AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Spider shrugged. “Not sure. Maybe twenty.” He pointed down the row. “Any you’d prefer over another?”
I laughed. “All of them look pretty nice.”
He walked over to a Range Rover, opened the passenger door for me, and set my bag in the backseat. “This is the most comfortable,” he said, as if he needed to qualify his choice.
“It’s only beeneight days since I was last here,” he said, turning into the drive. “It feels like a lifetime ago.”
I had to agree. One lifetime had ended and another began in a little over a week.
“Wow!” I exclaimed as a yellow house with a blue roof came into view. “It’s…huge.”
“It belonged to my grandparents. They left it to me. Something Dein will never forgive me for.”
“You’re nicer than he is.”
He laughed. “Exactly. Oh, and compared to your place, this is slightly dated.”
Based on the little I could see when we pulled up, it looked immaculate, dated or not.
“Um, Rather than go in through the garage, I’ll take you in the front door. Better views.” He pulled up and parked. “While this fronts Indian River, there’s a pathway out to the beach, there.”
“Wow,” I repeated, taking in the view as he punched in a code, opening the front door. Spider motioned me inside.
“One more warning. The kitchen is nice, although not as spectacular as yours.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t believe you.” I walked over to the wall of windows that looked out at the river. “Is that your boat?” I pointed to the end of the dock.
“It is. Not that I use it much. It’s a nice day. Would you like to take it out later?”
“I’d love to.”
“Your wish is my command.” He set my bag on the floor, near the staircase, walked over, and put his arms around me. “You being here is the best gift I’ve ever received in my life, Calla.”
“I feel the same way about you. And before you question me, I truly do, Spider. I never dreamed I’d have a second chance at love.” My eyes filled with tears. “I’m so grateful.”
Spider put his hands on each side of my face, leaned in, and kissed me. “I love you. I can’t tell you how badly I’ve wanted to say those words to you.”
“I wasn’t ready to hear them, but now, I want to hear them again and again and again.”
“I love you.” He kissed my nose. “I love you.” Then my right cheek. “I love you,” he repeated each time he kissed a different part of my body. “I want you so much, but I don’t want to rush this.”
“We have the rest of our lives, Spider.” I felt my cheeks heat, hoping he wanted the same thing I did.
There was a glint in his eyes. “A lifetime, Calla. And you’re right. Rather than lift you into my arms and carry you up the stairs and into my bedroom, maybe we should hold off. Spend the day tormenting each other a little.”
As much as I wanted to make love right now, where we stood, I also wanted to hold off and take some time to get used to the fact that we’d finally confessed our feelings.
He’d usedthe right word when he said we’d spend the day tormenting each other. Or maybe torture would have been more appropriate.
We took a boat ride down the river and back, where he pointed out different landmarks, places he’d hung out and played when he was growing up and visited his grandparents.
“Hungry?” he asked.
I was starving, but not for food. I wanted Spider, naked and under me, so I could be the one to control our pleasure.
He held out his hand and pulled me over to where he stood, his hands on the wheel—or helm, as he’d called it—of what he’d told me was a vintage motor cruiser he’d slowly restored in the last five years. The boat had belonged to his grandfather and was part of his inheritance. He’d bought it in the forties, but in the final years of his life, hadn’t been able to keep it up the way he had in years past.
“I wish I would’ve known. Dein and I could’ve worked on it for him. Every time I asked about it, he told me it was in storage.”
