“I’ll have to check that out,” Carter said, nodding.
“Why don’t you take Gray to lunch sometime? Then you can check out the building…see if you like it.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched; he looked expectantly at Nathan, who smirked and reached for his wine glass. Either the stress of the night and Charlotte’s antics were getting to him or he just didn’t give a damn to help us out.
“Sure…that’d be great. I mean, if you want to, Gray.” Carter turned to me with a shrug, his brows raised.
I resisted the urge to glare at Charlotte, and I didn’t dare look at Daniel. “Okay. I’ll see if I can find out which spaces are open.” I hoped my response sounded more courteous and less of a personal interest. I cringed when he suggested we exchange numbers, but I had no choice but to comply.
Hugh took the heat off when he asked Nathan to give his opinion of the food and if he was considering the position. I’d been present for many of Nathan’s “critiques” on other restaurants and chefs. His demeanor had always been professional and objective. This time I caught an air of cockiness I hoped the others didn’t. And he drank that wine so fast the server could barely leave the table. If this were all about Charlotte, I wouldn’t hesitate to step in.
The evening ended with brilliantly divine desserts I had no motivation for but still tasted. After the others said their goodbyes, I walked up to Nathan and Daniel in a private discussion. It halted the moment I arrived, but I caught the tail end of Nathan apologizing to Daniel for Charlotte. Daniel left us to talk, his eyes lingering on mine before he reached the door.
“Are you okay?” I asked Nathan.
“Yeah.” That one word came out like a paragraph as he nodded and watched the table being cleared.
“This is a beautiful place.”
“This should have been one of the best nights of my life…but instead, I’m dealing with Charlotte’s crap all night.”
I shook my head and touched his arm, searching for some delicate, comforting words.
“And this thing with you and the doc…what a clusterfuck that was tonight.”
“Hey, you’re the one who invited both of us.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Charlotte was pissed I invited you, so I assume Carter served two purposes for her.”
I shrugged and bit my tongue. Yeah, she exuded insecurity, and the stuff she pulled took ridiculous to new levels. But if I thought another woman was coming between Daniel and me, I’d scratch her eyes out.
I offered a lame goodbye to the two of them once Charlotte returned from her umpteenth time in the bathroom.
Fog had rolled in, and the clouds kidnapped the moon, leaving a billowy black sky. I padded briskly to my car, brushing off the eerie silence surrounding me. A few feet from reaching my spot, the crackle of tires on gravel caught up to me. I turned with a flash of déjà vu to a car with a dark shadow in the driver’s seat watching me.
“Hop in,” he said.
CHAPTER 8
--------------------------
Daniel
“You should keep your eyes on the road,” Gray said.
I couldn’t stop myself from glancing her way, my sights alternating from her emerald eyes to her silky crossed legs beckoning me with their softness. She looked oddly relaxed, given the night we’d had. Her voice had a playfulness to it that told me she was content to see me suffer. Damn, that dress had been killing me all night.
“Don’t you want to know where we’re going?” I asked.
“I am a bit curious, but as long as I’m with you that’s all that matters.”
Hanging my wrist over the steering wheel, I let my prideful smile reign. It amazed me how easily I’d become jealous back at the restaurant, but Gray’s words were enough to reassure me. “Then I guess I won’t tell you.”
We drove in comfortable quiet until she reached over to turn on the radio. We exchanged small grins, and then her hand landed on my thigh. Her smoldering eyes delivered the same message as her hand as it moved purposefully higher. I grabbed her wrist and laced our fingers together. The blood rocking through my veins causing the persistent pulse in my slacks would have caused me to pull the car over, but I had better plans for Gray.
“You know,” she said a moment later, “you don’t have to worry about Carter.”
I turned to her with widened eyes. “Who said I was worried?”
“Since when do we need words?”
I conceded with a nod, but then added, “I wouldn’t say I was worried…I just don’t like the idea of your attention directed to another man while it’s being restricted from me.”
“Obviously, Charlotte wanted to stir up trouble. And for the record, I wasn’t too thrilled about her attention on you.”
I contained the grin that began to form. “Nathan’s got his hands full with that one. I don’t envy him.”
“I heard him apologize to you.”
“I didn’t expect him to, but I appreciated it. You don’t have to worry about us, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I’m not worried. I would like you two to be friends, though. And as far as Carter goes…even if he were to end up in my building, you know it wouldn’t matter.”
“Is that so?” I said, digging.
She turned in her seat, leaned over, and pressed her lips against my neck. Her warm breath lingered there a moment before she whispered in my ear, “Yes…because I only have eyes for you, Daniel.” She kissed me once again, this time behind my earlobe. I caught the intoxicating scent of her hair. “And lips…” Her hand went back to my leg. “And hands…”
“Christ, Gray. My foot almost went through the damn floorboard.” I pulled her wrist away, and she leaned back with a deviously sexy smile. “Believe me, there’s nothing more I want than this, but I’d like to have my hands a little freer first.”
“So would I,” she said under her breath.
I reached over and smoothed a hand down the insides of her thighs as I took the exit from the freeway, amazed I could handle both the car and Gray at the same time, imagining the possibilities just beyond my fingertips.
I pulled into the affluent neighborhood, wondering what went through her intricate mind, excited for what lay ahead.
Located on the southern edge of Bodega Harbor, custom homes tucked into the coastal hills peeked over the Pacific Ocean. I turned down the same street I’d been on a thousand times before, slowing to almost a crawl.
“Okay, Daniel. Now I’m curious,” she said with a smile.
“Well, don’t get too excited. It’s not exactly what you think.”
“Why are we here?”
I found an empty spot and parked along the curb. “I grew up in this neighborhood,” I said as I turned the car off. “Let’s go.”
She’d made no movement to get out. “I’m not sure I want to get out.” Instead, she turned her body toward me and folded her arms. “Please tell me you’re not taking me home to meet the parents.”
The quick sarcasm couldn’t disguise the slight furrow of her brow or the unsteady tone of her voice. The possible scenario churning in her brain had to feel intimidating to her.
I chuckled, shrugging off her guess. “No, you don’t have to worry about that. My folks live in Oregon now.”
“So…” She glanced out the window and tucked a soft wave of hair behind her ear, reminding me how much her every move affected me.
“I thought you trusted me.” My deep voice concealed barely enough amusement to elicit a sparkling smile from her.
“Okay, you win,” she said, grabbing her purse.
We exited the car, and she stood by my side as I retrieved a sweatshirt, blanket, and small backpack from the trunk.
“You’re trying to slowly and subliminally turn me into a Giants fan,” she said as I handed her the hoodie.
“It’s just in case I don’t keep you warm enough.” I winked as I slipped an arm around her waist, guiding her from the street up the driveway.
Gray pulled back, an emb
arrassed smile playing on her lips. “Who lives here? I didn’t even check my makeup or anything.”
I grabbed her hand in mine, pulled her to my side. My gaze locked in on those unexpected doe eyes. I brought my lips within reach of hers. “I could pour a bucket of ocean water over your head, and you’d still be the most beautiful woman on the planet.” I brushed a soft kiss on the side of her pouty mouth, and then whispered, “Besides, no one’s home.”
“Oh my God!” She pulled back and whacked me on the arm with a feisty grunt that was sexy as hell. “Stop jerking me around, Daniel!”
“Okay, I’m sorry. I was just having a little fun with you.” I pulled us toward the entry gate. “C’mon.” As I entered the code in the keypad to get us through, Gray swiveled her head back and forth like we were committing a felony. I had to admit having her trust filled my chest and fueled my want. I guided her ahead of me with a hand low on the small of her back, resisting the urge to trace down to her firm ass.
She stopped at the front door. I chuckled and kept walking toward the side of the house. “This way. We’re not going in.”
The cool breeze carried the increasing sound of ocean waves colliding into themselves. “You’re pushing your luck, Dr. Mysterious.” Gray’s tiptoes sounded behind me. I felt her finger hook my belt loop. “You know that, don’t you?” she said with a grin in her voice that matched my own satisfaction. We made our way along the tiny cement path under dim track lighting.
As we rounded the corner, I inhaled the salty scent that always brought me calm. I led Gray up the steps to the white wood-paneled deck.
“Wow,” she said, gazing out to the shadowy sea. The full moon provided just enough light to make it hauntingly beautiful. She stepped around a wicker couch and dropped her purse on the coffee table like it had no importance. She leaned against the railing, her hair flowing behind her back. The black and purple sky threatened a possible storm. “Amazing,” she said.
“You’re amazing,” I said, coming up behind her. I slid my arms through hers and held her back close against me.
“We’re not trespassing, are we?” When her head turned sideways, her lips, full and parted, tempted me, but I owed her answers.
“No, this place belongs to the Worleys, my parents’ best friends. They were like a second family to me growing up. Mary still sends me checks on my birthday.”
“That’s sweet.”
“They’re incredibly sweet…good people. They travel quite a bit, so I always drop in to check on the place and make sure it doesn’t look empty.”
“And this is private beach access?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She turned in my arms and cocked her head, waiting for me to read her mind. I ran my thumb across her furrowed brow. “Anything else you’d like to know, Gray?”
“How many other women have you brought to this secluded beach paradise?”
I let one side of my mouth turn slightly up while ignoring the urge to show her just how I felt about her unsubstantiated cause for jealousy. “Well…honestly?” I looked out to the water for a moment. “Just one.” When I returned my gaze to her, a noticeable slump in her shoulders caused a stab of guilt in my gut.
“Oh,” she said quietly, her eyes lowering.
I lifted her chin until we connected once again. “I brought Jessie here a couple of times. We brought Granger and watched him gallop through the waves like a porpoise.”
She shook her head with a smirk. Her forehead smacked against my chest. “Damn you, Daniel.”
I let her pull out of my arms. Then I followed her to the outer steps. At the bottom, she slipped off her heels, leaving them on the last step. Taking the chance that she wasn’t actually angry, I grasped her wrist and spun her into me. I took her face between my hands and covered her gasp with my mouth. Her arms snaked up my back as I pressed her into me with a sense of urgency. Our kiss grew passionate and needy. For the first time, a feeling of freedom ran through my system, mingling with the emotion and lust that had been fighting to push its way to the surface with every encounter. Her mouth told me more in that moment than anything she’d said in our sessions or since. Still, I pulled back, huffing into the night air, catching the longing and desperation in her eyes. “Walk with me,” I whispered.
She squinted up at me with a grin. “So, this is an official date, then, huh?”
I nodded.
“What’s in your pack?”
“Just a few things to be prepared…in case we need them.”
“You’re quite the Boy Scout.”
I shoved out of my shoes and pulled off my socks. Then I grabbed my pack and heaved the blanket over my shoulder before grabbing her hand. We walked with the wind at our backs, exchanging glances and listening to the thunderous waves follow us down the shore.
Our silence carried on amid shoulder bumps and silly grins. Then Gray said, “What have you got in store for me on this gorgeous private beach, Daniel?”
I squeezed her hand a little tighter. “I just want to be with you, Gray. Without analyzing you, without interference or fear of consequences for our relationship.”
“I’ve wanted that for a long time.”
“I know. And I’m sorry I failed you.”
She stopped and turned to me, shaking the blowing hair from her face. “No…you didn’t. If I made you feel like that, I’m sorry. I should have been more patient.”
“I just want to make you happy. I’ve hurt you so much.”
She laughed and wobbled her head, reminding me how this woman continued to surprise me.
“What?”
“I am happy. Right now. In this moment…and that’s all the matters.” She stared out at the ocean, up at the moon, and back at me. “I feel so happy and free here with you, I just want to soak up every ounce of it. Like when the sun finally breaks through the clouds and warms your skin on a cold day.” She reached to the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head. My eyes widened and feasted on her full bare breasts before panning down to her black silk panties. But I had no time to indulge as she pulled the blanket from my shoulder, letting it fall to the ground. “C’mon,” she said, moving slowly backward toward the water, her eyes glistening against the light of the moon. It had to be the single most stunning sight I’d ever laid eyes on.
I tossed the backpack onto the blanket and dispelled my clothes at record speed, until only my boxer briefs remained. I ran to catch her just before she stomped in up to her knees. My arms seized her around the waist, lifted her against me and into the air, squeezing a squeal of delight from her. “What’s gotten into you?” I said.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist as I walked us deeper into the ocean. “You, Daniel,” she said, bringing her mouth to mine.
The heat generating between us assuaged the shockingly cold water. I hardened against her slick, taut skin as our tongues exchanged heated caresses. The feel of her breasts pressing into my chest drove me wild, and I pulled back to see her. I maneuvered her up and back so my mouth could gain access to her neck and chest. Her fingers threaded through my damp hair as I took my lips down her collarbone and then around her breasts. She gripped my hair tighter, moaning my name in such a seductive tone I grabbed her ass, pressing her into me, trying to get as close as possible.
“God, you don’t know what you do to me, Gray.”
“Then take me right now, Daniel. Show me.”
“There’s nothing I want more.” I dipped my head into her shoulder to catch my breath and center my thoughts. “I wanted this night to be special for you.”
She quivered and panted against my neck. “What could be more special than this?”
“You’re shivering.” I rubbed one hand along the gooseflesh on her thigh as I held her back with the other.
“I’ll be all right,” she said on a breath.
My protective instincts took over as they always had with Gray. “I’m getting you warm.” I headed back toward the shore with her still c
linging to me like a creature I’d dragged from the sea. I set her down and picked up the blanket to spread it out. The wind picked up and whipped about us. “There’s a towel in the pack there.”
“Holy crap, it’s freezing,” she said, leaning down to pull out the towel.
“Maybe we should go back, with how bad this wind is. Looks like it might rain, too.”
“No. I’m not leaving yet.” With the towel wrapped around her, she stepped onto the blanket and leaned into me. “Unless a tornado comes to whisk us off to Kansas, I’m not leaving. I feel too free here, Daniel.”
“Okay, then let me keep you warm.” I sat on the blanket with legs out in front of me; Gray sat between them, leaning up against my back. I began massaging her upper arms and shoulders. She turned her head to look at me questioningly. “Just keeping the blood flowing for you.”
She smiled and leaned back again, so I continued. I moved my hands up to her neck and kissed it gently while continuing to knead her sweet-smelling skin.
“That feels so nice, Daniel.” Her body sank into mine as I reduced the pressure, softening my hands on her body.
I went forward from her neck and caressed her chest under the towel. Gray pulled the towel open, baring her breasts to the cold air, inviting my touch. I drew in a hard, fast breath at the sight of her. My head grew dizzy at the wonderland in front of me, after being forbidden of its treasures for so long. My fingers reached out and played over her smooth skin, causing her to arch her back. Her head fell onto my shoulder.
“Daniel,” she whispered.
The desire in her voice sent a powerful pulse of heat racing through my veins; I almost lost it right then. It was as if in that moment my sole purpose was to pleasure Gray, to fulfill her every need. Her legs, bent at the knees, fell open and her hand landed on my wrist. I slid it down her stomach, settling between her thighs. Her lacy panties were still wet and cold from the ocean, but when I slipped my hand inside, it met with a warm piece of heaven.
Gray gasped at my touch, and her chest surged up and down as I caressed her. She turned her head to the side, offering her open mouth to me. I ravaged her eager lips and tongue as I increased the movement of my hand on her sensitive flesh. My body craved hers; I ached to be with her, but I continued, fueled by her moans. Her hips quivered against my fingers as she cried and panted into my mouth. The wind howled all around us. The sky rumbled above. The waves crept higher up the shore.
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