up and didn’t set her down until they were inside the room and theDO NOT DISTURBsign was hanging from the knob. Then, like the honest man he was, he made good on his promise and loved her like she had never been loved before.
Chapter 15
Sleep evaded Lacey for most of the night. After being kissed, touched, and loved by Drew, drifting off into dreamland wasn’t easy. So much had changed, in not only the past year, but in the past week. How was it possible that someone could impact your life in so little time? Morning dawned outside the curtains, golden light filtering into the room, and still she’d found no answers. Drew stirred beside her.
“Good morning.” He tipped his head forward and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Why are you awake so early? The sun’s barely up.”
She looked at the angles of his face, beautiful blue eyes, and a perfectly shaped nose. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Could it be as easy as Drew said? Would the miles between them keep them apart, or could they withstand a long-distance relationship? Before she could lose herself in her anxieties, Drew gave her a sleepy smile that made her lady parts tingle.
“Then you should have woken me up. I would have helped you pass the time.” He winked and Lacey laughed. “I’m serious.”
“Yes, I know.” She fiddled with the hem of the soft cotton sheet. “I need to check out in a few hours. What would you like to do this morning?”
Drew grazed her cheek with his fingertips, letting them rest on the column of her neck. “I’ll leave that up to you. But I may have an idea or two.” Drew waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
An easy laugh escaped Lacey. “As tempting as that is, I’m starving.”
