Page 33 of The Cottage on Pelican Bay

Zara brought her car to a stop and drew in a deep breath when Saint parked beside her. Knowing she’d be coming in late, she had left the floodlights on around the cottage and it looked impressive sitting there across the pier.

She’d been so absorbed in how awesome the cottage looked that she nearly jumped when Saint tapped on her car window. He was probably wondering why she was just sitting there staring across the water. She unlocked the car door, and he opened it for her and offered her his hand.

He was forever the gentleman. Maurice had only done such chivalrous things for her when they were seen in public, for show. With Saint, it was the norm.

He took her hand as they walked toward the pier. When he laced his fingers through hers, heat drummed through her. She peeped over at him. He was quiet. The only sound was the clicking of the shoe heels against the cedar planks.

She decided to break the silence and said, “It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

He met her gaze. “Yes, it is, and you look radiant.” He then added, “You look gorgeous all the time.”

Touched by his words, she stopped walking and he stopped as well. “That was a nice thing to say, Saint.”

Facing her, he reached out and softly stroked a finger down the side of her face, then traced the corners of her mouth. “I meant it. Every word.”

“Thanks.”

“No need to thank me, Zara. I’m just keeping it honest.”

Saint’s finger traveled down to her neck. “You have tense muscles here,” he said, gently rubbing the back of her neck. “You okay?”

“I’ll be a lot better once we have that talk. It’s about our kiss, right?”

He released a deep sigh. “Yes, it’s about the kiss.”

She lifted her chin. “I told you that I don’t regret kissing you, Saint. And you said you didn’t regret kissing me back.”

“And I meant it.”

If that was the case, why did they need to talk about it? When he moved his hand from her neck down to her waist, she inched closer to him and gripped the elbows of his powerful arms. The naked desire she saw in his eyes warmed her all the way through.

She slipped her arms around his muscular back. From the way he was staring at her through heavy-lidded eyes, intense desire rocked her body, like always. Granted, she hadn’t meant to kiss him on the dance floor but, like she’d told him, she had no regrets.

Saint leaned down and captured her mouth with his. He definitely knew how to take a kiss from good to off-the-charts scandalous. The way he could maneuver his tongue to consume every part of her mouth, while easing into every nook and cranny like he knew all the intimate details.

She moaned in protest when Saint ended the kiss. To appease her, he ran the tip of his tongue across her lips, from one corner to the other, then whispered in a deep, husky tone, “Come on.”

Taking her hand again, they resumed walking across the pier to the cottage.

16

“Is there a reason why you’re suggesting we need to do something, just because we kissed in public, Saint?”

Saint could tell by Zara’s expression she hadn’t fully grasped the magnitude of what he’d said or what they’d done. Her statement confirmed it. When they’d reached the cottage, she’d suggested coffee and he’d agreed. Now she was sitting on the sofa and he’d eased into the wingback chair across from her.

It was getting late, not quite ten o’clock. When they’d left, the party was still in full swing. Because Jaye and Velvet had reserved all twenty guest rooms at Shelby by the Sea for their guests, Saint had a feeling the party would be going on way past midnight.

Now to address Zara’s question. “Yes, there is a reason. Our open display of affection will cause tongues to wag.”

Zara rolled her eyes. “Like I care. I’m a grown-ass woman and although I’d preferred keeping our affair private, I don’t answer to anyone other than myself, and how I live my life—and with whom—is nobody’s business.”

“Kissing the way we did is a whole new ball game and has nothing to do with anyone getting into our business. Now it’s a question of respect. I refuse to let anyone sully your good name just because of what we did.”

She rolled her eyes again. “We kissed, Saint, not stripped naked and made love in front of everyone. No harm done. And as far as anyone sullying my good name, then let them. I don’t live in the cove, so it doesn’t matter what people think of me.”

“But I do live here, and I care what they think of you, Zara. I also care about what they think of me.”

She held his gaze as if considering his words. “You’re right, Saint. You’re well-liked in the cove and the last thing I want is anyone thinking you’re no longer a nice guy.”

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