Her high pitch rings in my ears as her words sink in. She leans back, bracing her hands on my shoulders and locking eyes with me. Her smile lights up her face, and I move in for another kiss.
“Shaw,” she mutters against my lips.
“Hmm?”
“This may be a little too much too soon, but I’ve been crazy about you since I was fourteen years old.”
Her confession stirs a need inside me. I turn and stalk up the beach with her still in my arms. She tries to wiggle free when we pass the pool, but I hold tighter.
That one kiss left me craving more.
There’s no doubt, I’ll always crave more when it comes to Bizzy.
Chapter 6
Bizzy
I smooth my hands down my dress, silently thanking Claire for insisting we go shopping. Butterflies flutter in my stomach, and I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm them. I lean in to smell the flowers Shaw brought me this afternoon as I grab my purse and take one last look in the mirror.
The rumpled sheets on the bed reflect back at me, and the butterflies go back into overdrive. An hour ago, I woke up in that bed with Shaw’s arms curled around me.
After he carried me in from the beach, he took me straight to my room. We spent hours kissing and talking until I fell asleep on his chest as he ran his fingers lazily through my hair. The skin on my neck still tingles where he woke me up with his lips, apologizing that we had to get ready for dinner.
“I’m about five seconds away from calling Gail to cancel tonight.” He startles me, and my throat goes dry when I catch sight of him leaning against the doorframe. He’s abandoned his standard business suit, instead wearing slacks with a button down open at the neck, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I swallow several times, trying to find my voice.
His eyes rake up and down my body slowly, stopping when they meet mine. “You look incredible.”
Warmth ripples through me at his compliment, and I go to him, lifting on my toes to brush my lips across his. “You look very handsome yourself.”
“I’m serious about canceling.”
“Should I be insulted that this is the second night in a row you’ve mentioned canceling?” I raise an eyebrow, teasing him.
His eyes transform into a smoldering golden color as he licks his bottom lip seductively. My knees go weak as the air thickens between us.
“I’m a selfish son of a bitch, Bizzy, and the thought of sharing you, even for a few hours, is driving me crazy.” There’s a huskiness in his voice that has me struggling to breathe.
“But these are your clients. This is important,” I whisper, sounding unconvincing.
“Fuck them.” He kisses along my lips. “They’ll understand.”
“We can’t,” I force out, grasping his arm for support. He seals his mouth over mine until I melt into his body. He presses me close, kissing me deep, his tongue teasing me with gentle strokes until I moan.
His body goes solid, and I feel the length of his erection against my stomach. He stops mid-kiss and moves back, his eyes locking with mine. I shudder at the intensity of his stare.
“One kiss, one moan, and I’m a fucking goner. Never in my life, ever, have I felt the way I do when you’re in my arms. If you can control me with just a kiss, God knows what will happen…” He stops himself, and I wait, hanging on his words. His grip loosens as my pulse starts to race.
“What will happen when?”
The raw sex appeal I’ve always felt around him, now seeps all the way to my bones.
His face breaks into a small smile, and he pecks my cheek before taking my hand in his, lifting it to his mouth and kissing my knuckles.
“Your call, stay or go?”
I blink away the haze and reluctantly answer. “We should go.”
He grins at my hesitation and nods. “When we get back, we’ll move your things to my room. I want you in my bed tonight.”
I pause, my heart coming to a screeching halt… then thundering at his statement. “You do?”
He frowns, his eyes crinkling as he tightens his hold on my hand. “Last night, I had you asleep on me until I forced myself to carry you to your room. It sucked watching you sleep in that bed, knowing how you felt lying on top of me. Today, when you napped, I got the full experience of having you in my arms as you slept and woke up. I’m not going to miss it again. If you’d rather we sleep in your bed, that’s fine, as long as we’re together.”
“Either bed is fine with me,” I agree without hesitation.
“If we don’t leave now, we’ll never leave.”
“Well, I don’t want to miss the chance to see you in action. I’m already pretty convinced you’re incredible, but the thought of seeing you show this Joe guy how lucky he will be to have you isn’t something I’m willing to miss.”
His lips twitch at my statement. He gives a low chuckle and leads me out the door to the elevator, and like last night, he never lets me go.
I scrounge through my suitcase and huff, my nerves on edge. After all my packing preparations, there isn’t one sexy thing to wear to bed. Clothes are scattered across the bed, the floor, and even the recliner as I look again trying to find something to wear.
“Bizzy, you okay?” Shaw’s voice gets closer, and I know he’s milliseconds from coming in.
“Yes,” I squeak and grab the same pajama set I wore last night. At least he’s already seen this.
“What’s taking you so long?” His warm hands caress my shoulders as his lips brush along my neck.
“I was looking for something.”
“Want to tell me what?” he teases. “By the looks of this room, you must have been searching hard.”
I twist in his arms and swallow my groan when I come face to face with his defined, tan, bare chest. Even though I ran my hands along every inch this afternoon, I’m still stunned by it.
“I thought I’d brought a different pair of pajamas, but I didn’t,” I semi tell the truth.
“Biz, look at me.”
I raise my eyes to his and see his face filled with concern. “You okay?”
“Of course, why?”
“If you want to sleep in here, if I pushed too hard, I’ll back off.”
“No!” I practically scream. “It’s not that. I was just hoping I had something sexier to wear to bed,” I admit, heat spreading up my neck.
“Sexy, huh?”
My chest grows tight and my nipples start to tingle. His hands glide up my arms until they’re cupping my head and his fingers fist in my hair.
“I think you may have missed the part about you being the sexy one. You could wear an old, ragged, ripped t-shirt, and I’d think you were the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.”
“How do you do that?” I whisper, my body doing a full shiver. “You make me feel like I’ve never felt before.
“Because I mean it. Every word.”
I back away and hurry to the bathroom. It takes me twice as long to get ready for bed because I’m a nervous wreck. I wish like hell I’d brought my phone in with me so I could call Claire for a little advice. She’d know what to say to calm me down.
I try to think of exactly what she’d tell me and picture her scolding me.
“Lizbeth Hastings, shake out of it and get yourself together! This is Crenshaw Bennett, the man you’ve been in love with for years. The same man waiting for you in his bed while you pitter around in this bathroom.”
I don’t even give myself another look before exiting the bathroom and heading to his room. He’s watching the door and gives me a crooked grin when I enter, going straight to his side.
“I had plans when I woke up this morning, but in my wildest dreams, I didn’t think I’d have you in my bed this soon.” He pulls me down and kisses me softly.
“What do you mean?” I mutter against his lips.
“I was going to go slow… too slow. Get a pulse on where you were, but I’ve never been good at subtle.”
/>
“Not that I’m complaining, but what changed your mind?”
“When I left you sleeping this morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. My meeting was brutal, so I cut it short, and on my way back here, Nicky called. His protection over you set me off. I didn’t want him to worry because you were with me. Then it dawned on me, I don’t want anyone to worry because you will always be safe with me.
“I decided I’d make my move. When you looked at me on the beach, I cracked. I’ve never wanted anything as badly as to kiss you right that second.”
My insides give a little quiver, thinking about that kiss. It was hours ago, but I still feel the buzz of electricity when his tongue swept across my lips. I knew things were changing, but I didn’t want to let myself hope. I let his words truly sink in.
“…in my wildest dreams…”
“…couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“…I don’t want anyone to worry because you will always be safe with me.”
“…never wanted anything as badly as to kiss you…”
Any feelings I was suppressing have exploded, making my heart race. I may have thought I loved him before, but now, I can’t remember a time when he wasn’t everything I ever wanted. It’s never been about his money, his position, or his prestige.
It’s because he’s Shaw Bennett, the man who is so deep and so powerful. The man who would walk through fire for those he loves. The same man who can crush someone with just the slice of his eyes, and ten minutes later send a dying teenager a room full of sports memorabilia of his favorite player.
His eyes search mine, waiting for a response as I smooth one hand over his cheek. “I consider myself lucky that you’re not good at subtle because this has been the best afternoon of my life. Thank you for giving me that.”
I fight the sting of tears welling up, but one slips out. He catches it with his thumb and raises an eyebrow.
“Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not saying?”
I decide to follow his lead, no holding back. “There’s a part of me that’s scared to believe this is really happening. What if—”
“Shh.” He places a finger against my lips. “I know how much we both have at stake here. I’ve thought about it for weeks. This isn’t casual for me; it’s the opposite. I may have mentioned I’m crazy about you, but I don’t think you understand. Lucky for me, I have a lot of time to show you. I’m not going anywhere.”
“How do you know? There’s so much to learn.”
He holds my stare for a few seconds before dropping his head to my neck. I faintly feel his chest vibrating and realize he’s laughing at me.
“I wasn’t being funny.” I push against him, trying to force his face to mine. It’s useless, and in one quick move, he’s twisted to his back, taking me with him.
One arm grips my waist while the other slides up, holding the back of my head. He continues to laugh, and I struggle to get out of his grasp.
“Stop fighting me, babe.”
“No! You’re making fun of me. I was being serious!”
“I know. That’s what’s so funny.” His hand on my head loosens enough to allow me to lean back and see him fully.
His eyes dance with humor as he tries to keep a straight face. “Listen to me. I do know you, better than I know myself sometimes. What you’re not realizing is this isn’t a normal relationship, and I’m fucking ecstatic it isn’t. We have ten years of history. Some of it sad, some of it scary, but most of it beautiful. We’re not two people meeting for the first time, feeling this out, getting to know each other, and pussyfooting around. This is as real as it gets.”
“What if it goes bad?”
“It won’t.”
“I can’t lose you in my life.”
“You won’t.”
“I don’t have much luck with men.”
“Thank God. That’s about to change.”
“You’re pretty sure of yourself.” I give him a small smile and push up, straddling his hips.
He scans my face and places his hands on my thighs, squeezing softly. “Your favorite ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip, and you keep a stash hidden in your freezer even though you swear every New Year’s you’re going to give it up. You always agree to watch action flicks but secretly love raunchy comedies. Every one of Nicky’s games you attend, you wear the same bracelets, each one of them a present from him. Every Christmas, you make sure Mathis, Nicky, and I all have the exact number of presents to open. You always agree to go camping with us, but secretly, it scares the shit out of you. Claire may drive you crazy, but she’s your best friend, and you’d lay down your life for her.
“And you visit church every year, no matter what the day, on the anniversary of your remission diagnosis, and send your mom flowers to let her know you’re thinking of her.”
“Shaw—” my voice quivers.
“That’s only the tip of the iceberg. I have ten years of facts and knowledge that I’ve been storing up. I may have been blind to so many things, but I’ve never been blind to who you are. This is not getting to know you, because I already do, and I love everything about you. It’s time to build new memories, together.
“I’m not an idiot. There are things I don’t know, but I will, because I vow to discover everything about you. We may have a history, but we now have a future together. One afternoon has changed my entire life. You seem to have a knack for doing that.”
I have no words. Actually, I do. I have to bite my tongue from declaring my everlasting love and humiliating myself. So, instead of speaking, I throw myself at him and crush my mouth to his, pouring my response into the kiss.
He’s still at first then meets me stroke for stroke as our tongues move together. I grind down on him, feeling every inch of his hard erection against my center as his arms fold around me. He breaks away, but I don’t stop kissing him, covering very inch of his face with my lips. When I finally reach his ear, I get up the courage I never knew I had.
“I want new memories with you more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
He gives a throaty moan and twists, so I am once again under him. “So we start now with you in my bed. And tomorrow, when we wake up, we start again.”
Chapter 7
Shaw
Our Captain gives us the last of the instructions, and I glance around the boat, seeing everyone is at ease with his directions. Except Bizzy. Her face is so scrunched, I would bet money she’d be taking notes if she had a pen and paper. Her lips move, repeating his words, and she gives him a shy grin when he walks by.
Everyone sits as the mate helps guide us out of the slip and into the intercostal toward the ocean. I take out my phone and order an enormous bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine for Gail, along with a note for her to take Monday off. I make sure to have it delivered today and then shut my phone off.
She did a hell of a job arranging this at the last minute when I called her last night, and I suspect there will be questions when I return to the office on Tuesday. But it was worth it, knowing I now have the next two nights and days free of work obligations. After we get off this boat today, it’s just me and Bizzy and a shitload of time alone.
Darren Jackson didn’t blink an eye when I asked if we could change our Saturday night dinner to a chartered fishing trip. He jumped on the idea. I invited Joe to come with us, knowing how much he enjoys being on the water. And after last night’s dinner, he was stoked to spend more time getting to know each other.
The only problem was fucking Perry. He took all of four hours to decide he fucked up and wanted another chance to talk. I ignored his calls, but when he called Gail, she reluctantly invited him along today. I tried to insist she rescind the invitation, but she laughed at me and refused, reminding me everyone deserves a second chance.
I started to argue, but Bizzy came out, dressed for the day, and the argument was the last thing on my mind. She was dressed casually in shorts and a tank top
over her bathing suit, but she had her long hair pulled through the back of a baseball cap. She has always been beautiful, but this morning, it was more. She was adorably beautiful. One look and I grew hard, thinking of running my hand through the hair I love so much as I kissed her, again and again.
She gave me a knowing grin and was halfway to my outstretched arms when her phone rang. She waved it at me with an apologetic look and went in the other room to talk to her mom. I answered a few emails while I waited and smiled to myself when I heard her tell her mom she was having a ‘fabulous time’. Unfortunately, by the time she finished the conversation, we had to hurry to the marina to get to the boat and meet the rest of our party.
I met with the Captain and mate while she looked around the boat. I was mid-sentence when she started squealing. I whipped around to see Darren had her in a bear hug. She was so small in his massive frame, I immediately worried he was crushing her. But when he put her down, she flashed me a bright smile, her dimple on display.
It was easy to get my point across without words when I walked up and wrapped an arm around her waist, staking my claim. Joe chuckled, and Darren gave me a chin lift in understanding. Bizzy leaned into me, putting one hand on my chest, and gave me a look of surprise. Then her eyes started to shine. I could have stared into the blue-grey hue for hours, loving the fact she was so happy.
The only person who doesn’t seem to have gotten the message is fucking Perry. He arrived during the Captain’s welcome and gave a polite wave to everyone. Now, he sits on the side of the boat eyeing Bizzy as she thumbs through a magazine. My chest tightens when he removes his sunglasses and hangs them on the collar of his shirt. He leans over and says something to her, causing her to look up and give him a polite smile.
The boat picks up speed and the wind whips louder, drowning out any chance of hearing them. She turns the magazine around, showing him the front. He points to something and makes some comment, causing her to shake her head. Her ponytail flies to her face, and he reaches over to push it back.
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