I told myself I wouldn’t cry anymore tonight, but clearly Shepherd didn’t get that memo. He lets go of my hand to reach up and cup my cheek, swiping away at my tears with his thumb.
“Just remember you said that when Kevin gets to the island. I guess he’s coming for a visit. Yay,” I deadpan, and Shepherd leans forward in the pillows and blankets to give me a quick, soothing kiss, a brush of his tongue across my top lip, and a few small pecks before he pulls back.
“I know you think he’s your problem to deal with, but not anymore. Not now and not ever again, okay? Whatever you need from me, it’s yours. If you need me to kick his ass, done. If you need me to make sure Tess has a full supply of BIC lighters and lighter fluid, done and done. And if you need me to just stand behind you, giving you support… sweetheart, you’ve had that since the day I got here.”
“I don’t want you getting involved in this mess.” I shake my head, but Shepherd just smiles at me.
“I told you. I like it messy,” he replies, kissing the tip of my nose and then pulling back.
“You’ve had it pretty easy since you got here without anyone hounding you or trying to get into your personal business,” I remind him. “The island police have stopped a couple of paparazzi and sent them back home before they even got off the ferry. Paparazzi are innocent little kittens compared to what Kevin Stratford will do if something doesn’t go his way. I don’t want you getting pulled into that when you’ve done everything you can to avoid the press since your injury and since you retired.”
Shepherd just smiles again, scooting closer to me in the pile of pillows and blankets, his hand dropping from my cheek to slide over my hip and around my back, curling into me and tugging me up against him.
“You let me worry about that,” he orders while I place my hand against his chest right over his heart, the steady beat against my palm immediately calming me just as much as being this close to him does. “In case you’re forgetting, I’m kind of a big deal. I can handle a little dipshit like him.”
Shepherd winks at me, making me laugh, even though he has absolutely no idea what he’s saying. Kevin is a narcissistic asshole who cares about no one but himself, and with one call to Daddy, all his problems are magically fixed. As soon as he knows Shepherd Oliver is here, and that we’re dating and he’s in Owen’s life, Kevin is absolutely going to make a scene, and it’s not going to be pretty. He’s never wanted me or my son, but that’s not going to matter, because he’s a special kind of asshole like that.
But Kevin isn’t here right now, and I don’t want to think about him anymore. I just want to enjoy the best first date I’ve ever had with the best man I’ve ever met. I want to enjoy the fact that I was right to trust my instincts the other night when I went to him after I read his messages. Deciding to try my hand at being bold, I tilt my head forward until my mouth is hovering right over Shepherd’s, sliding my hand up his chest and around to the back of his neck.
“Can we be done talking about messy stuff now?” I whisper, brushing my lips back and forth against his until I hear a soft groan come out of him, making me smile against his mouth.
Shepherd curls his arm around me tighter, pulling me closer, sealing his lips to mine, and pushing his tongue past my lips at the same time. Just like the first time we kissed, as soon as his tongue brushes against mine, I feel like I’ve been sent out into orbit. Time stops, the waves are no longer crashing, and everything around us ceases to exist. It’s just the two of us on this beach, surrounded by pillows and candles. My hand grips tighter to the back of Shepherd’s neck as he tilts his head, deepening the kiss as I pull him harder against my mouth while his tongue swipes and swirls around my own and drives me out of my mind.
I’m making out with someone on a beach after the most romantic dinner of my life. I’ve never made out with anyone on a beach, although I’ve fantasized about it plenty of times. And I’ve certainly never made out with anyone who could make my toes curl and make me forget I’m on a public beach where anyone can see us, even if it is late at night. Shepherd fulfills every fantasy I’ve ever had, and it’s a heady feeling, and one that makes me want to lose control and lose myself in him. All he has to do is touch me and I want him. Curled up against his warm, hard body, with the smell of him surrounding me, his lips claiming me and bruising me with the force of his kiss, and all the words he’s said to me tonight, every inch of me aches with need for him.