The second his hands touched her, his eyes darkened. She liked the sinful look in his eyes and the feel of his hands on her hips way too much and forced herself to take a step away. She was so full of desire, she was sure he could taste it in the air between them.
The line for the dining room went out the door, and the picnic tables on the patio were full. With a hand at her back again, Blue led her to the walk-up windows. Lizzie wasn’t as surprised by the heat of his touch this time, but she was confused by how much she liked it and by the possessiveness of it, the way it seemed natural for him to do it.
“What’s your pleasure?” Blue asked.
“That’s a dangerous question for a guy like you to ask.”
He laughed. “A guy like me? What does that mean?”
“You ask me out, then you asked me what my pleasure is? What’s a girl supposed to think?” Lizzie hadn’t been out on a date in a very long time, and even though this wasn’t a date, it was a lot more fun than editing her webcast, doing inventory at the shop, or planning her next recipe for the Naked Baker.
“You’re supposed to think…Hm, which would I rather have? A lobster roll and fries or a hamburger?” He bumped her with his shoulder, and she keeled to the left.
“Whoa.” He caught her with an arm around her waist and a killer smile that made her want to forget about the Naked Baker altogether and start working on her Lick-It list—a list she’d started in college when she was still trying to repress her naughtier thoughts. She’d been so used to fighting her changing hormones in high school, trying to stick to her rigid upbringing, that by the time she got to college she was near ready to burst. Instead of acting on the thoughts that came to her, she’d started her Lick-It list—all the things she’d like to lick off of a man and have him lick off of her—and her Fuck-It list—the list of all the places she wanted to make love to a man. Somehow, getting those lusty thoughts down on paper gave her hope that one day she’d meet the right person, and then it would be okay for her to act on those desires. But she’d never met any man she wanted to explore with. Blue was an insanely tempting option.
Oh great. Now I’m thinking about licking you.
“Sorry about that,” Blue said. “I forget how petite you are.”
“It’s okay.” She shoved her hands in her shorts to keep from hanging on to him.
“So, what’ll it be?” Blue asked.
Whipped cream and strawberries all over your abs. Holy crap. In a matter of minutes she’d turned into some sort of sexual deviant. She shook her head to clear the lust from her deranged brain.
“You choose,” she finally managed.
Blue ordered two lobster rolls and fries, and they took them back to his truck.
“Let’s eat at the beach,” he said as he helped her in again.
She wondered if she could just spend all night getting in and out of his truck, because it felt so good when he held her.
They drove down the narrow road toward Cahoon Hollow Beach with the bag of food sitting between them. It smelled like heaven, and when Lizzie’s stomach growled—roared—she wanted to curl up from embarrassment.
“Ah, you’re a normal person after all.” He smiled as he dug into the bag with one hand, withdrew a fry, and held it in front of her mouth. “Open up.”
“I can wait,” she lied, wanting to rip the delicious-smelling fry from his hand.
“How can you resist the smell of PJ’s fries?” He waved it under her nose, and when she reached for it, he pulled it away. “Uh-uh. Open your mouth.”
“God, you’re a pain.”
“The best kind of pain there is,” he teased as he fed her the fry.
Chapter Three
THIS MIGHT NOT be a date, but this was the first time Blue had been alone with Lizzie since they met, and he wasn’t in a hurry to share her with Hunter and their friends. He parked at the edge of the parking lot and circled the truck to open her door. Just getting in and out of the truck proved both entertaining and enjoyable. He loved the feel of Lizzie’s sweet curves beneath his palms and couldn’t resist helping her down by lifting her from the waist. Her heated stare was either a warning or an invitation, and for the first time in his life, he couldn’t tell which. She definitely had a way of fogging his brain.
He grabbed the food from the cab of the truck and blankets from behind the front seat and carried them around to the back, where he opened the tailgate and reached for Lizzie’s waist again to lift her up.
“We’re eating in the bed of your truck?”
He lifted her easily and climbed in behind her. Gently turning her shoulders so she was facing the ocean, he said, “Look. This is why we’re eating here.”
The moon was almost full, glowing orange and yellow against the gunmetal sky, casting a streak of light across the dark water. A single light illuminated the tip of a sail as a boat moved past the shore, and on the beach, two bonfires cut through the night.
“It’s gorgeous,” she said just above a whisper.