“I…” She searched his eyes. Is everything all right? It is, isn’t it? “This weekend’s been so strange, and I…”
Cocktails. Stupid dresses and high heels. The chance to be sexy again, to find out who I am now. That was the plan. That’s what this weekend was about, wasn’t it?
She took a deep breath.
I know what I want.
She slid one hand up Arlo’s chest, slowly, and the thud of his heartbeat against her palm seemed to echo in her ears. She leaned closer to him and stood on her toes. Arlo’s eyes were like deep pools reflecting the night sky. His lips were an inch from hers—less—
Arlo pulled her close and kissed her. His lips were soft, gentle against hers and then harder as she clenched her fist in his shirt. She wound her other hand up over his shoulder, holding herself up against him. Not wanting to ever let him go.
She made a small noise of disappointment as Arlo’s lips left hers, and his eyes went dark with lust.
Oh God.
Desire surged through her, so intense her knees went weak. And from the expression in Arlo’s eyes…
She got the feeling that whatever he’d been about to say, it could wait.
Jacqueline licked her lips. “You know,” she said, her voice hoarse, “I never booked that bed-and-breakfast. I don’t have anywhere to stay tonight.”
Arlo’s fingers tightened around her waist. “That’s where you’re wrong,” he growled.
Jacqueline felt so giddy as they walked back to the Hometide, she was half-worried she’d walk straight off the wharf into the sea. She wasn’t entirely convinced that if she looked down, she’d see her feet touching the ground.
Arlo handed her onto the boat and slipped the tie rope off its mooring. The Hometide eased through the waves. Arlo sat by the rudder and Jacqueline curled into his side, winding her fingers through his.
When Hideaway Cove was a half-moon of lights lying on the horizon, he dropped the anchor and turned to her.
“Jacqueline,” he murmured. “I want—ever since I first saw you…”
He pulled her close, kissing her with a growl that made her insides quiver. Jacqueline kissed her back, gasping as he slid one hand up towards her breast… and stopped.
“Hmm?” Jacqueline mumbled against his lips. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Arlo sounded out of breath. “I just…”
His hand smoothed down her side, slow and sensual.
“I don’t want to rush,” he said. “I want to know what feels good to you. I want to learn everything about your body, every…” He took a tense breath.
Jacqueline ran her fingers through his hair as his eyes dropped. “What is it?”
“I want to do this right. For you. I haven’t…” A brief half-smile flickered across his features. “I haven’t made a stained glass window before,” he admitted.
Does he mean what I think he means?
“What? But…” That’s ridiculous, Jacqueline stopped herself from saying, to this strong, careful man who’d let himself be so vulnerable in front of her. “I assumed… I mean, you built a boat… wait, this metaphor is getting out of control.” She sucked in her breath.
“I did build a boat,” Arlo agreed. “I built a whole life here. It didn’t leave much time for… other arts and crafts.”
His voice was still rough, almost ashamed, but the corner of his mouth curved in a tentative, hopeful smile. Jacqueline touched the dimple that formed in his cheek.
“I want to learn about your body,” she whispered, trailing her fingertips down his cheek and over his jaw. “I don’t care what you’ve done, or haven’t done. It’s been so long I feel like I’ve forgotten it all anyway.”
She kissed him until his breathing hitched and then murmured against his lips: “I want to explore it all with you for the first time.”
Arlo groaned. “God, yes.”