Page 62 of Whisper of Temptation (Whisper Lake 4)

“I just…I don’t know…I think…” She slowly inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. “I just wonder if maybe she needs closure. I know that she was in the wrong,” she rushed to say. “And there’s no excuse for what she did. But, if you loved her enough to ask her to marry you, then she has to be somewhat of a good person.”

She paused and when he didn’t respond she lifted her hands, palms up and moved them up and down as if she was weighing something. “Oooor she’s a conniving, evil bitch?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “No. She’s not.”

Sara grinned up at him. “I’m just saying that there was something that you loved about her. And I’m not taking her side, but I know what it feels like to be alone, for months on end. Jack was gone a lot of our marriage, and I was fine with it. But a big reason for that was because I had the kids to worry about. Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m in no way saying that what she did was okay, or justified. I’m just saying that if she loved you, which—” she lifted her hands toward him, “—I mean, come on, of course she loved you…then it’s probably killing her what she did. Her Grandma Betty always used to say that hurting people, hurt people. I think it was her way of reconciling my parents being shitty.” She shook her head. “But that’s beside the point. I just think that maybe she needs to talk to you. Maybe she needs closure.”

Austin hadn’t ever thought of what she might be feeling or going through. But leave it to a woman, that for all intents and purposes, he was having a fling with to point it out. “Have you always been this perfect?”

“This perfect?” Her brows rose. “Oh no, this level of perfection took years.”

He smiled as she went up the steps of the B&B. When they stepped up to the front door, he held it open for her and she walked in ahead of him, her face glowing. “Thanks, Austin. You really are a gentleman.”

“You really are beautiful.” He leaned down and planted a tender kiss on her forehead.

Her eyes softened for a moment before her expression grew pensive. “You know, I’ve always hated when people call me that. Beautiful. I think it’s because I look like my mom, and people always told her she was beautiful, and she’s not. I mean, I guess she is on the outside, but she’s a prime example that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

“But now, after Mrs. D saying I’m the spitting image of my grandma, I don’t know… I guess I never really thought about it, but I am. And now that word feels different. Special.”

It broke his heart that Sara had connected people giving her a compliment to a negative emotion. He knew she must’ve heard those words every day of her life. Hell, he’d told her she was beautiful the first day he met her.

A small grin lifted on her perfect cherry lips and a light he hadn’t seen since their breakfast this morning glimmered in her eyes. “It also doesn’t hurt that you’re the one saying it.”

His body responded to that seductive flicker with a surge of arousal. Lifting his arm, he brushed her hair away from her face. “I’m gonna go wash up. It won’t take long. Then I have a lot more to say. And do.”

The grin widened on her lips as she took a step forward, and this time it wasn’t just a tiny little glint of mischief in her eyes—no, now there was full-blown wickedness dancing there.

“Actually, I could use a shower too. I’ll wash your back if you wash mine. What do ya say?”

Oh, hell, yes.“I’d say I love the way your mind works. I’d also say we’re wasting time standing here talking about it.”

She grinned. “Good. Just give me a thirty-second head start.”

He tilted his head to the side, giving her a puzzled look. She pressed a light kiss to his lips. “Your patience will be rewarded. I promise.”

With that, she turned and headed for her suite. He could’ve followed her, but he didn’t. That would’ve deprived him of the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular view. Plus, he was very interested in the promise she’d made.

He headed to his room, and once inside, he heard the shower start up as he stripped off his clothes. After what seemed more like an eternity than thirty short seconds, he heard her melodious voice, “Okay. I’m ready. You can come in.”

He was through the door before she’d even finished speaking. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw what was waiting for him on the other side. Sara stood there in the steam escaping the shower stall, hair loose around her shoulders, completely and totally naked. His breath escaped him and he had a hard time getting it back.

Her shoulders were thrown back confidently and her hip was slightly cocked. He loved the way that, even in their short time together, she’d become so much more confident in her body and her beauty. It was evident in every subtle nuance of her movements, her facial expressions, her head tilts. She was seeing herself through his eyes, and she liked what she saw more and more every day.

“Care to join me?” Her voice was as wispy and seductive as the curls of steam that wrapped around her flesh as they floated toward the ceiling.

“Oh God, yes,” he rasped, and crossed the small room to her in two short strides.

As turned on as he was, though, he didn’t immediately begin to ravage her. He had gotten that desperate, throw-caution-to-the-wind insanity out of his system last night and this morning. Now was the time to go slowly, sip the wine of her delicious beauty and savor every flavorful drop.

He began by sliding his fingers down her arms and taking her hands in his. He looked deeply into her eyes before he kissed her. Slowly, gently. He trembled with pent-up need beneath her touch as her fingers began caressing him in much the same way he had caressed her. She entwined them in the back of his hair and pulled his head in closer to her, deepening the kiss as she slipped her tongue sweetly into his mouth.

He groaned. Feeling her tongue enter and press against his sent a shock of electricity straight to his dick. He’d been hard before, but it was nothing compared to the steel strength that possessed his cock at that moment.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her luscious curves tighter against him. Her soft breasts crushed against the hard muscles of his chest. It made him feel like a caveman, made him want to rush in and protect her soft, feminine vulnerability. He grazed his fingertips up and down her body as they kissed. He couldn’t help but marvel at the silkiness of her skin and the warmth that radiated from her like the sun.

When he felt the crunching of sand rubbing along their torsos, he realized he’d been so caught up in the stunning beauty of her body he hadn’t even climbed into the shower yet. He was still sweaty and covered in sand. As difficult as it was to do, he broke their embrace, stepped over the edge of the tub base, and into the spray of water.

Sara stepped into the shower stall with him, and he made sure he had a firm grip on her elbow as she did. His instinct was always to protect her, to care for her, to make sure she felt safe and adored.

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