Pieces Of Us (Angel Sands 6)

“Then I’ll grab it with greedy hands. I know it’s still early between us, and you’ve been through a lot.” He leaned forward to brush his lips against hers. “But I’d like to take you out for dinner without worrying about people talking. I’d like to kiss you in your office when I’ve come back from a long day on the water. I want people to look at you and know that you’re taken. By me. And I know that makes me sound like a caveman, so I’m gonna shut up.” He shook his head, grinning.

His words made her skin tingle like crazy. “You want me to tattoo your name on my ass?”

He laughed. “I don’t want anybody looking at your ass except me.”

She traced her finger around the rim of her glass. “And when I go back to New York? What happens then?”

“We’ll worry about that later.”

He made it sound so easy. And maybe it was. Maybe she was anticipating problems where there weren’t any to be seen. Yeah, people – well, Carla – might talk, but within a few days they’d be old news.

Could she push down her worries? Just let the tide take her where it wanted, and then swim home afterward?

Maybe she could. At the very least, she wanted to try.

“Okay. Let’s go surfing tomorrow.” She smiled. “Well, today.”

“And if I want to kiss you because you look all cute spluttering up water?”

She grinned and shook her head. “Then have at it. Saltwater and all.”

He winked. “That sounds good to me. Now let’s get back to bed and get some sleep. We’re gonna need all the rest we can get.”

* * *

“I really need to sleep at my place tonight,” Autumn told him as they carried their surf boards back up the beach. “I have laundry to do and I want to take a long, hot shower to get the sand out of my hair.” She wrinkled her nose at the tightness of her skin. That’s what spending more time submerged in the ocean than surfing on top of it gave you. Her hair felt like straw on a hot summer’s day, all stiff and sticking everywhere.

“You could always do laundry at my place.” Griff took the board from her and rinsed it beneath the beach shower, then placed his own head under, sending spray all over his tanned skin. Droplets clung to his hair like they were planning to make a home there, making him sparkle in the sunlight.

“Yeah, and I also need sleep.” She stretched her arms over her head to work out the kinks in her muscles. “I don’t get a whole lot of that at your place.”

“Blame my hormones.” He grinned at her. “Parts of me wake up at six a.m. sharp every day.”

“And those parts seem to really like waking up my parts,” she said, smiling back at him. His good mood was infectious. He’d kept her laughing all day.

“Okay. Stay home if you insist. But if you hear someone knocking on your window just before dawn you’ll know it’s me getting lonely.” He ran his hand through his hair, slicking it back from his face.

“You don’t strike me as the type of guy who gets lonely.”

“I didn’t think I was the sort of guy who could get used to waking up next to the same woman every day. But it turns out I am.”

She put her palm on his warm, damp chest, splaying out her fingers. “And I’m glad you are,” she said, her voice low. His heart beat strong against her hand, making her breath catch in her throat. When she looked up, he was staring down at her with those dark, needy eyes. It sent a thrill straight through her.

“You know what we said about public displays of affection?” he asked her.

“They’re okay, right?” She brushed her thumb against his tight nipple, making him gasp.

“I think I feel one coming on now.” He leaned down to brush his lips against hers, his hand cupping the back of her head. She flicked his nipple again and he groaned. “You need to stop doing that,” he murmured against her mouth. “Or I’ll take you home and tie you to my bed so you can’t leave.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” She kissed him back, rolling onto the balls of her feet and looping her arms around his neck.

“It was a threat, not a promise.”

“Tomayto-tomahto.” She smiled against his lips.

A sharp trill came from a phone. She pulled away from him with a sigh. “Saved by the bell.”

“You or me?”