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I race out of Bloom and head on foot straight to the spot where I’m positive she will be. I make my way down First Street towards the ocean, taking in the quiet streets and fresh ocean air. Walking through New York is like an assault to your senses. The masses of people, the bright lights, the sounds and the energy all coming at you at once. I loved all of that for a while, I fed off it, but being back here now has made me realize how much I miss this place. A slower paced life, Sunday dinners with my family and dare I say it, even watching my children play in my parents’ pool one day all suddenly sound very appealing to me.
There’s a light breeze as I approach the beach. The sun is bright, the air dry and warm. I stop where the concrete gives way to the sand, remove my dress shoes and take in the view, the shoreline stretching on for miles. Then I spot her. Livy. She’s sitting in the sand, her knees pulled tightly against her body. My girl has always come to the beach to think and clear her mind and as anxious as I feel right now, seeing her gazing at the ocean, makes me smile.
I move closer to her, feeling the knot in my stomach getting tighter as the distance closes between us. There’s a chance that she wants to call off whatever this is between us. I flinch at the thought, but I’m not going down without a fight.
I sit down beside her, noticing how deep in thought she is. Her brows are knit together, her lips pierced in a straight line.
“Hey Liv, mind if I sit with you?” I cross my long legs at the ankle, not caring that my Armani suit is getting dirty in the sand.
“How did you find me here?” She shifts her gaze to me, asking the question like it amazes her. She looks beautiful, with the sun’s rays casting bright lines across her face. She looks so small, so delicate and lost in her thoughts.
“I remember your love of the ocean. I also remember that when you need time to yourself this is where you come. I remember everything about you, Livy. I know how much you like the feel of the warm sand between your toes and the sounds of the waves crashing in. I know how it centers and calms you being near the ocean. When I didn’t hear back from you today and didn’t find you at work, I knew you would be here.” I watch her intently as she tucks a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear. There is something she wants to say, I can tell the words are on the tip of her tongue.
“Talk to me, Livy. What’s on your mind?”
“I’m sorry, Parker, I didn’t mean to ignore you, but the last two days with you have been a lot for me to take in. Don’t take that the wrong way, I’ve loved spending time with you again. I’m just scared to let you back into my life only to lose you again. I know I couldn’t take the heartache.”
“Why do you think you will lose me?”
“Parker, we lead two different lives. I don’t know any other way to say it. How can it work? We’d just be playing house for a few short weeks and then you’ll be gone again. My feelings for you are already so strong. I can’t imagine the way I will feel about you in a couple of weeks when you decide you need to go back to your life in New York. It will crush me.”
My heart leaps in my chest. Her admission that she feels strongly for me is all I needed to hear.
“Livy, I’m not leaving you. We will figure this out together. In three days, you have managed to change everything for me and when I think about my future now, you’re all I see.”
“That’s what scares me, Parker. Will I be enough for you when the passion and excitement wear off? How will I fit into your world? You know I have a past, Parker, one that you probably don’t want attached to your family’s last name.”
This is a topic I’ve known we would need to discuss at some point, but I haven’t wanted to ruin the momentum we have going. I have so many questions, but above all I just want to be there for her, and I need her to understand this.
“Is that what this is really about? You think I’m embarrassed by your past? Do you not know me at all? I was right by your side when it all went down, and it never changed a thing for me.” I feel my jaw tense as I struggle to understand where this is all coming from.
“What about your family? Do you really think they want their successful son dating the daughter of a convicted felon? They have a well-respected name; they don’t need my past tarnishing it.”
She looks down, avoiding eye contact with me as she streams the warm sand through her fingers. She has it all wrong. My parents are two of the most understanding and non-judgmental people around. They know about the mess Livy’s dad got himself into. Hell, it was front-page news, everyone in Reed Point at the time knew what had happened. It never changed my parents’ opinion of Livy, though. I don’t know why she would think it would.
“Livy, my parents couldn’t give a shit about any of that. They would never judge you for what your father did. My parents love you; they would want nothing more than to see me with you. Think about it - have they ever given you any reason for you to believe that they have doubts about you?”
I pause to let what I said sink in. She needs to know that the past is in the past and no one from my family is judging her - or ever has.
“Just accept it Liv, I’m here to stay. I’m not just walking away from this. I should have fought harder for us the first time.” I watch her expression soften and I reach for her hand, lacing our fingers together.
“Do you have any idea how crazy I am about you? I haven’t been able to get you off of my mind since the second I saw you at my parents’ house. You are all I can think about. I want you Livy. I want us. You have to trust me. I promise you I won’t hurt you.”
“I believe you, Parker.” Her brown eyes shimmer, her hair golden in the sun. My eyes drift to her lips I’m dying to kiss.
“Livy let’s do this. I promise you I will never hurt you. I…”
“Kiss me, Parker.”
My heart hammers in my chest as I cup her face in my hands and pull her mouth to mine. I seal my lips to hers, angling my chin to take the kiss deeper. She tastes salty like the ocean. She wraps one hand around the back of my neck and runs the other through my hair. My hands find her waist and I lift her body to mine, her legs straddling my waist as she sits on my lap. My dick throbs, pushing against her center.
I fist my hands into her hair and the sexiest sound slips from her mouth. I love the little noises she makes. Her lips part as she takes in a breath and I run my tongue across the length of her bottom lip. Her lips curve up in a smile and I can’t help but smile back into our kiss.
My hands travel down to the small of her back and I dig my hands into her hips, pulling her closer to me. My hands glide over her ass and I kiss her hard. I want to be inside of her, to feel her skin against mine. A low groan rumbles from my throat.
“Don’t stop kissing me,” she pleads, her voice breathy.
She doesn’t have to ask me twice.
