Summer Secrets - Barbara Freethy [125]
"I know," she whispered.
"But I drove you away, and I regret that."
"You don't have anything to apologize for, believe me."
"Well, it won't happen again. A few days ago I told you I wanted to race, to follow in Jeremy's wake, to experience what he did, but the truth is I don't want any of that. I never did. I never wanted to be him, I just wanted him to be here."
She was confused. "Then why did you say you were going to race?"
"Maybe I was looking for another way to get to you. It kind of worked," he said and gave her a crooked grin. "It got you talking to me again."
"Your mother did that."
"I'll have to give her a big present on Mother's Day. So, do you want to go for a sail?"
She stiffened. "Uh, no, not in this weather."
"Relax. I was talking about this boat." He tipped his head toward the boat next to her. "It's as ready as you are for a dry-dock test run." He pushed the box steps over to the boat. "Want a closer look?"
"All right."
Sean climbed into the boat and held out his hand to her. After a moment's hesitation, she climbed aboard.
Sean sat down on the bench seat and patted the spot next to him "Sit here with me."
She did as he asked, feeling an odd sense of comfort as she sat down, as if she'd come home.
"Remember when we had a picnic in Mr. Garcia's motorboat?" he asked her.
She smiled at the memory. "Your father was furious at us for getting jam on the seats. I don't think we were more than twelve."
"The good old days."
"The good old days," she echoed.
"What do you think of this boat?" Sean asked.
"It's beautiful."
"It's my design. I sent it to my father a couple years ago. He finally found a customer who wanted it."
She looked at him in surprise. "You did this? That's incredible."
"A little better than all those bad drawings I used to show you, huh?"
Ashley nodded, remembering how Sean had always been busy scribbling on pieces of paper. "As I recall, most of those boats looked like supersonic jets. You had a fascination with speed."
"I'm learning to slow down," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"I don't think that's slowing down," she replied, not quite sure she was ready for what was coming, but she wanted it all the same.
The kiss started out slow but took off fast as Sean groaned and swept the inside of her mouth with his tongue, taking all she had to give, and asking for more.
A door slammed shut, breaking them apart. "What was that?" she asked breathlessly.
"Just the wind," Sean said. "No one else is here. They've gone home for the night."
"I hate the wind. It makes me crazy. I feel so out of control."
"I like you out of control." He swooped down and stole another kiss.
She put a hand against his chest. "Maybe we should stop."
"Is that what you really want?"
She stared into his beautiful gold-flecked brown eyes and knew it was the last thing she wanted. But was she ready for Sean? She could feel the energy, the tension he barely had under control. This wouldn't be a gentle love affair, it would be wild and turbulent and unpredictable, exactly the way she didn't like things.
"1 can't," she said slowly. "It's too much, too soon."
"Then I'll wait. I'm used to it," he said, an annoyed edge to his voice. He pushed her away and stood up. "Let's get out of here."
"And go where?"
"Wherever there are people, crowds, noise, action. Someplace where I won't be thinking every second about making love to you."
She followed him off the boat, not particularly liking his mood or trusting it. "Maybe we should just take a break from each other," she said as they reached the hallway.
"No. No more breaks. We've had too many already. Let's go to my house. We'll be fine with my parents as chaperones."
Ashley