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  “Tell you what, if I feel my skin warming up, I’ll take a dip.” But as I said it, I was feeling warm already.

  Maybe it was the way Eric’s eyes roamed across me, taking in my partially covered body. Maybe it was because the sky was cloudless and the sun beat its energy, having no mercy. Whatever it was, my body was heating up, the ache between my legs intensified into a low throb, and the flicker of desire in Eric’s dark eyes didn’t help.

  “You know what, maybe I will go for a swim now.” I rolled myself to a stand, and before I got on my feet, Eric extended his hand, which I gratefully took. “Can’t wait to see how much of a whale I’ll be when I’m due.”

  “I’m sure you’ll still be beautiful.” He turned his head away quickly.

  My heart thrummed in my chest, but I didn’t know how to respond to his statement. Instead, he let go of my hand and allowed me to lead the way into the water. The ocean was cool and sent an intense shiver of goosebumps over my body, but even though it was only my feet fully immersed, my body started to cool down. Thank goodness, now if it only worked to dull the ache. Slowly, I inched my way in, bending over and splashing the sea up my legs.

  “Not too far.” A warning clicked on the edge of Eric’s tongue. “The undertow is quite strong this year.”

  “Then I’ll sit here.” Gasping breathlessly as my fire-hot centre splashed into the cool water, I shuddered a breath.

  The push and pull of the tide was mesmerizing, and I found myself leaning back further on my arms, the wet sand slowly enveloping them. Eventually, I was far enough back my head was floating. I smiled at Eric as he looked down on me. It was soul lifting to be back in the water.

  As I lay there floating, I gauged the changing expression on his face. His eyes sailed over my body again but settled on the bald island poking above the water, just as my little one sent out a noticeable kick. His eyes grew large.

  “Want to feel?” I sat up, watching as the belly island sunk back into the ocean.

  “I… I…” He searched my face and I reached for his hand, hovering it above the last movement. “Yeah, sure.”

  With that, I pressed his hand against the side of my belly and the little one responded with a karate chop.

  “Wow, that’s really cool.”

  I cherished watching his expression. For weeks now, I’d been feeling movement, and it made me happy to see someone other than me get a kick out of it. But it had been a bad idea. Just having his hand on me fired up the dormant butterflies, and the pounding of my heart had to have given a jolt of energy to the baby as it started step-dancing over my bladder.

  “Does it do that all the time?” His eyes remained large and focused.

  “Mostly at night. During the day, he’s pretty silent.”

  “He?”

  “It’s just what I call it. Seems wrong to me to address it as an it. Some days it’s she, today it’s he.”

  “You have no idea?”

  I shrugged. “None. And none of those dreams either. Some women get a strong idea about what they’re having, I haven’t had any thoughts one way or another.”

  He left his hand on my belly, inching it a little to the left or right, presumable to chase down the movements, and I doubted I would’ve complained had he moved further south. “That’s really nifty.” He winked as he said the last word. “Thanks for sharing.”

  I gazed into his eyes, noting for the first time how deep they were, the colour of wet sand under the moonlight, and try as I may, I couldn’t tear myself away. My gaze searched out the laugh lines on his face, and I lowered my gaze to study his full lips.

  It had to be hormones, pure and simple. There was no other acceptable reason. The hormones made me horny, desperately horny, and Eric being the sweet, sexy guy he was had become my body’s focus. The truth was I was on my own for the pregnancy and the rest of my life, and I was prepared to fully take it on. I knew I could manage. But seeing Eric stare into my eyes, it had me wanting to rip his wetsuit off his body and take him right there on the beach.

  Instead, I moved my lips closer to his while he slowly lowered his head.

  In a heartbeat, our lips crashed together, at first, teasing the other out as if asking for permission, and then diving in fully, tongues intertwined as we locked our lips together.

  It was a good thing I was in the water as his kiss was so powerful, it heated me to a level I never knew existed, and had I been standing it had the intensity to weaken my knees. Just before I was out of air, he pulled away, a heat and hunger yearning in his eyes I’d wanted to see for the rest of my life. He stared into my soul like no one had before. I’d just shared a deeper intimacy with him as he touched my belly and kissed the life out of my lips than I had with Parker. How did that even happen? How was that even possible?

  I splashed some water over my chest and arms, unable to speak or utter a sound, but I couldn’t stop looking at him. And the smile on his face never faded. My heart skipped a beat as my brain sounded an alarm, warning me I was leaving in four weeks.

  Chapter Nine

  “Do you feel up to surfing?” Eric stood impossibly close, as he held his surfboard in front of him.

  We stood at the edge of the water, shoulder to shoulder, waves slapping against my thighs. “I want to, but I don’t think I could paddle out since I can’t lay on my stomach.” My hands ran around the swell of my belly.

  “You could frog lay. Would that help?” He passed me his board.

  “I don’t think so.”

  I hadn’t accepted the board fully, yet. I really wanted to try, but I was sure I’d be unable to get out far enough to enjoy the ride in. And popping up? That could be an issue since I hadn’t in years and my balance wasn’t what it used to be, thanks to the baby throwing off my centre of gravity.

  “I’ll swim out beside you. You don’t have to go out far. I can see the desire in your eyes to at least give it a shot.”

  The desire was more than just for the possibility of surfing, it was for the handsome guy offering me the opportunity. This time, I jumped at the chance. It had to be like riding a bike, right? I balanced on the board, trying to find a position to lay in that allowed me to paddle. The frog pose was the most awkward, with my boobs flattened against the board and my rear end up in the air, giving an undignified view to Eric who swam behind me.

  I didn’t get very far out before I called it quits, fighting to catch my breath. “I give up.”

  Maybe if I’d been doing it my whole pregnancy, it would be natural, but this was beyond odd.

  “Aw, too bad, I enjoyed the perspective.” He swam to the front of the board and put his arms on, resting his chin on top.

  Breathlessly, I rolled up and straddled the board, my legs dangling in the water and checked out how far I’d managed to go out. Our houses dotted the landscape, and I could still see the towel I’d hung on the upstairs banister.

  “Come up, sit with me. Rest.”

  Eric managed to hop on the head of the board without tipping us into the water and slid his way closer while we floated and breathed and basked in the sun.

  Together we bobbed with the motion of the ocean, slowly drifting towards land. The sun heated my chest and warmed my skin as I held the foot of the board behind my back.

  “God, you’re gorgeous.”

  I tipped my head up to look him straight in the eyes. “You’re pretty damn handsome yourself.”

  His voice lowered to a deep and sexy level. “I’d love to take you right here on my board.” The sexy way he was devouring my body turned me on, again.

  “What?” My voice cracked. No way that could happen. I’ve done many things on a surfboard, but never that. As turned on as I was by the prospect…

  “Interested?”

  Yes, but no way. I shook my head but slowly inched my body closer, curious how this would work. He was in a wetsuit for crying out loud.

  Eric wrapped his hand around my head and brought me in for a kiss, igniting the lingering embers into a f
ull-on fire. “Lean back again, the way you were at first, and tip your head back.”

  I gripped the board with both hands and glanced around. We were pretty much on our own out here.

  “Don’t move or you’ll tip us.”

  My curiosity was piqued, and my core was smoldering with deep tingles and desires. The carnal ache had only grown stronger. He hadn’t yet touched me, and I was ready to come apart.

  He trailed a finger over my collarbone and dipped into the space between my heaving boobs. My breath hitched, and I stared him deep in the eyes. One at a time, he cupped them, maintaining perfect balance.

  “Oh god.” I moaned, proving it had been a while since I’d been touched by a man.

  “I haven’t even begun.”

  A charming smile spread across his face as a cool finger trickled down over my heated bump, circling around it and teasing its way lower. Both of his hands braced against my hips, and slowly, tenderly, he caressed my thighs, moving in deeper with each pass. Instinctively, I opened for him, giving him access to what desperately needed attention.

  “Lean back further.” His voice was hoarse with desire.

  Oh Lord, I threatened to rip apart as he slipped a finger under my bottoms, pushing the material off to the side, and dipping right into the heated heart of me. I closed my eyes and allowed the soaring sensations to control my body as he slowly touched and tenderly caressed and expertly moved his fingers, creating breathless gasps of air and involuntary shudders. My fingers dug into the edges of the board as my body surrendered to Eric, and one wave of ecstasy after another crashed over me.

  My body twitched and threatened to flip us both. However, the moment passed, and he retracted his hand, while I pushed up and wrapped my arms around him. Beneath his wetsuit, the hardest part of him pressed into my belly and a need to ride him like a surfboard overtook me.

  “How fast can we get back to shore?” I begged, my voice raw and carnal.

  To hell with waiting. If I was going to be here for only a few weeks more, I may as well enjoy myself.

  After a rousing afternoon, I pushed my hair off my face as I opened my eyes and took in the surroundings of Eric’s bedroom. There was a little pop-up table beside me with a bottle of water and a note tucked under it.

  Drink this, you need rehydration. I’m downstairs on the patio.

  I collected my two bikini pieces and got dressed, heading downstairs. My itch had been scratched, and I was feeling less randy than before. Better than that thought, was a feeling of being on top of the world and utterly relaxed.

  “How long was I asleep?” I twisted the cap off and took a long sip, relishing the cool water sliding down my throat.

  “A couple of hours.” His focus was on the sea.

  “Oh, wow. I’m sorry.”

  I hadn’t meant to fall asleep at all, but I guess I was so played out it just happened. I grabbed my towel hanging on the edge of the deck and wrapped it around since Eric was no longer in his wetsuit or buck naked in all his incredible glory and was instead dressed in shorts and a tee.

  He set down a plate filled with grape stems and made to get up. “You hungry?”

  “Famished.” A buffet would not be out of place, and although people would likely stare at me, I could blame the growing baby.

  “Care to go out and have a bite to eat? You haven’t been to Birch Bay Burgers, have you?”

  I shook my head as he rose, lightly patting his shoulder. “No.”

  He twisted away from my touch and focused his attention on his wet suit hanging on the hook and flipped it around, preoccupied it seemed with anything but me. “That settles it. Can you be ready in an hour?”

  “Sure.” Should I give him a playful little kiss or not? His attitude was so different from our afternoon together. “Thanks for the water.”

  I stepped onto the first stair and stared at him as if by standing there half-dressed he’d come to his senses and at least throw me a smile or something.

  However, as I stood there, tightening the grip on my towel, I wondered what had changed between us while I’d slept. Before I’d closed my eyes, everything was euphoric, and our orgasms were out of this world, at least mine were. It had been the best afternoon I’d had since coming back to Cheshire Bay.

  “See you in a bit.” An unsettled a wave of despair in my soul roared to life with his quick dismissal.

  Just before my ex walked out on me and the baby, he’d given me the cold shoulder too. Said he needed time to think about how his future was going to change abruptly, as he was way too young to be a father and at his age, he should be hanging out with his buddies, not changing diapers.

  The way Eric kept his distance brought up that same current of trepidation, but at least with Parker’s, I knew it was coming.

  Chapter Ten

  An hour later, smelling less like sex and ocean and sadness, and more like lilacs blooming on a spring day, I knocked on Eric’s door. Gone was the darkness, his eyes twinkled at the sight of me decked out in a maxi dress, and I was grateful for the emerging smile and the way he bent down and lifted my hand, delicately kissing my knuckles.

  He helped me into his car, and we drove off, taking the winding road south to another bay. I kept my window rolled down and let the fresh air smack me in the face since the switchbacks he drove at a high speed made me nauseous.

  Birch Bay Burgers was perched on a rocky outcropping complete with a 300-degree view of the Pacific. It was on the fancier end of places to eat, given its isolated location, but in the grand scheme of things, it was still a burger joint.

  Our server sat us beside a railing, where along with the amazing panoramic view, we also had a symphony of waves crashing against the rocks beneath us. In the far southernly distance, a storm battled as flickers of light danced along the horizon. The air was also a little chillier, so I was grateful I’d brought a sweater, and I pulled it tighter around my shoulders.

  “Thank you for this afternoon. I couldn’t have had a better day,” I started out saying, after taking a sip of water. Aside from cheap small talk and one-word answers to my questions, there hadn’t been much conversation on the way here.

  “Yeah, the waves were perfect.”

  A low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.

  I swallowed down the bitter taste of bile rapidly forming in the back of my throat. “Eric, have I done something wrong?”

  Finally, he focused on me. “No. Why do you ask?”

  “I don’t know, you just seem… Distant.” Like you got what you needed from me and you’re ready to toss me in the garbage.

  He puffed out his chest but turned to view the surf smacking the rocks. “Can I be honest with you?”

  Rising bitterness bubbled in my gut. “I hope you will be. I need that.” Oh, how I needed people to be honest with me, rather than whisper behind my back.

  “I’m very confused.”

  I wrung my hands together on my lap. A part of me was confused as well since I couldn’t pin down Eric and his flipping emotions. “What about?”

  “About you and about me.” The breeze floated by and rippled the collar of his unbuttoned shirt as he lowered his chin.

  A gust of air sailed out from the depths of my lungs. “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “You said you didn’t want anything from me, and you pushed back against my advances, and yet today, you kissed me, and we had the best sex ever multiple times.”

  Although he kept his voice low enough for only me to hear, I still couldn’t help myself, and I searched out the nearby patrons to see if anyone overheard. If they did, they didn’t act like it.

  “What’s happening between us… it’s complicated.”

  “I can uncomplicate it. Real quick.”

  The finality in his tone worried me and raised alarms that I had been right in my quick assumption. Eric knew I was an easy score back in the day, and now that he got it, he was through with me. He’d taken some time to do it, but he’d cracked my defenses and e
ntered my heart. And now, he was confused? What was there to be confused about?

  I tipped my head and pressed into the back of my chair, unsure of which direction was the best one to take. “I like you; I really do. I think you’re a very sweet guy.”

  And it was more than that, but I wasn’t ready to completely voice anything more. An overwhelming feeling of being dumped by a guy I wasn’t even going out with threatened to undo the last vestiges of my strength.

  “And here comes the giant but.”

  “Not at all.” My foot nervously tapped against the table pedestal. “The thing is…” No matter how I wanted to continue the sentence, there was going to be a but or a however. Damn, I hated when a guy was right. “The thing is…” I sighed again because it hit me, like a bolt of lightning.

  Eric hadn’t used me - I’d been the one doing the using. He satisfied my itch, just like the others had done when I was fifteen. Only this time, instead of being only momentarily hurt by their rejection, I was feeling it on a whole other level because… I inhaled sharply. Somewhere along the lines, I’d developed feelings for Eric, which wasn’t at all fair to him. I was a package deal, baby and all, and he didn’t need that.

  “I’m only here for the summer, and I’m not even sure if I’m going to be here that long. Coming back to Cheshire Bay was to clear my system and redo the old beach house. Make it ready to rent out to someone else. I knew when I arrived, my being here wasn’t a permanent thing.” There I said it. “Besides, everywhere I go, people still talk.”

  Yes, there had been a momentary reprieve when a celebrity appeared in town, but after that, the gossip was still there. The dirty looks, the whispers. It was getting old.

  “It’s a small town.”

  “With small town mentality. They’ll never forgive me, and they definitely will never forget.”

  “Lily, you painted over the town’s name and made a fool out of yourself.”

  Not one of my finest moments, but in the end, I owned up to it and spent the next two days scrubbing the paint off.