The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor, #2)(27)

‘Yeah?’

‘I’m pretty sure you would know. I mean, I think it should be obvious.’

She scrunched her nose again. ‘I guess you’re right. It just feels like maybe I should have been. I had a few long relationships and I was ... comfortable, I guess. For a while anyway. And then it was always like I outgrew them or we outgrew each other.’

‘Hmm, yeah I get that.’

‘You do?’

‘Not really. Just trying to be nice.’

Hazel laughed.

‘Hey, Haze?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Are you sure you don’t have any strange sex kinks you want to confess? I’m very open.’ He waggled his eyebrows and her laugh fizzed through him again.

She was grinning up at him, her body still pressed against his and he thought maybe his weird sex kink was Hazel. Just ... all of her. But not in his usual way. Not like when he spotted a woman at the bar and knew they’d have fun together for a weekend or two, when he didn’t want to know much more than her name and what would make her come.

Hazel was different. He wanted Hazel in bed and out of it. He wanted to lie here and talk to her all day and then bring her home and do everything but talk. He wanted to know what she loved and also what she tasted like.

But none of that was what she wanted.

She wanted him for a good time. An adventure. A diversion. She might live here in Dream Harbor but he needed to remember to think of her like every other tourist. Hazel Kelly was passing through his life and he needed to shake off all these crazy feelings he was having. He needed to stop noticing her eye color.

‘I’m sure you are very open but I have nothing like that to confess.’

‘We could remedy that, if you really wanted to kick this summer of recklessness into high gear.’ He’d let this conversation get too deep. It was time to steer things back toward what he did best. Flirting. Charming. Entertaining.

It was what Hazel had signed on for. Not some sad dude pining after her.

She laughed again, but had somehow inched forward so her breath teased across his lips. ‘How about we just start with making out on the beach?’ That mischievous glint was back in her eyes, the one he selfishly hoped only he got to see. Even though he shouldn’t. Even though this thing was temporary. He’d take this image of Hazel above him, looking wind-blown and sun-kissed, with him. Another little Hazel treasure.

‘Hell, yeah.’ He cupped her face with his hands and brought her mouth down to his. Her soft sigh ricocheted through his body. Hazel Kelly was going to be the death of him. He rolled her onto her back, suddenly needing to take control of the situation. She’d blindsided him with too many kisses, left him dizzy and reeling. He was taking the lead this time.

Or he thought he was, anyway. With Hazel’s arms wrapped around his neck and her breathy little sounds against his mouth, Noah had lost all sense of reason once again. He kissed down her neck and Hazel arched into him and he suddenly hated the damn sweatshirt she was wearing. He sucked on a particularly sensitive spot on her neck and she groaned.

Oh, God, he wanted more of that.

He let a hand wander to Hazel’s hip, letting his fingers slide along the skin above her waistband. Soft and warm. He traced further, over the soft curve of her stomach, the dip of her waist. His mouth was on hers again, the kiss deeper, more urgent. And the way Hazel had started squirming against him meant she felt it too, just as desperate. Just as––

‘Wait.’ The word combined with her hand clamped around his wrist, stopped him in his tracks. They were both breathing heavily and Hazel looked up at him with dark eyes. ‘Can anyone see us?’

Noah blinked. Right. They were outside on the damn beach and he was feeling her up. Or was about to, anyway. He looked up, glancing down the beach in either direction. Empty. He turned his grin back to Hazel.

‘Not a soul around.’ He dipped his head and kissed her again. Softly, repeatedly. Little kisses along her lips and jaw, to the place behind her ear where she smelled like coconut sunscreen. ‘But we can stop if you want to. Exhibitionism wasn’t part of the clue.’

She squirmed a little as he continued his way down her neck, her hands roving over his back now, the gentle scrap of her nails through his shirt doing more for him than they probably should.

‘I mean ... our clothes are still on ... so I don’t think we’re breaking any laws.’ Her words were interspersed with sighs and Noah couldn’t help but smile against her skin.

‘Very good point. HANSOF is a law-abiding endeavor.’

She started to laugh, but his hand had resumed activities under her shirt and her laugh dissolved into a soft groan. Her skin was warm and a little sticky from the sea air and Noah knew if he ran his tongue down her body she’d taste like salt. He wished he could see more of her, but he had to settle for the feel of her beneath his fingers.

He pushed up beneath her tank top and found the edge of her bra. It was soft cotton, with no padding to block the peak of her nipple. Hazel gasped when his thumb traced over the top of it. He grinned against her lips.

‘I’m starting to like the beach even more,’ she sighed as he cupped her breast, his thumb running back and forth over her nipple.

He huffed a laugh. ‘Yeah, you’re really getting the hang of it.’ He pushed up her bra and somehow having Hazel’s naked breast in his hand, even under the bulk of her sweatshirt was the most erotic moment of his life.