Page 43 of The Seascape Between Us

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” I asked.

He snorted. “I was up to it two days ago. I’m fine, really. Don’t worry.”

Once he’d gone, I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. I already was mentally listing everything that required my attention. After pushing off the covers, I rolled out of the bed Daniel and I had been sharing since moving in, then made my way to the bathroom to shower.

Standing under the hot spray, I thought of how easily he and I had fallen into a routine. For the last two days, I’d gone into the hotel early, touched base with the staff to make sure things were running smoothly, then returned to the house and updated Daniel, who then proceeded to ask me about a million questions.

In the evenings, we’d make dinner together while talking about everything and nothing, eat in the dining room, then watch a movie before going to bed. Despite the comfortable intimacy we’d settled into, we hadn’t had sex again since that first day. While being close to him, leaning against each other each night on the sofa and waking every morning with his arm across my stomach and head pillowed on my shoulder was an almost unbearable temptation, he never sought more and I worried that if I pushed, it would scare him off.

At the Seascape, after three days of relentless rain, work on the roof had finally resumed—much to my relief. Once sitting behind the desk in Daniel’s office, laptop open, and in spite of everything at the hotel that needed my attention, I dug into the work I had waiting for me from my own company. So buried in what I was doing, I lost track of how much time had passed. Then I heard the door click open, and I looked up as Daniel walked in and closed the door behind him.

“How long have you been here?” he asked, sinking into a chair opposite me. “I went back to the house to shower, and you were gone.”

“I couldn’t fall back asleep after you left. I figured I’d come in and get an early start.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I just didn’t want you to wake up and wonder where I went.”

“It’s fine,” I told him and resisted the urge to tell him he should feel free to wake me up whenever he wanted while we were in bed.

I tried telling myself to grow up and stop thinking like a horny teenager, but it was tough when he looked so damn good. His hair was still damp from the shower, and he had a little more color in his face—probably from the exercise and getting outside for the first time in days. Dressed in a pair of battered jeans and a faded t-shirt, he clearly planned to work in the rooms today, and I did my best to smother the unease that swelled inside me at the thought. He was a grown man. He knew if he could handle physical work or not. Still, my gaze dropped to his bandaged arm. He grinned, guessing what I was thinking.

“I’m fine, and I’ll make sure to keep it clean,” he promised. “Besides, the roofers are back. I’m guessing that means no one’s working on the rooms?”

I nodded. “I sent the construction crew back to Finn’s project. If the weather stays good, they should get the roof done in a few days, and then we can focus on the rooms. While the crew was here, they got a lot done. The first-floor bathrooms are gutted, and they’d started on the second.”

“When do the new fixtures come in?” Daniel asked.

“End of next week.”

His brows lifted, and he sat straighter in his chair. “That’s fast. Do you really believe we’ll be ready to install them by next week?”

“If I’m honest, probably not.” I shrugged. “But I wanted to have them here sooner than later in case there were any issues with delivery, or anything winding up backordered. We’ll have time to come up with a Plan B.”

“Good thinking.”

“We need to decide on linens, though, if we want them here on time. I’ll show you what I’m thinking.”

While I pulled up the selections on the computer, Daniel came around to my side of the desk and leaned closer to get a better look at the screen. He stood so close to me I could feel the heatfrom his body, smell the fresh spice scent from his soap. My cock immediately took notice and perked up.

“These ones?” Daniel’s brows rose, and he shot me a doubtful look. “They’re expensive.”

I cleared my throat and ignored the heat creeping into my face as if Daniel could see inside my head and know what I’d been thinking about. “They are, but the quality is good. They’ll last longer and save money in the long run.”

“You’re probably right,” he agreed. “Let’s get an actual color for the duvet cover, though. Something that’s not beige or white. What about the dark blue?”

He was right. The deep blue would look good against the rich teak, mid-century furniture we’d already ordered.

“I was thinking these for the sheets.” While I showed him the options, I could feel his gaze on me rather than on the screen. I turned my head and met his stare, blue eyes overly bright, his mouth and lips slightly parted and so close to my own. My heart thundered in my chest, and my mouth went dry. For a long moment, neither spoke nor even moved. The air around us crackled with invisible energy, and the fine hairs on my arms, along the back of my neck, rose the way they did before a storm.

Then his mouth found mine, and I was lost. I turned the chair, pulling him closer until my arms were wrapped around his neck, and he was using the chair’s arms to brace himself with both hands. Still, neither of us broke the kiss. Instead, we continued to draw from each other’s lips until we were both breathless.

When he finally tore his mouth from mine, he didn’t back away. He turned his head, so his cheek brushed mine while we both breathed hard.

“You know,” I whispered. “The first day I saw you in here, all I could think about was all the different ways I wanted to fuck you in this room.”

“Like how?” he asked, his voice soft.

“On your knees for me so I could fuck your mouth. Bent over the desk.”

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