Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
His eyes shone with love as he traced a finger under the curve of my bottom lip. “I’m the lucky one.” Slowly he leaned closer, his tongue taking the place of his finger as he gently took my mouth in his.
After kissing on the beach for a few minutes, he pulled away and shot me a suspicious glance. “Wait, was this just your pathetic attempt to get me to forget you embarrassing me in front of our friends.”
I grinned up at him. “Did it work?”
James’s hands were underneath my shirt, exploring the width of my back. His touch was always distracting.
“Um, yeah. Obviously,” he laughed.
I stood up and reached down to help him up before taking advantage of all the loose sand to cop several feels of his gorgeous ass. We wound our way back down the beach, hand in hand, to rejoin the group. Karlie handed us both cups of daiquiris, and we sat enjoying the rest of the afternoon, trading stories and laughing. Brantley had settled little Davey back in the wagon and had his camera out, snapping pictures of everyone and the views around us before having to head on up to the bluff to meet another family for sunset portraits.
As sunset neared, Conor glanced over at Wells and let out a squeal. “Baby, look at your skin!”
Wells glanced down at his chest. It was a smooth expanse of tan. “Huh?”
“You’re definitely burning,” Conor said. “We need to get you back to the room and lotioned up if you don’t want to peel.”
Wells lifted an eyebrow. “Do we now?”
Beside me, James snickered.
If anyone looked like he might have been sunburned in that moment, it was Conor given how vividly red his cheeks shone. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he said, clearly flustered.
Wells was already on his feet, packing up. “Oh no, you’re very right. I’m clearly burned and definitely need you to lotion me up.”
I didn’t think it was possible for Conor’s cheeks to blaze even brighter, but they did. “Um… yeah… so… I guess… we should maybe go…”
Wells chuckled, hefting a stammering Conor over one shoulder while slinging his beach bag over the other.
Conor let out the most half-hearted protest I’d ever heard, which quickly dissolved into laughter as Wells hauled him back toward the hotel.
Davey woke again at the commotion and let out a squawk of protest. James reached for him, but Karlie beat him to it. “That’s my cue,” she said, winding a wrap around her torso and slipping Davey inside before gathering the rest of her things and chucking them into the wagon.
James stood. “Need help with that?”
Karlie’s eyes shifted toward mine for a startled moment before returning to James with a narrowed gaze. “Is that some sort of comment on the frailty of women? Are you questioning my abilities as Davey’s mom?” She fisted her hands on her hips, about to keep going.
James held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, sorry, I wasn’t implying anything. You’re an amazing mother and one of the best women I know.”
“Damn right I am,” she told him with a sharp nod. She started for the steps, adding over her shoulder, “And yeah, if you don’t mind bringing the wagon up when you come, that would be great. Brant’s busy for a while with the Lovejoys. You know how that goes.”
I hid my laugh behind my hand as James looked at me, clearly not understanding what had just happened. I stood and reached for his hand. “Don’t poke the bear,” I reminded him.
“For real,” he muttered under his breath.
It was just the two of us on the beach, and I tugged him toward the water, stopping just where the edge of the waves washed against the sand. I turned, looking back toward the Sea Sprite, and James did the same. The setting sun lit the outside, reflecting off the new windows and making it appear as though it were fully lit.
I still couldn’t believe we’d been able to pull it off. Everything had come together exactly as I’d imagined, and it had all happened so easily, as if it was meant to be.
“What do you think?” I asked, gazing up the inn.
“Utterly amazing,” James said, looking at me and not at the motel.
I swatted at his arm, feeling a blush creeping up my neck. “Not me, the Sea Sprite.”
He grinned and my heart did the same little flutter it always did at the sight of him. He tugged me to stand in front of him, my back pressed to his chest, and wrapped his arms around me. “I think the Sea Sprite is pretty amazing as well. Not as much as you of course,” he added, dropping a kiss to the spot on my neck just below my ear that always sent shivers down my spine.
“It turned out well, yeah?”