“Maybe in a minute. Right now I want to just lie here with you.” Her eyes darkened, narrowed a little. “I like spending time with you.”
As if his other hand had a mind of its own, it landed on the hot, sun-kissed skin of her hip. She narrowed her eyes in an inviting, seductive way, and he inched closer, bringing them thigh to thigh.
“I like spending time with you, too. When we get back to Seaside we’ll see if you heard back from the seller of that baseball.” He loved that family was important enough to her that she wanted to track the baseball down for her father.
“I’d like that.”
“Do you mind if I ask where you’re taking a hiatus from? Where do you play your cello?”
A group of teenagers ran by and kicked sand on her legs and back before she could answer. She leaned forward, against his chest. Man, she felt good. Instinctively, he began brushing the sand from her legs, butt, and back. She leaned back, her hand still on his chest, her lips slightly parted. He flattened his hand on her back and pressed her to him as he lowered his lips to hers. She pressed her fingers into his chest and he deepened the kiss. Their tongues met in long, passionate strokes. He slid his hand up her back and buried it beneath her hair, cupping her head. She had the most sensuous lips he’d ever kissed, and as he angled her head, she opened them further and rolled onto her back. He slid his leg over hers. If he didn’t stop he’d never be able to, but she smelled like warm coconut and tasted hot and sweet. He couldn’t help but rock his hips against her thigh. The last thing he wanted to do was tear his lips from hers, but it’s what he needed to do, because in his effort to keep from embarrassing her, he was practically making love to her right there on the crowded beach, just feet from the lifeguard chair.
Her eyes fluttered open and her lips curved up. There wasn’t a hint of regret in her eyes. He loved kissing her, loved the way she looked at him. He touched her cheek, then pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“I’m not even going to try to pretend that I don’t want to keep kissing you.”
She blushed. “I’d like that.”
She opened the door and he walked right in. Their lips met in another heated kiss. His resolve to back off liquefied, and his hand slid down her ribs to her hip and over the soft swell of her thigh. He eased back, softly kissing her lips a few times before forcing himself away again.
“Now I’m going to pretend I don’t want to kiss you, or we’re going to get kicked off the beach for indecent activities.”
That earned him a soft laugh. He moved his leg off of hers, allowing her the freedom to move. She remained on her back, the pulse at the base of her neck beating wildly, and a satisfied smile on her lips.
“Want to go in the water to cool off?” she asked.
“I think I need a minute.” Or ten, to let my body cool down.
They spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, kissing, and lying in the sun. As the afternoon sun disappeared and evening rolled in, they gathered their things and headed back to the parking lot. Jamie couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so relaxed and happy. They threw their things in the back of his car and he reached for her hand and drew her in close.
“I’m not ready for our day to end. How about if we go back to Seaside, see if you’ve heard back about the baseball, shower, then head into town for dinner and a walk?” He gazed into her eyes, and she flashed her dimples with a sweet smile.
“I’m not sure I know you well enough to shower together.” She lifted her brows and he had to kiss her again.
“Shoot. I had my hopes pinned on the shower.” He opened the car door for her and helped her in.
“What about Vera? Maybe we should invite her to dinner.”
“I love that you’re thinking of her, but I don’t think she’ll mind if we go alone.” He slid into the driver’s seat. “In fact, I’m pretty sure she’s at home hoping we stay out all night. I smelled matchmaking going on with her this afternoon.”
Back at Seaside, they checked her email and she still hadn’t heard back from the seller, so they sent another message.
“You know, we can probably find the seller’s actual store and then send a message there, too. Have you searched for it yet?” Jamie stood behind Jessica’s chair, looking over her shoulder at her laptop.
“Searched on eBay?” She looked up at him with eyes so wide and innocent he had to lean down and kiss her forehead.
“No, on OneClick.”
She drew her brows together. “Isn’t that a thing like Google? I always get lost when I’m searching. I end up spending an hour going from website to website and never find what I’m looking for.”
“Here, let me show you.” He sat beside her and typed in OneClick.com and the OneClick search window came up. “Type in My Mom Threw Out My Baseball Cards.”
“What’s that?”
“The name of his store. Didn’t you see it on eBay?”
She shook her head. “I only saw Seller.”
He put an arm around her and kissed her cheek. “I’ll give you a quick lesson on eBay after we do this.”
“No, that’s okay. After I find this baseball, I’m done. This stuff is hard for me. Give me sheet music or even just play a few notes, and I’ll pick it up fast, but this?” She pointed to the computer. “It’s like one big headache waiting to happen.”
“What would make it easier?” He searched for the store and found that it was no longer around. He turned his attention back to Jessica and made a mental note to do his own search later that evening.
“It would be easier if you did it for me.” She leaned forward and kissed him. “I can pay you in kisses.”
He drew her onto his lap. “Now, that’s a deal I’ll take.”
He sealed his lips over hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as she had the other night, only this time, he knew her mind was clear of alcohol. He liked kissing her even more without the distraction of wondering whether she’d remember it in the morning and if she’d regret it. She was still wearing her bikini beneath her sundress, and she felt so good that his hands began to wander, to her hips and her outer thighs. She tightened her arms around his neck and arched her chest into his. She was open to taking this further, but Jamie had never been a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of guy, and he really liked Jessica. Maybe more than he should after two days.
Tearing his lips from hers drew a groan from deep within him.
“You groaned.” A playful smile curved her lips.
“Yeah, I know.” He blew out a breath. “It was either that or…You’ve got to get off my lap before we head someplace you may regret.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why would I regret it?”
“I don’t know. Because you’re a woman, and…” He lifted her easily from his lap and set her on the other chair, then ran both hands through the sides of his hair to try to clear the lustful thoughts from his mind.