Page 6 of Resting Beach Face
A surprised laugh burst from him. “Did you just make a joke? Really?”
“I’m not totally humorless,” I grumbled.
He smiled. “Maybe not. Maybe there’s hope for you yet.” He leaned in. “Youcouldhave made me breakfast in bed, or better yet?—”
I shoved a piece of toast in his mouth before he could say something suggestive.
“I want to talk to you about last night.” At his expression, I quickly added, “Not anything with us. Just your situation.”
He pulled the toast from his mouth. “My situation…”
“Yes. I want you to know you can stay at the B&B anytime.”
“With you?”
“In one of the guest rooms. I’m rarely fully booked. There’s no need for you to…find someone. Understand?”
His smile dropped. “Why?”
“Because you obviously need a place to go.”
“I manage okay. It’s not like Ican’tgo home. I just prefer to avoid it sometimes.”
“And you can avoid it at the B&B. Alone.”
“But…” His brows drew together, and he leaned in over the table. “Dec, are you making this offer just to be nice or because you don’t like to see me with other people?”
“W-what?” I stuttered. “No. That’s not it.”
“Because you seemed like maybe you wanted that kiss last night. Why did you pull away?”
I stiffened, those words triggering a flood of memories. Every time a date would ask,Why don’t you want to kiss more often? Why do you say no so much? Why don’t you want me as much as I want you?
I snapped open the newspaper I’d purchased from the box outside the diner. “Just eat your breakfast. If you need a place to stay, you can have anemptyroom. That’s all I’m offering.”
“Got it.” Cash plastered on a fake smile. “I’m fine, Declan. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll steer clear of the B&B.”
“I wasn’t?—”
“Let’s just eat breakfast,” he cut in. “I apologize for the inconvenience to you, okay? I should have gone home.”
My lips pressed tight. I didn’t want him to apologize. I didn’t view his night in my quarters as an inconvenience—which was a surprise to me, too.
But I couldn’t find the words to express that to him. Not without tipping us right back into his world of sexual innuendo and expectations I could not meet.
Cash and I spoke different languages.
So I nodded and fixed my eyes on the newspaper as if the articles within held all my attention when really my mind was far too full of the man across from me.
CHAPTER ONE
Eight months,3 Weeks, 2 Days without sex…
Cash
Bang-bang!The flimsy bathroom door shook in its frame, jolting me out of a steamy fantasy with a handsome stranger. He was tall, dark, brood—eh, who was I kidding? He was Declan.
Only this Declan didn’t shut down the second my lips touched his. He pulled me closer. He whispered in my ear?—
