And we woke up together every morning.
Pulling away from Shy, I rummaged around the bag I’d lugged down to the beach. My fingers closed around the box, and I pulled it out, tight in my palm.
She squinted at me. “Why do you look sneaky all of a sudden?”
“More like nervous.”
She snorted, propping up onto an elbow. “You? Nervous? Since when?”
With the box inside my hand, I prowled toward her. “With you? A lot more than you seem to know, Shy.”
“Why?” She sat up, clearly interested in making me sweat it some more.
“Because . . .” I wondered if my voice was gonna start cracking again like a freakin’ teenager’s.
Chapter Thirty-Four
All Man
WRAPPING A HAND AROUND Shy’s shoulder, I turned her fully to me. “I’m in love with you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone.” Delving into her deep gaze, I held her fascinated eyes. “And yeah . . .” I laughed brusquely. “You get to me, baby.”
“Do I?” she whispered.
“Haven’t I shown you that already?” The corners of the square box cut into my skin as my grip tightened on it.
“Yes.”
“Can I show it more?”
“Can you?” Curling up beside me, her breast brushed my arm.
Her breath fanned close to my lips.
Her heat sent a fever over me.
Opening the box, I tugged out the engagement ring.
I looked at Shy though half-lowered eyelids, presenting the ring to her—nothing remarkable about it, just a solitary diamond in a rose gold band.
“Shiloh Lockhart, will marry me?” The ring shook between my fingertips. “In a church, before God or whoever, in front of everyone. And be mine forever?”
She sat still.
Her lips softly parted.
Her voice was almost inaudible when she said, “But you don’t go to church, do you?”
I groaned. “Not really.”
Her tone turned teasing as she scooted closer. “Soooo . . . the church thing?”
“Shy,” I growled.
“Are you going to put the ring on me?”
“It’s really small.”
With her eyes shining, she sent me a simmering look. “No, it’s not.”
“I meant the ring.” I performed a mental battle with my new burgeoning erection.
“I already said yes.”
“With conditions.” I pressed the issue.
“Yes without conditions?” Two tears shimmered on Shy’s cheeks, and she held out her hand.
I placed the simple band on her finger, snugging it home.
Crashing against her as utter joy bolted through me, I couldn’t believe she’d really be mine.
Drawing Shy on top of me, I kissed her cheeks, her smiling, laughing mouth, her neck.
She grasped my hair, bringing me back to her lips.
Heat rippled between us immediately, as soon as she surrendered her tongue to mine.
Just the two of us.
Formally engaged.
On a beach full of people.
Pretty much dry humping in public.
Shoving my fingers through Shy’s short hair, I lifted her off me.
“You are dangerous, lady.”
She sat in my lap. “Oh yeah?”
“Trying to get me arrested again?”
“That public indecency thing?”
I slapped her ass before shifting out from under her. As soon as I gained my feet, I hoisted Shy into my arms.
Yep, we’d drawn a crowd all right.
“I just asked this woman, Shiloh Lockhart, to marry me, and she said yes!” I bellowed.
Fuck it. Everyone liked romance.
Phones flashed at us, our photo captured.
Possibly the next thing to go viral on the Internet.
“You’ve lost your mind!” She squirmed in my arms, but didn’t shrink back.
I dominated her lips, mastered her tongue, and wanted nothing more than to sink my cock into her when I let the wet suction of lip-on-lip end. “Oh yeah. And the announcement might even be in the society pages tomorrow.”
“My parents are going to flip.”
“Do you care?”
“Nope.”
“Home. Sex. Now.” I ordered, because I was about two seconds from sinking balls deep into the woman who’d agreed to marry me.
****
I did not stare at Shy on the drive downtown.
Much.
I didn’t drool when she shimmied lower in the seat, which caused her thigh-high cover-up to slide to her hips.
My hand lazily laid on the steering wheel, I stopped at a red light. “You know what you’re doing to me, Shy.”
She bit down on the pad of her index finger, and the ring I’d just put on her flashed under the ambient streetlights. “Do I?”
Sexual tension took on whole new heights.
My cock drilled down the inside of my thigh.
The entire afternoon had been nothing but foreplay.
I wanted to fuck.
Her.
I parked in the garage at her building.
She waited in her seat.
I helped her out.
Her tits hit my chest.
Shy smelled like the ocean—fresh and salty—and she clung to me like a soft wave.
When we hit the private elevator, all bets were off. And so was her cover-up.