She nodded and squeezed his hand. “House?”
“Yeah, I wanted some privacy so I rented a beach cottage.” He drove back onto the road.
Anne sighed. “That is such a relief. I admit I was a little nervous about people snapping shots of us together at a hotel.”
He patted her leg. “I might be a slow learner, but I’m figuring you out.”
The GPS announced their arrival, and Wyatt parked the car in the short driveway of a two-story, bright-blue house.
“This place is so cute.” Anne perked up in the seat next to him. “Look at the shell-lined walkway and the painted, wooden dolphin on the door. I love it.”
A thrill shot through Wyatt. He’d nailed it. Of course, he could have afforded something bigger and glitzier, but he’d gone with his gut and apparently chosen right.
He grabbed their bags from the trunk and punched in the access code on the door lock. When they entered, his gaze went to a plate of muffins and a note on the kitchen table that read, “Welcome to the shore.” Nice touch.
Anne scouted out the rooms while he hauled their bags up the stairs to the master bedroom.
“Oh my gosh, there’s a rooftop deck with an ocean view,” she called from above.
Hell yeah, he hoped to make use of it after dark. The excitement in her voice sent a ripple of pride through him. He’d made her happy.
She came busting into the bedroom, a big grin on her face. “This is amazing. But what if I’d said I wanted to go home? I’d have felt horrible after you’d found such a nice, private place.”
He smiled and shook his head. “You never would have known.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and tapped her fingers to her forehead. “Oh, right. I swear, I don’t think straight around you.”
“I don’t want you to think at all.” He threaded his fingers through her hair and brought his lips closer to hers, a mere breath away. “I want you to feel.”
She shivered and stilled. Her eyes grew large, and her breath turned shallow. In a husky voice, she said, “Give me a sec to freshen up?”
“Hurry,” he whispered against her neck, nipping her ear lightly with his teeth.
She snatched her bag and headed to the bathroom. “Be right back.”
The image of Anne in the black bikini flashed in his head and kept the blood supply flowing south as he pulled down the sheets of the bed and tossed some condoms on the nightstand.
Anne cleared her throat, and he glanced up. She stood in the doorway wearing a hot-pink, lacy sheer bra and a tiny black triangle bottom with a small pink bow on the front.
His mouth went dry, and he sucked in a breath. Sweet Jesus.
From the swell of her breasts, to the curve of her hips, to the flat plane of her stomach, she screamed sexy. She did a slow, tentative pirouette showing him her firm little ass framed by the thong straps.
“I wanted something special to wear. Do you like it?” The little hitch in her voice turned him on even more. She’d stepped out of her comfort zone for him.
Somehow, he managed to cross the room, but his gaze continued to rake up and down her gorgeous figure. When at last he met her eyes, electricity surged between them. Palpable energy that caused his cock to throb.
“You are so beautiful.” He choked the words out of his parched throat.
She wet her lips and took a step closer, staring up at him. Her soft, sweet scent filled his head as she splayed her hands across his chest. Not breaking eye contact, she kneaded the muscles, heating his body with her touch.
He ran his hands down her exposed sides, over the flare of her hips, and back up to rest at her waist. Her muscles trembled under his palms.
She stood on her tiptoes, and he leaned down to kiss her. Slowly at first, he pressed his lips to hers, barely touching them, teasing until she strained higher for more contact. Her breasts pressed against him, and her hard nipples scraped through the fabric. His blood heated to molten lava, burning through his veins.
Anne wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to deepen the kiss. Her tongue mated with his, twisting and dancing in his mouth as a small moan came from deep inside her. Fisting a hand in his hair, she rocked her hips against his raging hard-on.
She nipped his lower lip, kissing him with a fierce hunger that took his breath away. Thunder pounded in his ears, and a primal need to be inside of her consumed him. He’d never reacted to a woman like this. It was Anne, all Anne. Time to slow things down before he lost it.