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He came impossibly closer. So close I could see the flash in his dark eyes. “I’m saying them now.” His hands somehow found their way to my hips, his fingers pressing in as he pulled me gently into him.
My breath caught in my throat and I wasn’t sure if taking the training wheels off was a safe idea. The ink wasn’t dry on my initial divorce papers and here I was, flirting with a man so far out of my league I should be ashamed of myself for being this excited. But the heat of him radiated off his chest and I got a whiff of soap and cologne and sunscreen. I wanted to melt into him and forget the consequences.
“Expand on the shorts,” I demanded breathlessly.
Dec’s eyes darkened, his attention zeroing in so hard I wasn’t sure the world existed outside of the two of us. His voice was pitched low. “Your ass is exceptional. The shorts highlight how exceptional.”
I may have melted a bit more, my weight leaning heavily into the firm wall of muscle. “But…you don’t like me.”
Dec shook his head slowly. “But I do like you, Kenna Ryan.” One of his hands left my hip and a flare of disappointment hit before being snuffed out as that same hand cupped my jaw. His face was just an inch or so away from mine. I had to have sunstroke. That was it. I was hallucinating and none of this was actually happening.
Then his lips were on mine, hot, steady, and searching. My lips parted on an inhale and suddenly his tongue flicked against my bottom lip, his teeth plucking that tender skin. He moved my head where he wanted me and deepened the kiss. His tongue tangled with mine and there wasn’t enough air in the entire galaxy to keep my head from spinning. Every single cell in my body needed to be closer to this man. I needed to breathe the same air and press against every inch of his body. The kiss raged on so long that when he finally pulled back to search my face, I had to gasp for air.
“Good night,” he said gruffly, then released me, walking away and bounding over the hedge before disappearing up his own porch.
I stood there, rooted to the spot, stunned stupid. Justin and I had been in a rough patch for awhile. I couldn’t actually remember the last time we kissed. It had most certainly been in a rush when one of us was flying out the door. Then again, I couldn’t exactly remember our first kiss either. I huffed out a laugh. That kiss with Dec had blotted out all other kisses. He was either magic or my younger years had been a wasteland of subpar kisses.
My lips felt puffy as I finally turned and went upstairs. I licked my lips and tasted Dec there, a hint of whiskey and salt and something uniquely him. I stripped out of my clothes and showered, making sure to put lotion on all the spots of pink on my skin. As I lay in bed, staring at the stripes of wallpaper glue still clinging to the walls, I ran over that kiss until I was so hot and bothered I had to kick back the covers and dig a book out of my suitcase just to give my brain something else to focus on.
When I finally went to sleep, I had a smile on my face. Living in Florida should have felt like the first step to getting over Justin, but that first kiss post-Justin had been even more of a milestone.
Hello, humiliation, we meet again.
The small woman ripped another strip of cotton and wax off my skin and I resisted the urge to yelp. My eyes burned with tears, making me wonder if my new friend had lost her mind. Char had picked me up on the pretenses of a girls’ morning. It had started off fine with fancy coffees and a luxurious manicure, but we ended here, at some fancy resort with beautiful masochists in their spa.
“You’ll love the smooth result,” Char had promised as I eyed the menu offering with a high degree of doubt. With my pale Irish skin, I didn’t know why I was trying to be Brazilian. “Best feeling ever to slip on a swimsuit and not worry about shaving bumps.”
The woman slathered another dollop of hot wax on my nether regions, prompting me to beg for my mama. Apparently my pubic hair had the roots of a redwood. Five strips of cotton later, I was allowed to get off the table. The paper liner came with me, seeing as how my sweat had soaked right through it. I peeled the paper off and redressed carefully, walking bowlegged out the door to find Char already waiting, a calm smile making her radiant.
“Don’t you feel like a million bucks?”
God, I could hate her for being so cute and put together. Except contrary to Ashley, who was also cute and put together, Char had a beautiful soul.
“Ask me tomorrow when it’s not still stinging like I sat on a hornet’s nest,” I grumbled, following her out the thick glass door into the oppressive heat.
Char looped her arm through mine and laughed. “Beauty is pain, girl! We gotta get you back in the saddle.”
I groaned. “I’m not currently able to sit down, let alone jump in a saddle.”
Char’s tinkling laugh carried us down the winding path toward the parking lot. By the time we got to our lunch spot with a view of the ocean, a fresh salad place called Vitamin Sea, I was walking normally and finally ready to admit that a glow-up was a worthy goal for post-divorce Kenna. The restaurant was decked out in whites, earthy tones, and the occasional splash of bright blue to match the ocean views. All the produce was organic, a welcome sight for this Californian.
“I knew you’d like this place,” Char drawled when I exclaimed over the selection of fresh vegetables. “You and your organic…”
“Hey, I don’t like eating chemicals, can you blame me?”
I stepped up and asked the person behind the register for the surfer’s chop salad while Char ordered the Greek topped with salmon. I insisted on paying since she took care of tipping our spa attendants when I’d been too traumatized to remember that little detail.
We sat at a table for two right by the front window, enjoying the air-conditioning while training our gazes at the beach just a two-lane highway and a few sandy steps from our current location.
I sighed, feeling a contentment I hadn’t known existed before I came to Sunshine Key. “It is beautiful here.”
Char clasped her hands under her chin. “Are you thinking of staying?”
I shot her a smile, appreciating her enthusiasm. “I’m not sure yet, but I’ll be here at least a year. If I can get the house remodeled and the boat club earning a bit more, maybe I can swing it.”
“Could you get a job out here? Doing your graphic design?”
I tipped my head back and forth. Sunshine Key wasn’t exactly teaming with publishers or any publishers for that matter. Then again, I could branch out and try my hand in a different industry. Or take Liz’s advice finally and go out on my own, freelancing.
