“So is pebble skiing.”
He chuckled. “Touché.”
She loved the way the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkled as he grinned at her. She could feel her heart race again, the way it always did when their gazes caught. A breeze ruffled his brown hair, revealing a jagged scar leading from his brow to his temple. Without thinking, she reached up to trace the silvery line.
“How’d you get this?” she asked.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, his gaze fiery as he looked down at her.
“Surfing accident.”
She couldn’t bring herself to pull her hand away from his face. It was too warm, too real, too him. She cupped her palm on his jaw, feeling the roughness of his beard growth on her palm. “It’s hot,” she said, the words spilling out before she could stop them.
He swallowed hard. “Autumn…”
“Yeah?”
“If you keep touching me like that, I’m going to touch you back.”
His words sent a shot of electricity through her. Up here, it felt like they were the only two people in the world, and she liked it. It made her feel brave and strong and like a completely different person.
The sort of person who wanted this strong, tall guy to kiss her.
She lifted her head, her eyes challenging his. “Go ahead. Touch me.”
* * *
His control had been hanging on a shoestring since he’d picked her up from the beach cottage. It wasn’t just those tight shorts that molded perfectly to her ass, nor the thin tank that she’d thankfully covered up with her sweater. It was the way she’d grinned at him, laughed with him, been more carefree than he’d thought she had in her.
Now she was looking up at him, her full, pink lips parted, her warm eyes sparkling beneath the afternoon sun, self confidence-radiating off her. It was sexy as hell.
The atmosphere between them sparked and flashed, sending a jolt of desire through his body. He could feel himself respond to her, need making him ache. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, his voice thick and raw.
With the pad of his thumb, he traced the line of her jaw, then slid it to those full lips. He softly brushed them, and she opened her mouth to suck him in to her warm, wet mouth.
“Jesus,” he rasped.
The last vestige of control left him. Pulling his thumb from between her lips, he tucked it under her chin, angling her head before he leaned toward her to press his lips against hers.
Her breath was hot against his mouth as he pulled her against him, feeling the softness of her body press into his hard abdomen, the need pulsing inside him as he deepened the kiss. Their tongues slid together, and her arms hooked around his neck to steady herself.
But then she stepped away, her eyes wide with horror as she looked up at him. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
Griff blinked, the abrupt end to their kiss taking him by surprise. His skin felt cool at the loss of her body against his. “It’s okay…”
“No, it’s not. I’m an idiot. Blame the heat or something.” She fanned herself as though it wasn’t cool on the hilltop. “It was so inappropriate. You’re my tenant, I’m new in town, and I’m newly divorced.” Autumn attempted a smile. “Believe me when I tell you I’m a walking disaster right now.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look like a disaster.” So she was divorced. He’d store that little gem away to think about later.
“You don’t know the half of it. I’m making bad decisions left, right, and center at the moment.”
Bad decisions? He swallowed down his reaction. “We should be heading back anyway. The sun’s slipping away.”
“Sure.” She nodded. “That makes sense.”
“And I’m sorry to hear about your divorce.”
Her expression softened. “Another bad decision. Or a series of them.”