Page 29 of Sweet Escape at Bayside
She shot him a death glare.
“There’s no middle of the road, babe. I love you, so you get what you get.”
“Forget it.” She grabbed his shirt from the floor and said, “Am I going to have to gag you?”
In one swift move he swept her beneath him, both of them laughing.
“You blew it with all yournicetalk,” she said with a laugh. “I wanted to rock your world.”
“You rock my world by justbeing. No more hiding. I like mymushyViolet as much as I like my fierce Violet. Now, sweetheart”—he kissed her deeply—“I’m going to make love to you good and hard, and I’m going to say sweet stuff until you surrender to your inner softness. Got it?”
VIOLET TRIED TO suppress her smile, but it broke free as she said, “I will never surrender.”
His eyes darkened and he said, “You’re so sweet, my love. I missed you.”
His tender words made everything feel more intense, more loving, unfurling the knots of aggression that had been her constant companion, herarmor, for as long as she could remember.
Except when she was with Andre.
She struggled to hold on to the edginess she’d hidden behind for so long, but his love was too powerful, her desire for him inescapable. As she loved him, his emotions poured out heatedly like a beautiful cascading river, “I love the way you feel, the way you move,” and her need for control fell away. She surrendered to their love, fisting her hands in the sheets. When their bodies became one, she wrapped her arms around him and said, “Stay right there. I missed you so much. I just want to feel you, feelus, for a minute, like this.”
He brushed his lips over hers and said, “You’re never going to be able to escape the feel of us again.”
A LONG WHILE later Violet lay in Andre’s strong arms, listening to the peacefulness of his breathing. Even after all their time apart, his sounds were comfortingly familiar. She moved carefully out from his arms and sat on the edge of the bed, taking stock of her emotions. She eyed their clothing strewn across the floor, his shirt bunched up at the head of the bed where she’d dropped it after threatening to gag him. She smiled, looking at the patient, determined man who was unwilling to let her hide behind her aggression. He really was beautiful, inside and out. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and then she climbed off the bed and padded softly to the bathroom.
When she returned, he was still fast asleep.
She glanced at the bedroom door, and her pulse quickened.How did I ever leave you?She slipped into bed beside him and pulled the covers up over them. He made a sleepy sound as his arm circled her waist, pulling her tight against him.
“You didn’t leave,” he said sleepily, lacing his fingers with hers.
She snuggled deeper into the curve of his body and said, “Why would I leave when I finally realized this is the one place I belong most?”
Chapter Eight
VIOLET LOOKED UP from the fruit she was cutting in the kitchen of the inn and watched Andre flip a pancake. He looked delicious in a pair of jeans and a forest-green shirt. She still couldn’t believe this was really happening—hewas real, andthere, and he didn’t hate her. That was good, because she probably carried enough self-loathing for both of them. She must have been out of her mind to leave him behind.
He glanced over as he placed a heap of bacon on a stack of paper towels and winked, unleashing a flutter of butterflies in her stomach. She hadn’t stopped smiling since she’d woken up at dawn to his tender kisses and his cavity-evokingly sweet whispers.Gosh, how I love them.They’d lain in bed kissing and talking for more than an hour before deciding to surprise Desiree and Rick with breakfast before they left for their honeymoon.
She set the plate of fruit aside, thinking about the boxes of art supplies in Andre’s cottage, and said, “After breakfast I’ll show you my studio upstairs. Maybe you can put your stuff up there and we can share the space.” She heard Desiree and Rick talking and grabbed two mugs from a cabinet.
“Good morning,” Violet said as they came into the kitchen holding hands. They looked happier than she’d ever seen them, which said a lot, because they were two of the happiest people she knew.
“Whoa.” Desiree’s gaze drifted over the platters of pancakes, fruit, bacon, and eggs. “Am I in the right house?”
Rick grinned and lowered his voice as he said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Violet cook,” as if his comment were meant for Desiree’s ears only.
“I’m not cooking.” Violet nodded at Andre and said, “That’s what he’s for.”
“Violet wanted to surprise you before you left for your honeymoon,” Andre explained.
Violet looked away, but not before noticing the sentimental look in her sister’s eyes.
“You wanted to surprise us?” Desiree walked into Violet’s line of sight, studying her face. “You’resmiling, too. Oh, Violet!” She threw her arms around her and said, “Your happiness is the best wedding present ever!”
Violet wriggled out of her arms, and Rick chuckled. Violet glared at him. “You’re egging her on. You know that, don’t you?”
“She loves you, Vi. It’s a beautiful thing. Besides, we’re leaving right after breakfast, so I have to get my pestering in now.” Rick snagged a piece of bacon and leaned against the counter beside Andre. “Buddy, this is awesome. Thank you. And thankyou, Violet, for being so thoughtful.”
