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Naturally, they both burst out laughing as we made a beeline, paces indicating exactly how much time we’d lost with the douche delay. Mav loped on past me when we hit the docks, shaking his head as he stuffed Bluetooth headphones into his ears. Axel stepped up beside me, obviously fighting the need to say something stupid.
“Should’ve kissed her.”
Yep, there it was. “Youshould’ve kissed her. Weeks ago. None of us would be in this mess.” Nevermind how the thought alone made my fists clench until I stuffed one in my pocket, the other wrapped tight around my jacket.
His scoff was equal parts disbelief and humor. “So, this ismyfault?”
“Obviously.” I waved to Captain Ramos, one of the oldest captains on the island, his sons both busy hoisting their groceries onto their deck like a human conveyor belt. The heavy thud of rubber rain boots on the ramp, now a good thirty yards behind us, barely caught my attention. The docks were always bustling. He waved back, his oldest son, Tony, bracing the box on a knee to do the same.
“You didn’thaveto swoop in there like that,” Axel argued.
“What was I supposed to do, just leave her hanging?”
“Because pretending you’re dating and moving in together was the most logical solution?”
Another wave for Captain McGrath, who dressed like a cartoon sailor with his red jacket and hat, tobacco pipe between his lips, which hid in a graying bush of facial hair. “Look, man, I didn’t think.”
“Obviously.”
“You had a better idea?”
“Getting her the hell away from him and leaving it to Charlie would have been my first option.”
“Knocking Eric’s teeth down his throat was mine. You’re welcome. This way, we still get to sail out today.”
“I mean, I was certainly tempted,” he agreed as we passed theRose, whose family had been on the water for four generations, its name in honor of their original matriarch. It was in the slip beside theTide Turner,where Kenny was untying and tossing the rope up to his uncle, Mike. Both men lifted their chins in acknowledgment as we strode by. “But I certainly wouldn’t have opened my fat mouth with a lie.”
“Fine,” I ground out. “It was a dumb idea, but I didn’t see you coming up with anything on your feet, so I did what I had to.”
“James!Wait!” A breathless call caught my attention before Axel could argue, and I whirled, hands flexing as I spotted Noel running in her bumblebee rain boots. My brief flash of panic dissipated when I saw no one in her wake, instead landing on the smile on her face. Had somebody run Eric over? That would be oddly convenient. “Jameson!”
“Hey,” I called back, aware that every man on the docks had paused, straightening to watch the adorable chaos pixie as she sprinted toward me. “Baby, what’s up?” I’d only taken half a dozen steps back her way when she collided into me like a pint-sized freight train, leaping up and wrapping her arms around my neck. My hands automatically grabbed her legs, dropping the rain jacket I’d been clutching, prompting her to wrap them around my hips as I staggered to catch my balance.
And then she was kissing me with no heed to whether or not my feet were truly steady.
No woman had ever kissedmefirst. It was always my doing. Like I’d ever allow something so ridiculous. But Noel crushed her mouth to mine, her warm scent and flavor better than I’d even imagined. Goddammit, I needed to know what all of her tasted like. Needed to feel her under my hands.
Before I knew it, I was kissing her back as she clung to me koala-style. One palm stayed against her back, stroking up and down before ducking beneath that damn rain slicker, seeking desperate purchase. I wanted to slink beneath her shirt, graze over her skin, and feel those perfectly palm-sized breasts. The other threaded through her thick hair and I groaned at how her body fit mine. Those fuck-me curls were just as sexy against my fingers as they looked. Grappling for dominance, I moved into her, tongue dying to fuck that perfect mouth. To taste and claim. The little moan in her throat was enough to undo my resolve entirely.
Angry thoughts warned me this was a mistake, a terrible fucking idea, but I couldn’t seem to give enough shits to listen as I wrapped my fingers tighter into her hair, twisting the short locks at her nape and angling her so I could devour her wholly. Somewhere in the distance, someone called my name, but I couldn’t stop. Couldn’t let go. Clung back to her with the force of every moment, every bickering match, every time I’d remembered the stolen image of her perfect, naked body. Clung to the fact that Noel was setting the damn pace, matching me move for move. The woman was nothing if not a perpetual surprise.
A ravenous fever spread through my chest as her chilled fingers wove into my hair, the mist the only thing keeping us from combusting right there on the docks.Goddamn. Every drop of blood evacuated the northern half of my body, desperate for the promised land. Someone wolf-whistled, but I didn’t care.
Knew Ishould’ve. I wasn’t one to give a shit about anybody’s opinion, but I had never been big on PDA. Not even with Steph. ButNoel…
I couldn’t stop tasting her. Couldn’t touchenoughof her.
The familiar rumble of the boat’s engine forced me to peel away, panting as I locked on those gorgeous, dark browns. For a beat, the same bewildered hunger stared back at me before she blinked, clearly thinking the same thing I was.What the hell wasthat?
Breathless, she smiled up at me as she slipped down my body, her cheery little mask snapping back into place before whispering, “Lesson number one: whilst about to be apart for more than a few hours, always say a proper, public goodbye.”
I laughed, squeezing her ass as I smiled down at her, shaking my head. “Noted.”
“Jameson!” My dad barked, impatience oozing from just my name.
“Coming!” I called over a shoulder. Her cheek was flushed against mine when I lowered my mouth to her ear. Some deep, primal satisfaction swelled in my chest when goosebumps trailed down her neck. “Will you think of that kiss when you get yourself off while I’m gone?”
She sucked down a scandalized breath, but there was mischief in her eyes, a twitch at the corner of her lips. “Ido notdo that.”
