Page 79 of The Wish List
“I could surprise you,” he said with a wink. “Maybe I’m a surfer dude at heart. Hang ten. Shred the gnar.”
“You can’t say those things in real life unless you own a surfboard.”
“I just did.”
“You’re a goofball.”
A laugh escaped his mouth. “That’s a novel description of me. Let’s roll up our pants and go for a walk on the sand.”
“The beach works, but I’m not putting my feet in the Atlantic Ocean right now. Do you know how cold the water gets?”
“I’ll keep you warm,” he promised. Once again, Beth believed him.
“The bar looks great,” she said as he drove east toward the beach. “The changes you’ve made have improved things more than I would have thought. I’m no expert on bar decor, but I imagine Bill will have no problem finding a buyer.”
Declan nodded. “He might already have one.”
“Impressive, Mr. Murphy.”
“I still have a few more things on the punch list, but I’m happy to have helped Bill. I like Magnolia more than I expected. I like it a lot, actually.”
“That’s nice. It’s a nice town.”
Declan must have heard the catch in her voice because he fell silent until they pulled to a stop in the empty parking lot near the boardwalk that led to the shore. He turned off the ignition and shifted to face her.
“Do you want to talk about your mom?”
Beth bit down on the inside of her cheek. “She needs me.”
“What about what you need?”
“What I need is not to think right now. Can you help me with that?”
He brushed his mouth over hers. Was it possible to become addicted to the taste of a man’s kiss?
His tongue danced with hers, and desire swirled through Beth, drowning out everything except this moment with Declan.
“I’m not having sex at the beach when it’s cold outside,” she told him with a hoarse laugh.
She felt his grin. “I wasn’t thinking of having sex.”
“Really?” She pulled away to gape at him. “Because that’s about all I can think about when we’re together.”
“Are you using me for my body?”
She nodded solemnly. “Certain parts of it anyway.”
“I’m yours for as long as you need me.”
It was difficult to hide her shock and pleasure, but she didn’t want him to know how much his words affected her.
“Shall we brave the elements and go for a walk?” She mock shivered. “I must really like you because this is insanity.”
“Have you ever been to Chicago?” he asked.
“Um...no.”
“I’m going to take you sometime in the winter so you can truly appreciate what cold and windy feel like.” He glanced out the front window. “The Magnolia beach in December is a balmy spring day in comparison.”
