Page 57 of Must Love Bees
“Oh, good.” A slight shudder ran down Astrid’s back. “I’ll bring Scorpio as soon as it stops.”
“There’s something else.” Halley’s voice dipped. “It’s about Charlie.” She paused. “But, if he... Maybe I should talk to him?”
“I can get him,” Astrid offered, peering up at him.
Charlie swallowed down a groan. Halley, however, didn’t bother hiding hers. He wasn’t sure whether he should be offended or amused.
“Or I can relay a message?” Astrid was grinning from ear to ear.
“Yeah, okay. It’s just...” Halley took a deep breath. “Tell him not to be weird. That’s all. Tell him the message is from meandNova.”
“I’ll tell him.” Astrid nodded, still grinning.
“Okay.” Halley sighed. “Here’s Aunt Camellia again.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing. We’re having a grand time here.” Camellia sounded sincere. “Be safe. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” Astrid ended the call and tucked her phone back into the soaking pocket of her dress. Her arms slipped back around his waist as if it was perfectly normal.
He drew in an unsteady breath. Normal, it wasn’t. But it was pleasant. Very pleasant.
“I’m sure you heard but Nova and Halley asked me to tell you not to be weird.” Her chin rested in the middle of his chest.
“Too late,” he murmured, pushing a long strand of wet hair from her shoulder.
“Oh?” Astrid waited.
“This.” He could stare into her eyes for hours. “This is weird.”
“Is it?” She smiled. “I think it’s lovely.”
There was an ache inside of him. Something else new. It wasn’t hollow, though. It was alive and fluid and entirely based upon the woman shivering in his arms.
“You’re cold.” He gripped her shoulders and eased her away from him. It wasn’t pleasant. He didn’t like the space between them. The air was colder.
“Only a little.” She was wide-eyed and flushed as she said, “You were warming me up.”
Breathing was once more a challenge. “Dry clothes.” But that meant completely letting her go, which he didn’t want to do.
“I’m not that cold.” She stared up at him. “I’d rather stay as we are for a bit longer?”
No. She was cold and wet. Instead, he said, “I... Yes.” Enough talking. He’d make a mess of it if he kept trying. Instead, he drew her against him. He wanted to savor every second with her. Her breath hitched as he ran his nose along her neck and he was burning for her.
She shivered, her hands gripping the soaked fabric of his shirt.
He gave in. When his lips met hers, he didn’t give a damn about the cold or the wet. Thunder rolled and shook the house. Lightning continued to crack and shoot long, spindly fingers across the purple velvet sky. Massive raindrops pelted the world around them. But Charlie held Astrid close and nothing else mattered.
CHAPTER TEN
KISSINGCHARLIEWASN’Tanything like she’d imagined. She’d pictured a sort of halting, uncertain—perhaps a bit awkward—kiss.
She was wrong.
His kiss was strong. Fierce. Almost desperate. He was delightfully relentless in his exploration of every dip and curve of her lips. Dizzyingly so. First, whisper-light brushes at the corners of her mouth, followed by a slow, lingering kiss that had her gripping his sodden shirtfront, then sucking her lower lip inside his mouth. His broken groan had a toe-curling, bone-melting effect.
Her heart would likely erupt from her chest at any second and she didn’t care. Breathing no longer seemed important—unless, of course, she was breathing in Charlie. Drawing in great, gulping lungfuls of his minty eucalyptus aftershave was more delicious than...well, anything.
One large hand rested at the base of her skull, his fingers twining in her wet hair as he continued his exploration. He was quite thorough. His hands moved with purpose, cradling her head, then cupping her cheek. His fingers left a fiery trail along her neck. The stroke of his thumb along the seam of her lips left her gasping.
