He kept his hands in his pockets, narrowing his eyes as if he were trying to discern something from her expression.
Jenn raised her chin. “You’d better take off your shoes. It won’t be very romantic if you’re constantly running away from the waves.”
“Yeah…I’m not interested in a pity walk. But thanks.”
“Elliott.” She laughed, part of her anxiety falling away in the face of his discomfort. Before she could think better of it, Jenn reached out and took his hand. Nervous power zinged through her arm as she tucked her small hand into his large one. She felt his physical hesitation, but she also felt the moment when his fingers curved around hers and cradled her hand in his.
“I want to walk with you,” she said again, and when Elliott smiled, her chest exploded in butterfl
y wings.
They stopped talking, finally, and just walked. Long minutes later, Elliott finally stopped to slip off his shoes, and when he stood again, he turned toward her as if he had something to say. “I’m divorced.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t been expecting that. “You were married?”
“I was. For a little over a year. But I wasn’t a good husband.”
The words felt like a knife. “You cheated?”
“No!” He sounded shocked that she’d even suggest it, and her hurt receded to a fading shadow. “God, no. But I work too much. I spend too much time at the office. And even at home, I think about work a lot.”
“But you come home every night, right?”
“That’s not enough.”
No cheating. No traveling for weeks at a time. He hardly sounded like an awful husband, but she obviously had low standards. “Well, I’m sorry you went through that. It must’ve been hard.”
“I just thought I should tell you.” His words were somber, as if he were offering something important.
They resumed the walk, though Elliott was quiet this time. The loss of his voice made her feel lonely again, so she reached out to take his hand.
This time, when he stopped, Elliott didn’t say a word. Instead, he kissed her.
Jenn inhaled, drawing in the taste of his kiss. His mouth was the barest pressure, only a hint of heat, giving her time to adjust. Five heartbeats passed, then six. Though he’d rested a hand on her upper arm, he didn’t pull her closer or tighten his grip, not until she pushed up on her toes and kissed him back.
Her heart beat so hard that it drowned out even the cries of the gulls around them. Elliott had only been waiting for a sign, it seemed, because any sense of innocence in his touch stopped in that moment. His lips brushed hers, parting just enough that she knew he wanted to taste her. When she opened for him, his hand crept up to cradle the nape of her neck. He held her and tasted her, his tongue rubbing slowly over hers as the wind caressed her skin.
Elliott’s body was just as solid as she could’ve imagined. He was a rock, steady and strong, holding all her weight as she sighed and tried to take him deeper. He kissed just as she’d expected, too. Serious and focused, with a sensitivity that matched the sadness in his eyes.
By the time he drew away, she could barely catch her breath.
He brushed his thumb over her cheek, sliding a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m not the kind of guy you normally date.”
She shook her head.
“But this is still a date.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
He slid his fingers between hers and they walked, and for a moment, Jenn thought that maybe everything would be all right.
CHLOE WATCHED MAX’S ASS as he walked toward the bar. His shorts were baggy and too worn to reveal much, but now that she knew what his butt looked like naked, she only needed the highlights to picture it perfectly. It was taut and muscular and so pale compared to the rest of his skin that the sight of it had made her laugh. Max hadn’t even minded; he’d just flashed a smile over his shoulder as if he knew exactly what she found funny about his backside.
God, he was adorable.
Sighing, Chloe watched him lean against the bar with a sort of confidence most people never found. The kind of self-assurance that drew your eye. No wonder he found it so easy to control people. In that moment, she felt she’d do anything for his approval.
As she watched, Max spotted a glass too close to the edge of the bar and edged it toward the middle, his relaxed expression not budging an inch.