Page 48 of Sweet Escape at Bayside
When her breathing finally calmed, he cradled her face between his hands and wiped her tears with his thumbs. “You loved Erin,” he said softly, wanting her to know he understood.
She nodded. “Very much.” She inhaled a shaky breath and blew it out slowly. Embarrassment washed over her, and she said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“Baby, don’t be sorry for being sad over losing someone you love. With me you can always honor your feelings, whether they’re sad, happy, angry…” He went for levity and added, “Playful, seductive…”
She smiled and blinked her eyes dry. “I love you, but if you tell anyone I cried I’ll have to kill you.”
“Gotcha, boss.” He pressed his lips to hers and said, “Your secrets are always safe with me.”
“Her parents are having a memorial for her in the spring, and I wanted to give them something special. I figured it’ll take weeks to fully dry.”
“They’ll love it,” he said, and then he remembered that no one knew she sculpted. “You’re giving them the sculpture? Anonymously?”
She shook her head. “I’m giving it to them from me, as a gift.”
His heart filled to near bursting. “That’s wonderful.”
“I know you brought your own art supplies to work with while you’re here,” she said. “But I was thinking that maybe you could help me and we could finish this together. I’ve never sculpted a face, and you’re so talented…”
“I’d be honored to work with you.” He kissed her again, tasting the remnants of her salty tears, and then he said, “I ship my art supplies everywhere I go. I thought I’d have a month of lonely nights to fill. I never imagined I’d have the chance to fill them with you.”
Chapter Thirteen
SATURDAY MORNING, ANDRE went with Dean and Drake to pick up supplies for something Dean and Drake were doing at the resort, which was just as well. Violet was so nervous to meet Andre’s parents, it would have been worse if he were there. She decided to get ready in her cottage, thinking it might ease her nerves.
But it didn’t help.
She felt like she was in the wrong house. They’d been staying at Andre’s cottage for almost two weeks. She hadn’t made a concerted effort to bring her things to his place, but her own closet was looking sparse. That was how it had happened in Ghana, too. One day she’d woken up in Andre’s tent surrounded by her own belongings. It had been a wonderful feeling then, and it was even better now, despite making her cottage feel strange.
But her stomach was still in knots.
She felt like an imposter in her black skinny jeans, black-and-white long-sleeve sweater, and fringed boots. Emery had said she lookedpolishedand beautiful, but she felt overdressed and fake. The sweater covered the tattoos on her arm and chest and there were no tears in her jeans to expose the ink on her thighs, but still she felt more exposed than she did when she wore miniskirts and tank tops.
She turned away from the mirror, telling herself she would be fine.They’re only clothes, for Pete’s sake.She’d worn a dress for Desiree; she could cover up for Andre. Besides, she’d have a big enough strike against her once his parents found out how she’d left the last time they were together. She didn’t need to add fuel to the fire.
Oh no.Had he told them how she’d left in middle of the night?
She sank down to the edge of her bed, feeling dizzy.
She heard the front door open, and a second later Andre called out, “Babe?”
“In the bedroom.” She stood up, breathing deeply.
He was smiling when he walked in, looking casually sexy in an army-green bomber jacket over a white T-shirt, jeans, and brown boots. The loving look in his eyes took her anxiety down a notch.
“Hey, beautiful.” He leaned in for a kiss, smelling deliciously familiar. “Great sweater.”
She looked down at her clothes. “Do I look okay?”
“You look gorgeous, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you all covered up.”
“I thought it would be better not to let your parents see all my tats the first time they meet me.”
His brow wrinkled. “That’swhy you’re covered up?”
She nodded.
“Off with the sweater, babe.” He started pulling it up, but she pushed it back down.
