Page 36 of Release (Symbols of Love 3)

"Good Lord," he reaches for another piece, grabs three of them and shoves them in his mouth. "This is amazing."

I laugh and pop a piece into my mouth and groan when the combination of heat, spice, salt and sweet explode on my tongue.

"Can we get more?" he grabs another handful, and shovels it into his mouth

I slap his hand away, "Hey, you're eating all of them. We'll have to wait until tomorrow for more, unless you want to walk into the village to where they've set up for the night," I say through a mouth full of food.

"No, I'm actually really full. I finished eating right before we came out here, but definitely want to come back for more tomorrow." He licks his fingers and rubs his flat stomach, a look of complete satisfaction on his face. I hand him a napkin and he wipes his hands before staring at the sky with a wide smile on his face.

"So, mind blown?" I ask and pop the last piece of it into my mouth.

"Let's not get crazy. It was great. Best thing I've eaten since I've been here, but it takes a lot more than good food to blow my mind."

"God, you're hard to please."

"Not, really." He says, still gazing upwards.

"Well, at least you're not calling it a waste of time." I sigh and stand up. I ball the now empty piece of newspaper up into my hand and look around for a trashcan.

"How could it be? I was with you." His voice is soft, seductive and tender in a way that reaches inside me and caresses the long-neglected, unloved part of my soul with a feather light touch.

I look down at him, his eyes have moved from the sky and now he gazes at the ocean. The sounds it makes are almost sinister. It teems and hisses, lashes the beach with salty kisses and then releases it with a roar. It sends me hurtling backward in time, and I swear I hear it issue a command that the wind carries to me.

“Wake up, Lilly.”

“I used to love to dance.” I say out loud, facing the ocean but talking to the man who is causing my heart riot of in my chest.

“Used to?” he asks, his curiosity quiet, but I know he wants an answer.

“I still do,” I tell him and myself. I smile and crane my neck towards the sounds of music blaring from the resort. My body, finally freed from my mind’s captivity, sways to the hypnotic and vibrant drum beats that are led by jazzy horns and extravagant guitars.

“God, I love this music.” I throw my head back, letting it loll as my body remembers the nights I danced purely for the love of moving to music. And for the first time in years, I get lost in a song. When the music fades and the song ends, I open my eyes and spin around, laughing.

Harry is resting backwards on his elbows. Watching me.

The light of the sun’s final salute reveals a broad, satisfied smile stretching across his beautiful face.

My laughter dies in my suddenly very dry throat. I look down at my feet with an embarrassed smile. “You make me forget myself.”

“It looked to me like maybe you were starting to remember.” He drawls softly.

And how right he is…I am starting to remember the good in my life, the things I’d denied myself in order to get over all of the ugly. The laughter, the dancing, the delight in my food, swimming - all of it was who I am. God! I throw my head back and gaze at the heavens.

“Thank you for this.” Giddiness sends a spontaneous giggle bubbling out of me that is so unexpected that I clamp my hand over my mouth and stare at Harry, eyes wide with disbelief that I am still capable of making that sound.

He rises, slowly unfolding his long sexy body, and walks toward me, the wind ruffing the loose curls that are falling onto his forehead. He never takes his intense, hooded gaze off of mine.

"Let’s get rid of this.” His voice is husky and mesmerizing. His eyes are still on mine when he grabs the crumpled wad of newspaper in my hand before I register what he was asking for. He tosses it over his shoulder toward our blanket. He flashes me a sly grin and then he’s circling my wrist with his big, strong rough hand and pulling me flush against his chest.

r /> I stumble a little as we collide, and his other hand grasps my waist to steady me. I try to take a deep breath, but the air doesn't reach my lungs. Or, my brain. I can't think, but oh I can feel. My entire body is alive with feeling. I tingle in all of the places he’s touching and throbbing in places I’m praying he’ll touch.

“You’re so beautiful when you’re happy,” he whispers, his hand at my waist strokes me absently, his other hand cupping my cheek. He gazes down at me and his eyes are full of every single fairytale ever told. I want to drown in them.

“How can I keep that look on your face? It’s fucking beautiful.” He asks as he searches my face as if he’ll find the answer there.

“Bring me to the beach every day?” I’m feeling reckless and whimsical and I can’t get enough of it. He laughs and I smell the ginger on his breath. My toes curl and dig into the rough sand.

“Only if you let me kiss you first.” He says and his thumb tugs on my lower lip, moistening it a little before he traces the outline of my top lip.

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