Page 99 of Second Chance Saloon

Mitch

By the time their lips disconnected, the sun had sunk into the sea. Tiny stars winked at them from the darkening sky above. The voices of other guests grew distant, and the boats disappeared from the horizon.

Jackie shivered in his arms. “Could we move somewhere warmer? Your room, perhaps? Or mine?”

Mitch forced his starved lungs to draw air, his chest rising and falling with the effort. All his blood seemed to be redirected to his heart, which was close to bursting. He adjusted his hold on her back, his fingers pressing gently over her goosebumps. “Just for kissing or …?”

The rest of the question hung in the evening air and dived into the sea.

Her smoldering gaze bared his chest wide open. “You know I adore kissing. But if you’re giving us tonight not to talk, I want all of you.”

He took her lip between his teeth and nipped at its surface. “You’ll have to tell me how you like it now. It’s been ten years after all.”

Jackie moaned into his mouth, lowering herself in the water so that she was submerged up to her chin. “I’ll tell you everything in detail, if you share the same with me.” Then, with a lustful smile, she swam away from him toward the shore.

He watched her, shackled to the bottom of the sea by invisible chains. Was that really it? Years of dreaming, hoping to hold her in his arms again and now, by some twisted fate, it was all happening?

Mitch wasn’t naive, he knew they had to talk. He did need to know the reason she’d left, even though ignorance was so blissful when it came with the chance of devouring her mouth, holding her body in his hands and breathing the same air. Part of him was fucking terrified of what she would say. He hadn’t lied earlier when he told her there was nothing she could say that’d change the way he felt about her. There wasn’t, he was all in—logic and reason be damned.

No, what scared him was how much pain delving into those memories would bring her. Ten years was a long time. Being thirty-two was vastly different than being carefree eighteen- or even twenty-two-year-olds. The fact that Jackie had lost some of her joy and fire from how he remembered her didn’t surprise him; it was to be expected. Granted, the years had added some weight to his own shoulders.

But there was something else, Mitch was sure of it. He could see it deep in her eyes, flickering in their corners even when she smiled with her full body. Something significant enough to latch on to her, dig its claws into her soul and never let go. Something he wanted to tear away from her more than anything.

“Are you coming, cowboy?” Jackie shouted from the shore, towel wrapped around her arms. “I want to get out of this swimsuit.”

Mitch shook his head and waded back to her, evening air blowing on his wet skin as he emerged from the sea.

A small, hungry smile still on her face, she passed him the other towel. “What took you so long?”

He rubbed his skin dry with the towel, reaching for his white T-shirt. Shaking the sand off it, he pulled it on, the fabric clinging to his moist back. “I was cherishing the view.”

Her lashes fluttered teasingly, her fingers buttoning her dress. “And is it to your liking?”

“Enormously so.”

He tied the towel round his hips, scanning the beach to check there wasn’t anyone around. Not another living soul was in their vicinity. He pulled his swim trunks down, stepped out of them and reached for his shorts.

Jackie raised a brow. “Now, how am I meant to last until we’re in my room, when I know these shorts are the only thing you’re wearing?”

“We don’t have to make it to your room.” He flashed her a grin. “There doesn’t seem to be an audience here. Unless you like someone watching?”

She whipped him with the towel. “That much hasn’t changed since we were last together.”

Mitch flashed her another grin. “So, sex on the beach?”

She laughed but shook her head. “Hate the sand getting everywhere. Ruins the mood. Besides, I’m planning to take my sweet time with you.”

That got his attention. His pupils dilated with endless possibilities of how they could occupy that time. “Is that so?”

Jackie grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the path leading back to the hotel. “Most definitely.” Her eyes glowed in the emerging moonlight and a blush bit into her cheeks.

His heartbeat quickened as he crushed her fingers in his hand. “We can do whatever you want to do.”

“I just want you.” Her throat bobbed as an exhale whooshed out of her. “I really think I should tell you before we go any further—”

“Does it change how you feel about me? About us?”

She dug her teeth into her bottom lip, her eyes never leaving his. “No.”