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Tate takes another bite of a carrot stick before answering. He kind of opened the door to this conversation. That doesn’t mean he wants to step through. ‘A few weeks.’
‘Do you mind me asking why?’
And there she goes, showing him through the door. ‘I wasn’t well for a bit. I’m better now, but I guess they’re still worrying. I could have gone home but it was easier to come back here for a few weeks.’
He watches her face as she takes in what he said. The natural thing would be to ask what was wrong with him, but surprisingly she doesn’t go there.
‘I’m glad you’re feeling better now. I’m sure your parents appreciate having you close. I would imagine Jove likes having you around too.’
He smiles and a little of the weight lifts from his shoulders. He knows if things continue to go well between them, he’ll have to tell her the details, but not today. ‘Yeah. It wasn’t easy for them so I guess letting Mum fuss over me for a bit isn’t too much to ask. I’ve got to admit, being this close to Jove is a bonus for me too. I miss not being able to take him out every day when I’m back in town.’
‘Do your parent’s ride him when you’re not here?’
‘No. Mum has her own horse and Dad doesn’t ride. Don’t get me wrong, they look after him, but he can be a bit of a handful. Their neighbour takes him out for me. I shoot him a text when I know I won’t be around and he’ll exercise him for me.’
‘That’s a great arrangement for both of you.’
‘I know. Ideally I’d like to get somewhere in the country or on the coast. Somewhere with room for him, but I need to be based a little closer to civilisation right now.’
‘You’re not a city guy then?’
Tate shakes his head. ‘No. I’m a fan of wide open spaces and not a lot of people. You?’
Chloe leans back on her elbows and looks out at the sea. ‘After being with my cantankerous uncle for nearly a year in the middle of nowhere, I’m appreciating having people around. Long term though, I’d probably prefer space to a crowded city. For now having somewhere of my own is the priority. I really couldn’t care where it is.’
‘You looking at places?’
She shakes her head. ‘Not yet. I need to stay with Gran for a few months and build up a bit of a bank balance. She’s letting me live there rent free so I’m going to take advantage and save like crazy. It works well for both of us. My parents moved to Cork last year so I couldn’t stay with them. It was a win-win situation.’
She smiles at him then looks back at the sea. Tate can’t take his eyes off her. He can’t remember ever wanting to kiss someone as much as he wants to kiss her. He genuinely likes her and that’s what’s causing him problems. The last thing he wants to do is blow it by moving too fast. But not moving at all isn’t working for him either. He wants to taste her. He needs to taste her before he goes crazy. She takes a sip of her drink and licks her lips.
Fuck it.
∞
Chloe swallows and focuses on the view in front of her instead of getting lost in the view beside her. She knows it’s her imagination playing tricks on her, but she could swear she’s caught Tate looking at her more than once over lunch.
She risks a quick glance to her left. He’s propped up on one elbow, his long legs stretched out in front of him. His head is down, his attention on his hands, staring intently as he turns the ring on his thumb. Then he lifts his eyes to look at her.
If he’s surprised to see her looking at him too, he doesn’t let it show. If anything, catching her staring has the opposite effect. He doesn’t turn away and neither does she. Tate’s gaze moves from her eyes to her lips and Chloe swallows again.
This time she knows she’s not misreading or imagining the signals. There’s no misreading the way he’s looking at her. She has no idea what possesses her but she glances from his face to his groin. Yeah, she’s not imagining how aroused he is either.
Before she can stop eying up his package Tate reaches out and takes the glass from her hand.
Tate’s fingers touch her chin and he tilts her head towards him. Chloe swallows again trying to dislodge the lump in her throat but her mouth decided to rid itself of any moisture the second he touched her. The heavy ring he wears on his thumb brushes against her chin as he slowly traces her lips. Oh God she wants him to kiss her. Please.
Then he does just that. Tate’s hand slips around the back of her neck and pulls her to him. His lips are soft and he tastes amazing. The kiss starts off slow but doesn’t stay in that category for long.
She has no idea what comes over her but she finds it impossible to keep her hands off him. She cups his face, running her hands over his tight beard before moving into his thick hair. Everywhere she touches she finds something else she wants to keep touching. Everything about him is new. Everything feels amazing. His hand moves along her waist sending sparks up her spine when he touches her skin.
Tate lifts himself over the unfinished picnic and covers her with his body, one hand resting on the ground to keep him from crushing her.
Chloe groans as his fingers trace up her side under her t-shirt, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. He nudges her legs apart with his knee and his solid chest presses against her. Tate moves from her mouth to her neck as she tilts her head to the side to allow him easier access.
Her hand slips under his t-shirt and explores his stomach, tracing further up his smooth chest. He hisses as her fingers brush off something hard in his right nipple. ‘Piercing,’ he mutters quickly as he works his way around the other side of her neck.
For some unknown reason, the fact his nipple is pierced does nothing to calm the situation. If anything, it’s something she didn’t expect to be so turned on by. Chloe runs her fingers over the bar again and Tate responds by pushing his leg against her crotch, driving her crazy.
