Page 47 of Lakesides and Longing

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Is that how it’s going to be?”

“What do you mean? I do like them all.”

“Fine. Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Because you said you wanted to be surprised.”

“Fine.” She said with a grin and closed her eyes.

She could hear rustling in the basket, and then Blake shifted next to her.

“Open up,” he said. She wasn’t expecting this, but parted her lips a little. He pressed a raspberry into her mouth, his finger lingering on her lip. She chewed and swallowed the sweet fruit and waited. This time it was a blueberry, but instead of simply letting his finger linger, he traced her bottom lip and then her top.

She wanted to open her eyes and watch him, but that would ruin the moment. So, she kept her eyes closed and waited. The anticipation was excruciating.

“This one is my favorite,” he whispered in her ear.

She waited and then felt lips press against hers. The kiss was soft and deliberate, creating a mess of desire in her body, but it was over way too fast. She blinked her eyes open and found him staring deep into her eyes.

“Did I tell you that you could open your eyes?”

“What do I get if I close them again?”

“More of my favorite,” he whispered.

She quickly closed her eyes, and he chuckled. “You like that one too, huh?” he mumbled against her lips.

“Very much.”

He kissed her again, just as lightly as before, but this time he didn’t pull away. She wanted to fling her arms around him and pull him close and maybe rip his shirt off, but she let him lead.

His lips moved gently against hers, and she responded in kind. He parted his lips and slowly licked the edge of hers. Every movement was slow and deliberate. She’d never been kissed like this before in her life.

He brought a hand to her face and stroked her cheek, still placing light kisses on her lips with the occasional flick of the tongue. Desire burned in her stomach.

She leaned up and pressed harder into the kiss, and he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. She squeaked, and he chuckled.

She opened her eyes, and they just stared at each other for a few moments. She relished this moment with him and was so grateful he’d waited until now to kiss her because this night would be unforgettable.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what? Kissing you?”

“Yes, but also for making it memorable.”

He pecked her nose. “You’re welcome.”

He lay back on the blanket, but she didn’t climb off of him. She hovered over him, her hands on his chest. He placed his hands on her hips and moved her forward a few inches.

She leaned over him and watched his eyes for a moment. They were stormy with desire. She crushed her lips against his, much more aggressively than he had with her, but he didn’t disappoint. He gripped the back of her head, and their lips and tongues moved furiously against each other.

He moved his hands down her back and held her tight against him. This was a night she’d never forget.

CHAPTER34

Blake tugged the blanket over Paige’s shoulders. She lay across his chest, fast asleep. He hadn’t meant for them to spend the night on the beach, yet here they were.

---