ON THE WAY into town, they dropped Leanna’s van at her cottage. “That way you have to drive me home tomorrow and I get more time with you,” she’d said. He loved the way her mind worked, and he couldn’t have agreed more. With Pepper in tow, they had dinner at Mac’s Seafood by the Wellfleet Pier. Leanna’s hair whipped across her cheeks, and Pepper’s fur flattened against the wind. She zipped her hoodie and curled her shoulders forward to ward off the breeze.
“Let’s walk down to the park.” Kurt draped an arm over her shoulder as they walked away from the water, leaving the gustier wind behind.
Every summer an awning was constructed across from Wellfleet Harbor, where community plays and local bands put on free shows. Tonight there was a blues band playing. There were several rows of metal chairs beneath the awning, most of the seats taken. They claimed two free seats in the back row, and Pepper settled in between their feet. Beside the awning were tennis courts, and beyond that a small, colorful park. Children played on the metal playground equipment while parents stood nearby, enjoying the music. The scene reminded Kurt of his college days. He’d spent time with friends, hanging out at bars and going to concerts at local parks. Before he’d focused on writing as a full-time endeavor, he’d been more relaxed about how he spent his time. During summers and school breaks, he’d worked at a literary agent’s office, learning about the publishing industry and penning his first novel in the evenings and on weekends. After graduation he’d attended a writer’s conference, where Jackie Tolson asked to see his work. He never expected to be signed two weeks later, or to have a six-figure, two-book deal five months after that. His father was the driving force behind his determination to be the best thriller writer imaginable, and he would never stop trying to outwrite other authors or his own last novel. Do more than you think you can; be better than everyone else—his father’s words had served him well. What he’d never learned was how to apply the same standards and determination to a relationship, and in the days since he’d been with Leanna, he realized that he needed, and wanted, to find a way to strike a balance.
Leanna moved to the beat of the music, a contented smile on her lips. Her shoulders swayed sexily, and as he watched her, Kurt hoped that he was doing enough. That, as Siena mentioned, he was giving her enough attention, thinking about her enough, letting her know how much he cared for her. How could he be sure he was? His mother was the yin to his father’s yang. She softened the rough edges of his father’s lessons with unconditional love and understanding. She wasn’t a pushover. No, Joanie Remington believed that children needed to learn from their mistakes and take responsibility for their actions, but she also exuded warmth and love like others exuded confidence or insecurity. He hoped that he’d learned enough from her to allow Leanna to feel the same emotional comfort from him.
He reached for Leanna’s hand as the band played a slower song.
“Dance with me.”
“Here?”
He pointed to the grassy area between the tent and the tennis courts. “There.”
He held her close and closed his eyes against the discomfort of feeling like a spectacle. He wanted to hold Leanna, to dance with her, and he’d learned from watching her that there were some urges a person should just give in to. This was one of them, and it felt darn good, even with Pepper’s leash around his wrist and Pepper looking up at them with wondrous eyes.
An elderly couple joined them on the grass and danced a few feet away.
Kurt focused on Leanna’s heart beating against his, her arms around his neck, and the feminine, sweet, scent of her skin. Her fingers ran lightly over the back of his neck. He felt the curve of her lower back, right above her hips, the dip at the center of her spine as he pressed his palms to hold her closer. He brought one hand up and buried his hand in her silky hair, and without thought, he lowered his mouth to hers. He didn’t notice when the music stopped, or when the elderly couple returned to their seats. He didn’t notice the fast beat of the band’s next song or the child who was pointing at them as they kissed. His focus was only cocooning Leanna in his love until she couldn’t help but feel how much he adored her, until she felt it with every breath and trusted it would be in every touch. As he held her with the bay breeze at his back, he realized that Leanna had become his more.
“Come to my brother’s wedding with me.”
Leanna looked up at him and crinkled her nose. “Now?”
She was so stinkin’ cute. He felt a soft laugh slip from his lips and quickly covered it with a cough. “It’s next week in Colorado. I’ll take care of the flight arrangements and everything.”
“But it’s a wedding. There are invitations and place settings, and your brother might not want me there.” She ran her finger in circles on the back of his neck.
“I want you there, and Jack wants me there. He won’t mind. They’re getting married at Savannah’s father’s ranch, so it’s not like there’s a formal seating chart or anything. Please go with me. I leave straight from Colorado to go back to New York, and I want every second with you that I can get.” He hadn’t realized how quickly his time at the Cape was coming to an end. A sharp pain seared his heart at the thought of not being with Leanna.
“Okay. Yes. I will. I want to. But promise me you’ll ask Savannah and Jack if they’d mind before we make arrangements.” She reached up and touched his cheek. “I’m so glad you asked me to go with you.”
“You are?”
She nodded. “You’re really leaving next week? I didn’t realize…” Her eyes filled with sadness.
“Neither did I until just now. I hate the thought of going anywhere without you. I know that makes me sound weak, or wimpy, or something bad, but…” He shrugged.
Her lips spread into a wide smile. “I think it makes you even hotter.”
“Hotter? Well, there’s more where that came from.” He took her hand, and they headed back toward the car. Pepper hurried along beside them.
They stopped every few steps to kiss, and by the time they reached the car, Kurt’s body was thick with desire. Leanna wrapped her arms around his neck and rocked her hips into him. She drew his mouth to hers and moaned seductively.
He narrowed his eyes. “You make me crazy when you do that.”
“That’s the point.” She rocked into him again and settled her mouth over his neck, sucking and licking until he was ready to explode.
He reached behind her and opened the car door. “In.”
She slid into the seat, and Pepper jumped in at her feet. Kurt climbed into the driver’s seat, threw the car into drive, and drove directly to the darkest corner of the lot. By the time he put the car in park, Leanna was halfway across the center console.