by Elks, Carrie
“Our insurance won’t cover you like that. Even if it was a good idea, which it isn’t.”
Ally sighed.
“What’s with the rush to get back? Are you getting bored of saving the world?” Nate asked, his voice teasing.
“Something like that. I miss people and talking, and conversations. I even made Brooke take me grocery shopping with her today so I could get out.”
“There must be a lot of things you could do with your time,” Nate said, his brows knitting together. “All those things we put off because we’re too busy working.”
“Like what?”
He ran his finger along his jaw, deep in thought. “I’ve always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail.”
“Well that would be a great idea if my leg wasn’t in a cast.” She smiled ruefully. “Can you think of anything else?”
Nate was silent for a moment. “No,” he said. “I can’t think of anything I’d want to do that wouldn’t involve full use of both my legs.” His expression softened with sympathy.
“You know what I miss the most?”
“Apart from the coffee shop?”
She laughed. “Yeah. And apart from running.”
“In that case, you’ve got me stumped.”
“I want to walk on the beach as the sun goes down. Feel the warm sand against my toes, let the waves lap over my legs as I make my way along the shoreline. I don’t even want to run. Just an hour without this damn cast and those crutches and I swear I’d be happy.” She sighed, remembering how beautiful the beach had looked on Saturday night. She’d stayed safely on the boardwalk, but her whole body had itched for the sand. “Ignore me. I’m just feeling sorry for myself. You’re the one who’s had the busy day, you should be relaxing, not listening to my tales of woe.”
“Maybe I find your tales of woe relaxing.” He glanced out of the glass doors that led from the living room to the deck. “The sun looks beautiful tonight,” he murmured.
She followed his gaze. The orange ball of fire had almost hit the horizon, and it was licking long flickering flames into the darkening ocean. Everything looked still out there, as though the rest of nature had stepped back into the wings while dusk took center stage.
When she glanced back, he was looking straight at her. There was that darkness in his eyes again. They made her shiver.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“Where?”
“To the beach.”
“I can’t use my crutches on the beach,” she told him. “They’ll sink.”
“We’ll do it the old fashioned way. Just you and me.”
He held his hand out and she took it. The next moment he was sliding his arm around her waist, pulling her to standing. Then they were walking – well he was, she was hopping, really – over to the glass doors which he pulled open, letting in the evening air.
It smelled of salt and ozone. She closed her eyes and breathed it in. He helped her onto the deck, and down the steps. His hold gentle and yet so reassuring.
It didn’t take long for them to walk through his yard, past the lilacs and the sagebrush to the iron gate that separated the house from the beach. Nate released it with his free hand, pushing it open with his hip as he held her waist in his palms to help her down the steps to the sand.
“We should take our shoes off,” he said, helping her sit on the wooden step that bordered the sand. “Or in your case, shoe. It’ll be easier that way.” He tugged at the laces of his oxfords, pulling them off one at a time. He then pulled his socks off and stuffed them inside. Ally followed suit, sliding her sandal off, and putting it next to his shoes on the steps.
“Let’s hope nobody throws them in the trash,” she teased.
“I still owe you a pair of running shoes for that.” The hint of a blush stained his cheeks. She’d never thought of men as beautiful before, but the word was so perfect for him. Looking at him felt like staring at a perfectly sculpted statue. He made her heart hurt in such a good way.
“I think I’m the one who owes you,” she said, her voice soft.
He stood and reached for her again, pulling her up until she was balanced. She could feel his shoulder muscles flex beneath his shirt where she held him.
“Ohhh…” she sighed as her foot sunk into the sand. It still held the warmth of the day, but didn’t burn like it sometimes did. “God, I’ve missed this.”
“You want to head down to the water?” he asked.
“We can’t. Not with my cast. The doctor said I couldn’t get it wet.”
“You won’t get it wet,” he said, pulling his arm tightly around her waist, encouraging her to lean on him. “I promise.”
He was staring at her intently. “Okay, then,” she breathed, her whole body reacting to his closeness.
They took their time walking down the sand. Not just because it was harder to balance on the uneven ground – though that was reason enough – but because they were in no hurry. The spectacle ahead of them was only getting better as the burnished sun sank into the ocean.
“We should stop here,” Ally murmured. The waves were kissing the sand two feet ahead of them. Any further and they’d be lapping over her cast. “This was always my favorite part of the day when I was a kid,” she told him, her eyes trained on the horizon. “Dad used to let me play by the ocean while he closed up the café for the evening. When he was done he’d bring down a drink and a bag full of whatever he hadn’t sold that day and we’d eat it overlooking the sunset.” She smiled, remembering the way the sandwiches had tasted – a little stale, a little crunchy from the grains of sand that inevitably got into them, and yet good enough that she’d always eat it all up. “It would be the one time of the day when it was only him and me. No customers, no fellow business owners popping in to chat with him.”
“Do you miss him?”
“I guess I do. But it’s weird because I’m angry at him, too. I’m not sure if I want to hug him or scream at him.” She breathed in a fresh lungful of salty air. “Although right now I’m not doing either because we’re not talking.”
Nate inclined his head, looking at her through the corners of his eyes. “Why not?” he asked. “Because he sold the café?”
“Partly,” she admitted. “But also because he left without thinking about what it would do to me. I worked like crazy trying to keep that place running, and he sold it anyway.”
“But he made sure you still had a job,” Nate pointed out. “It was part of the contract.”
She’d unblocked her dad the day after the fireworks, but hadn’t had the energy to message him. There was plenty of time for that. The sea breeze lifted the ends of her hair, making them dance against her skin. She wrinkled her nose as they tickled her lips. “And there was me thinking you employed me because you thought I was a fabulous manager.”
“You are.” The corner of his lip pulled up into a half-smile. “Normally when I buy a place I bring in a new team. But I’m glad your dad asked for you to stay. Otherwise we wouldn’t have met.”
Her eyes caught his, and she felt the connection between them like a fist to her chest. She filed away her thoughts about her dad in the little compartment in her head she saved for things she wasn’t ready to process right then. She’d worry about him another day, because right now all she could think about was Nate.
She could hear the beat of her pulse as the blood rushed through her ears, mixing with the lapping of the waves as they pushed against the shore. Her chest felt too full to breathe, yet her lungs were desperate for oxygen. And all the while they were staring at each other, their eyes locked together as his arm pulled her against him, tipping her head up so their lips were only a breath apart.
“Damn!”
A crashing wave came in from along the shore, spraying foam toward them on the sand. Before she had time to react, Nate was scooping her up into his arms, lifting her out of the way of the water as it soaked his tailored pants.
Still holding her, he ran up the beach. Ally wrapped h
er arms around his neck, biting down on her lip in an attempt not to laugh at the expression on his face. But the impulse got the better of her as she collapsed into a series of giggles.
They made it up to the steps where they’d left their shoes. The bottom of his pants clung to his legs, flecks of sand covering the dark blue fabric where he’d kicked it up as he ran.
“Are they ruined?” she asked, as he scooted down and helped her sit on the bottom stair.
“I’ve no idea,” he said. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’ve got more pairs.”
She reached out to touch his cheek. “My knight in shining armor,” she murmured. “Always ready to save a damsel in distress.” She traced the line of his jaw, feeling the sharpness of stubble against his smooth chin. “Thank you for saving me.” She glanced down. “And I’m sorry about your pants.”
“At least one of us got to paddle today.” He moved his hand over hers, pressing her palm to his face. Slowly, he turned so his lips were pressed against the center, kissing her hand before he looked at her with heavy eyes.
“Do you want to go inside?” he asked.
She could tell from the tone of his voice that he wasn’t just asking if she wanted to walk back to the house. Her heart raced as she considered the real meaning. Did she want to go inside and shut the world out so it was only the two of them? Was she ready to carry on where they’d left off a few days earlier?
When, not if.
“Yes, please,” she said, more certain than she’d ever been before. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than go inside with you.”
20
They didn’t even make it inside before the urge to kiss her overwhelmed every cell in his body. They stopped at the door, where he spun her around, pressing her back against the glass as he inclined his head to brush his lips against hers, tasting the warmth of her gasp as she arched herself into him. She was clinging to his neck, her body sandwiched between the door and his firm chest, making certain there was no possibility of her losing her balance.
He slid his arm around her waist, pressing his palm into the dip of her back. Curling the other around her jaw, he angled her face so he could kiss her harder.
Her lips tasted of salt and strawberries, an intoxicating combination. She filled every sense he possessed. He welcomed it, wanting to be so full of her he couldn’t think properly. The need to possess her pushed everything else away.
Their first kiss had been delicate and sensual, as they’d sat on that bench overlooking the beach. Their second had been full of desire – to connect with her in a way that showed her exactly how he felt.
This third time? It felt like a communion. Their lips moved together as though choreographed, their bodies melting into each other until he wasn’t sure where she ended and he began. And from the way her breath hitched as he threaded his fingers through her silky hair, she felt the same urgent need he did – to come together and never part.
She was still in his arms when he unlatched the door and slid it open. He helped her inside, hooking his arm around her, keeping her steady as she lifted her cast high enough to clear the doorway.
“You okay?”
She nodded, her eyes sparkling. Her lips were already pink and swollen from his kisses. He loved that he’d done that to her. “I’m more than okay,” she said.
“Do you want to stay out here? Or should we go to my room?” He eyed her carefully. He was desperate to touch her, to taste her, but only if she said yes.
Her smile widened. “Your room?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve never been in there before.”
Yeah, well he wanted her in there now. He could picture her on his bed, her blonde hair fanned out against the dark blue sheets, her wide eyes staring up at him as he took every inch of her in. His mind was full of the memory of her from the other night; the way her thighs were warm against his arm as he touched her, the way her breasts tasted as he worshipped them with his mouth. He wanted to feel that again, to feel her tighten against him as she reached her peak, her body melting as she rode a wave of pleasure.
He let out a mouthful of air. If he kept thinking that way tonight was going to be over before it had even begun.
“Come on. It’ll be faster if I carry you.”
She didn’t protest as he scooped her up into his arms, her legs dangling, and arms wrapped around him. Her eyes were as heavy as his, reflecting back the desire that had taken over his body. As far as he was concerned he couldn’t get to the bedroom fast enough.
When he laid her down on his bed – freshly made this morning, thank God – she looked just as delicious on there as he’d imagined. But she had way too many clothes on. He licked his dry lips, wondering where to start. His hands ached to feel her thighs, her chest, her waist.
“Nate?” she questioned when he hesitated a moment too long.
Time to stop over thinking this. He’d passed the point of no return days ago. Climbing onto the bed, he slid his body over hers, and the first thing he touched was her face. It was right, because that was where she was, the very essence of the woman he couldn’t get out of his mind.
He kissed her, savoring her with his lips and tongue. His hands slid down to her waist, pushing her tank up so he could feel the warmth of her skin against his palms. She moaned into his mouth, just the slightest of noises, and yet it vibrated right through him. One of her legs was hooked around his waist, pulling him closer, the other – her bad one – was splayed out. And her hands, oh God, her hands, they were pressing against his ass, dragging him in, until the sensation of her against him was driving him crazy.
As if she could sense it, she tugged at his top, helping him pull it off. In the end, he had to kneel up and lift it over his head, throwing it on the floor.
Her pupils dilated as she took him in, her gaze scanning up and down his chest, and he loved seeing her reaction to him. She reached out and traced her finger from his collarbone and over his chest, then to the ridges of his abdomen where a tiny line of hair led into his shorts.
Ally had a look of absorption on her face as she pushed her finger into his waistband. It was enough to make him hard as hell. He held his breath as he waited to see where she went next.
She was still staring at his waist as she bit her bottom lip, her teeth sinking deliciously into the plump flesh. Then she was unfastening his waistband, loosening it enough to push his pants wide open, revealing cotton shorts that barely restrained his desperate excitement.
“Can I touch you?” Her gaze flickered up at him.
Swallowing hard, he nodded.
Releasing her lip, she slid her hand into his shorts and curled her fingers around his length, and the pleasure of her touch made him gasp.
She moved her palm up and down, her touch gentle and yet crazy-inducing. He closed his eyes for a moment to savor the sensation. It was getting hard to breathe, to think, to do anything but try to resist the pleasure she was building inside of him. There was no way he was going to let things end before they’d even begun.
“Come here,” she whispered. “I want to taste you.”
He opened his eyes to see her crooking a finger at him. She didn’t need to ask twice. With one hand still circling him, she reached out to touch the tip of him with the thick of her tongue, and the warm wetness made him shudder.
“Closer,” she whispered, lifting her head. Her lips made a circle around him, and she was taking him in. Every bit of him enveloped in her velvet mouth, and he had to grab at the bedcovers to ground himself.
“Stop,” he whispered when he could feel the quickening inside him. “I don’t want to…”
Her eyelids flickered open as she slowly released him, and he felt himself relax.
It was his turn to tease her. He pulled off her tank and kissed his way down to her chest, his mouth closing around her. He nipped and sucked until she was gasping for more. Biting down a satisfied smile, he pulled her shorts down, followed by the scrap of pink she called panties, taking care to hook them over
her cast.
Her bare breasts were pressed against his chest, her thighs warm against his hips, and he could feel the slickness of her against his own excitement. It was as much as he could do to reach across to his bedside table, and pull out a packet he hadn’t used in way too long.
She nodded, even though he hadn’t asked her the question, and he opened the foil and rolled it on himself, before letting him relax against her. “If I hurt your leg, you need to tell me,” he said, gritting his teeth to keep his control as he centered himself against her.
“I will,” she said softly. Her lips were tender when he kissed her again, and the feel of them was enough to make his chest tighten. He slid inside her, gently at first, then harder, until she took every inch of him in. He groaned against her shoulder, stilling himself for a moment as pleasure overwhelmed him once again. He was going to have to take this easy, concentrate on her. It was the only way to control himself.
He pulled his hips back and pushed in again, and this time it was Ally who moaned. She slid her hands down his back, to his behind, pulling him closer, harder, deeper, until she cried out again. Their kisses were frantic, their breaths shallow and short, their bodies moving in a rhythmic dance that made every muscle inside both of them tense.
It was Ally who fell first. She released his lips to gasp for air, her head falling back as she called out his name. Within seconds he followed her, sinking deeper into her than he ever thought possible.
He never wanted the feeling to stop.
* * *
The first thing Ally saw when she woke up were her crutches propped up against the bedside table. Nate must have put them there some time in the night – or was it morning? She blinked and pushed herself up on her elbows, looking around his room. The mattress beside her was empty, the palest of light bathing it through the floor length windows. She knew from the color that the sun hadn’t quite risen up behind the mountains, which meant it couldn’t be any later than five-thirty in the morning.