“Don’t like red?” Roger asked.
“Sorry, don’t like wine.”
Roger reached out for her glass and put them both off in the sand away from them. “Me either.”
“We still have the stars.” Gia smiled.
“That we do.” He lay down on the blanket and Gia did the same. He put an arm out so she could rest her head on it.
“If you’re not from around here, how is it you know about this place?”
“I’ve traveled to Boston with Caydan so much over the past year, and I’ve had a lot of time to explore.”
“You mean to escape from the city?” she asked.
“Exactly. Although I was invited, he needed time with his family.”
“I’m confused. You seem to get along with them. Why didn’t you want to go?”
If she was going to work for them, she’d learn this soon enough. “Caydan didn’t grow up with his siblings. Actually he never knew he was related to them until last year.”
“Then giving him some space was really kind of you. Too bad I didn’t know you then. Maybe we could’ve—”
“The timing wouldn’t have been good.”
“Oh,” she said softly.
“What I mean is, I was traveling a lot. Here for a few days, then back overseas.”
“But with enough time to come all the way out here and find this place,” she said.
“You’re right.” An awkward silence grew between them, and he knew it was his fault. “I guess I like my alone time.”
“So why did you invite me?” Gia asked as they continued looking at the stars.
That was something he’d been trying to figure out himself. He could tell her she looked like she needed it. Or that it was a thank you for a job well done. This had nothing to do with helping her either. “I enjoy your company.” It was the truth and all he would allow himself to admit.
He could feel her relax against him. “Good, because I hope you’ll give me a ride back.”
Roger laughed. “Do you really want to go back? This place has an amazing sunrise.” He was joking however he could picture holding her all night under the stars. But he wouldn’t want to stop with snuggling.
“Tempting, but I have things I need to do tomorrow, and your project is one of them.”
The Hendersons might not intentionally be fucking up things for him, but damn it, he wished he’d never agreed to do this. Just then a star shot across the sky. He didn’t believe in wishing or hoping. Action was the only thing one could count on.
He rolled over and saw Gia’s eyes were closed. “Sleeping?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Making a wish.”
Figures.As he looked down at her, the urge to taste those sweet lips became too great. Leaning over, he brushed her lips with his. Her eyes fluttered open and she sucked in her breath. He pulled away slightly. “What were you wishing for?”
She smiled. “Not that, but maybe I should’ve been.” Gia slipped her arm up around his neck, and he claimed her lips again.
He wasn’t rushing this; Roger had been waiting to do this since the moment he pulled his car up. With the tip of his tongue he coaxed her to open to him. When she did, he sucked in her sweetness. Although he didn’t like wine, it blended nicely with her. His hand ran up her leg and rested on her hip.
A bright light homed in on them and a deep voice boomed nearby. “Hey, you kids need to move it along,” then added in a firm tone, “Wait, is that an open container of liquor?”
Roger saw the panic in Gia’s eyes. Yeah. So that bad girl type. This only proved she was far more innocent than she let on. Roger rolled off her, sat up, and addressed the officer. “Yes, it is.”