“I couldn’t go to work knowing I left you in an orgasm coma last night.” He stepped closer, blocking the cool air as he pressed his warm lips to hers. “I have the perfect remedy. Breakfast on the beach as we watch the sunrise. I’ve got everything we need in the car.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I might need to have an orgasm coma every night.”
“That can be arranged.”
Her nipples pebbled at the thought. “Come in. I just need to get dressed.”
She brushed her teeth and hair as quickly as she could, shimmied into her jeans, and slipped on a pair of sandals. She found Gavin leafing through the book she was reading for the book club.
“Seems pretty dirty,” he said flirtatiously.
“Incredibly. I love it, and I have to finish reading it by tomorrow night for the meeting. Hey, would you mind if I read on your dock? It’s quieter than going to the beach or the pier.” Her heart raced as she searched for her keys.
“Not at all. My dock is your dock. What are you looking for?”
“My keys. I thought I left them on my desk.”
He swept his arm around her waist, drawing her into his arms. “I already grabbed your keys, sweetheart. What else do you need?”
“Just a proper ‘good morning.’” She went up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. He deepened the kiss, sending rivers of heat washing through her. She sighed as their lips parted. “Best morning ever.”
They drove to Newcomb Hollow Beach and left their shoes in the car. Harper’s feet sank into the cold sand as they carried blankets and breakfast down the long path from the dunes to the beach. They laid out a blanket and settled in to watch the sunrise with to-go cups of coffee Gavin had bought on his way over. He opened the bag from Dunkin’ Donuts and handed her a banana-chocolate muffin.
“I hope they’re still your favorite,” he said as he unwrapped his muffin.
“You really do remember everything.”
He pressed his lips to hers and said, “Every kiss, every touch, every ‘Oh, Gavin, yes!’”
She buried her face in his chest, laughing. When she lifted her face, he kissed her again and said, “Best memory ever.”
They ate their muffins, listening to the ebb and flow of the tide. There was nothing quite as beautiful as the dawn of a new day on Cape Cod. The brisk morning air kissed her cheeks, but Harper was warm tucked against Gavin’s side as rolling waves crashed into the shore.
“Hear that?” Gavin said, holding her tighter against him as they sipped their coffee. “The waves remind me of you, calmly building momentum, waiting for the right moment before you give it your all.”
“Does that mean I’m a tease?”
He kissed her temple, a small smile on his lips. “No, sweetheart. The ocean doesn’t tease. It’s one of Mother Nature’s powerful gifts. Stronger than almost anything can resist and gentle enough to radiate beauty and give a sense of calm. It deserves respect and admiration.”
“That’s a really nice thing to say.”
“It’s true. If you think about how you were on that plane ride home, feeling like your world was out of control.”
“I think the guy who sat next to me would attest to the fact that I was more like a wicked hurricane.”
“You weren’t the hurricane, Harp. You were the thrashing waves caused by the violent winds of the hurricane. Once the storm cleared and you could see past the dark clouds, you settled back into the sweet, focused woman you’ve always been.”
The sun crept over the horizon like fire easing into the sky. Harper felt like she was experiencing it for the first time, and she knew it was because she was sharing it with Gavin.
“If I’m the sea, what are you?”
He picked up a piece of his muffin and offered it to her as he said, “You tell me.”
She opened her mouth, and after he put the treat on her tongue, she kissed his fingertips, thinking about his analogy. “I think you’re the wind.”
“The cause of the storm? I’m not sure that’s good.”
“It is, because the wind calms and enlivens the sea. It pushes it in different directions, reaching outside its normal comfort zones, urging it to take over new ground and then easing. Leaving it to find its own way.”
“And that is why you’re the writer. How’s your writing coming along?”
“Incredibly well. I’m excited with the new direction. Looking at my experiences from a different perspective has changed the way I write. I feel reborn in a way. I didn’t expect it, but I think it’s funnier. You were right to suggest that I take the hopes of Hollywood off the table and just focus on writing something good. Thank you for that.”
“Sometimes it takes a fresh outlook to change a stifling situation.”
As they finished eating, her thoughts returned to last night and all that Gavin had told her about his experience with Corinne. She dug her toes in the sand by the edge of the blanket and said, “You mentioned that what you went through with Corinne had stolen your dreams for a long time but that you got them back. What dreams are you working on now?”
His eyes warmed, moving slowly from her eyes to her mouth. His hand brushed along her cheek to the base of her neck, drawing her closer. His lips grazed hers ever so lightly as he said, “Do you want to hear my dreams or my fantasies?”
The hard press of his lips brought her arms around his neck, and as she leaned into him, he lowered her to the blanket, deepening the kiss. The sounds of the ocean coalesced with the lust rushing through her veins, and she pushed her hands into his hair, holding his mouth to hers. He made her want and need. He made her crave things she’d only ever wanted with him. His hand moved down her side and he gripped her hip, holding tight. His efforts went from rough and demanding to soft and alluring, like the tide, making her head swim and her heart soar.
When he drew back, kissing the edges of her lips, her cheeks, and then her lips again, she said, “I want to hear your dreams.”
He gazed down at her and said, “Finding my forever.”
Her heart fluttered, and she gathered the courage to say, “And your fantasies?”
His eyes heated even more, turning her flutters into a frenzy. He covered her mouth with his in the same dizzying rhythm as before. She rose when he eased his efforts, trying to take more of him, landing hard beneath the press of his chest when he gave her what she wanted. She felt weightless, the world felt timeless, and when their lips parted, he left her breathless.
“You’re my fantasy, sweetheart,” he said in a voice laden with emotions. “You have been since the day I met you.”
Chapter Ten
HARPER WAS NO longer tiptoeing into his heart. She’d invaded it. The night of the band concert had opened some sort of sexual and emotional vortex. When Harper had given more of herself to him yesterday morning at the beach, he’d been right there with her, falling harder, wanting to be a bigger part of her world. They’d become ravenous for each other, but he’d handed Harper the reins, letting her set their sexual pace as best he could. It was killing him to hold back, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Even as he watched his buddies shoot pool at Common Grounds, his mind kept drifting back to Harper. She’d texted earlier and said her boss was so impressed with the article she’d written he’d assigned her three more. She was on fire, professionally and emotionally.