He eyes the stack of books on my side table. “Stephen King.”
“In the darkness, I lay awake thinking about stuff. Stuff I can’t change or have no power over, but I can’t help but worry.”
He kisses my forehead. “I do the same and tell myself so be it.”
I have no idea what he’s worried about unless it’s football and being selected in the team each week.
“We all carry a burden.”
“You know mine is my dad and—” I stop before bringing up my mother again. “What’s yours?”
A large hand squeezes my shoulder. “Something you won’t have to worry about,” he rasps as though he finds it hard to say. His hand finds my breast, and he toys with it as though it gives him comfort.
I lean up and kiss and roll onto him, so our bodies align as one. His hands are all over me, under my clothes tugging at my bra. His mouth is hot. His kiss ignites every sexual part of my body.
Breathless, I manage, “I’ve never had a guy in my room.”
Another first.
Reef pulls away, holds my gaze. “Never?”
I shake my head. “I’ve never invited a guy to my home.”
Taking my face with both hands, he kisses me with a new passion, gentler than before. “Let’s keep it that way for now.”
I adjust my clothes when he springs off the bed.
“I want to take you out for dinner.”
“Are you asking me on a date?”
“I am.” He holds out a hand. “Just you and me, somewhere quiet.”
I laugh. “In case you haven’t noticed, restaurants are not quiet.”
“Did I say a restaurant?” He grins, a half-smile making my heart thump harder. “We’ll head to the beach, grab something simple to take with us. And a blanket for the sand.”
“So, I don’t need to change?”
“No. You’re perfect like you are.”
I lean into his chest, and he wraps his arms around me. I feel safe with my cheek pressed against a wall of muscle.
Dinner on the sand.
I can handle that too.
A slice of beach not far from Reef’s house is protected with boulders. It’s shaped in an arc, so when the ocean rolls in, it doesn’t quite reach the rocks. Walkers take the track above on the esplanade path to get to either side since the tide blocks access, fencing in the tiny beach.
It’s private and perfect for our dinner.
The sun is low on the horizon before it falls into the crystal blue water. Seagulls squawk nearby waiting for a fry or scallop to be thrown their way. At this time of night, the water is only metres from our feet.
A soothing, gentle breeze caresses my face and rustles my hair. There’s nothing quite like the aroma of salt-infused air mixed with the spicy scent of a gorgeous man—one who has his head in my lap.
“I could stay the night here,” he says. “Like this. With you.”
I brush my fingers along his jawline. “Another time.” I inhale a deep therapeutic amount of air. “I have to go. I want to see my dad and catch up on his new girlfriend.”
He rolls onto his stomach and takes my hands in his. “Want to tell me about it?”
I do want to talk to him in a way as though we trust each other. And I give him a brief rundown on his accident, how close my father and I are, and how, until a few weeks ago, he’d never invited another woman to our house. Then I mention my mother, and I can’t stop.
“When Dad was in the hospital after his amputation, you’d think his wife would be by his side and worried sick. Not my mother. It was a chance for her to continue her affairs. I’m not talking about one. She had multiple. A different man every night if she could. I hated hearing the moans coming from her bedroom, hated seeing shadows of men pass my bedroom window because they never used the front door. Their bedroom had an external sliding door. They’d walk the side of the house past my bedroom to access it. Mum used to say the door was a perfect entry to the garden to sit and enjoy morning coffee.” I roll my eyes. “Liar.”
Reef squeezes my knee. “It makes me nauseous for you. Were you scared?”
“I became used to it until Dad was in the hospital.” I shake my head. “It was when I needed her the most. When I couldn’t sleep with worry and scared for Dad, I heard more of what took place in the bedroom.”
Reef rubs my thigh, and I inhale a deep breath. “I wanted to sleep at the hospital. I was there ‘til late, anyway. Mum said she didn’t have the time to visit with running a household. And yet, I laundered my school clothes and made my own meals except for dinner because I usually shared some of Dad’s meal at the hospital. It was our time together, bonding and reassurance knowing Dad was coping. I enjoyed hanging out with him, and it was somewhere I could concentrate to complete my homework while he watched television with earphones. It was a much more relaxing environment than being at home.”
“Jesus, she’s a class act,” he murmurs, disdain lacing his voice. He pushes up onto his knees and takes me in his arms. I melt into the hug. He kisses the top of my head. “You know, I’m here for you, Mace. We’re also friends, so you don’t have to run off with Chance if you’re spooked and need to talk.” He takes my hand and helps me to my feet.
“Thanks. But you’re the one who sometimes spooks me.” I give him a half-smile. “I have my girlfriend, Georgia, but our friendship is more about the good times. We’re close, but not super close, and we don’t tell each other everything. Honestly, I’ve never opened up, kept a lot of stuff to myself. You’re the first person I’ve really blurted it all to. I’m sorry to lay it on you like that.”
He glances down to the rug on the sand before meeting my gaze once more. “Don’t be. I like you trusted me enough to tell me. You might’ve noticed I’m not a man of many words. Tend to keep to myself. Being friends with Chance, well, it was easy because he has a way of saying things, and it comes out right—even through school, and especially with the ladies. I love him, but I can’t help being protective when it comes to you.”
“Me? You know he’s seeing someone, right? A model.”
“Yeah. I know that, but there’s something about you, and when you went away with him…” He scrubs a hand through his hair. “I’m not usually the jealous type.” He reaches out and touches my cheek. “I wasn’t happy with him. As I said, I’m possessed.”
And so am I.
Chapter Sixteen
MACY
“Have you decided what you’re doing for Christmas?” Reef asks while sitting with me at a table during my break.
“We’re not doing presents, right?” I blurt out after swallowing a mouthful of gnocchi—Dominic’s special dish of the day.
“I may have bought you something small.” He grins as though he’s thinking about it. “And I wasn’t referring to gifts. What are you and your dad doing on Christmas Day? Do you have a tradition? A special dish?”
“Lucky I bought you something small also.” I jab my fork in his direction. I bought it in Broken Hill and decided to keep hold of it until the right time to surprise him. “So, nothing else, okay?”