Page 43 of Hot Ghoul Summer

My heart bounces like a diver on a springboard. “Love?”

Toby flops backward, empty glass now on his chest. “I can’t help it.”

Slowly, I sip my drink, watching the moonlight on the water and the moonlight on the being beside me. He reaches for one of my hands and holds it, simply content to have me near him, not pulling away.

When my glass is empty, I lay down, too, smiling at him. “I can’t help it, either.”

Toby nods, frowns, and then sits back up. “Can’t help what?”

“Falling a little bit in love with the guy who saved my life and takes me on epic first dates. Not everyone can build a paradise in the backyard.”

“A little bit in love? You? Me?”

I could say no.

But then I’d be lying.

I don’t want to lie to him.

“A little bit in love. You. Me,” I confirm.

With a laugh that turns from pure delight to absolute deep, dark chocolate sin, Toby claims my mouth in a kiss and tackles me on the warm sand.

SHE LOVES ME. A LITTLE. I don’t know if it’ll grow to a lot or stay just a smidge, but I don’t care. Tomorrow is not promised.

Tonight, Molly is kissing me back, her tongue working in my mouth as her hands push at my jeans. In a muddle of thoughts, I switch our outfits, with a little assist from the house. I’m in a loose black tunic with nothing underneath, and Moll is in a pink bikini that would sizzle any man’s sausage.

“Oh, my God. You’re so exquisite,” I moan, hands seeing for me.

Long legs with curves at the hips. A soft mound that rubs pointedly against my hardness as if guiding me home. Arms that are so soft, but strong as they lock around my neck.

I try not to ruin our first date by turning it into a sexual marathon, but Molly has other ideas. When I try to be a gentleman and extricate myself from her embrace, she holds me tight, pulling the cups of her bikini top to the sides to let her breasts fall free.

“You don’t play fair,” I moan, greedily diving to capture one perfect handful of heaven in my mouth.

“Neither do you.”

She has a point.

“You’re going to make me forget my manners,” I whisper between sucks on her nipple.

Molly’s hips thrust impatiently against my hand. “I’m okay with that.”

I’m not sure she would be. Hell, I’m not sure I would be either. I’ve never had this chance at love. I didn’t know it could fuel such unbridled lust.

I don’t want Molly to reject my advances, so I try to go slow.

She doesn’t want me to. I feel one of her hands pulling my tunic up my back, her fingers digging into my bottom as she pulls me closer.

“No one can see us or get in, right?” she whispers.

“Nope.”

“Beach sex has always been a fantasy, especially with adequate coverage so sand doesn’t go where it’s not supposed to,” she pants in my ear.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

“Something wrong?”

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