French Kiss (Silver Cove Series Book 2) (9 page)

“Well, not exactly. I did catch one of my employees at my last job stealing from the cash register. I set things up to make everyone believe I had left for the evening…” He sighed and shrugged. “You get the rest.”

“And it worked?”

He nodded. “Like a charm.” He reached over and took her hand. He could tell she’d gone back to worrying. “Whoever is breaking in and doing this… we’ll catch him. I don’t like seeing you look like you didn’t get any sleep.” He rubbed his thumb down her cheek, over the dark circles under her eyes.

“I’m fine…” His finger moved down to cover her lips.

“I can see you’re not.” He pulled her close. “You’ve been jumping at shadows, sleeping in your chair instead of in your bed.” When she tensed and looked at him, he chuckled. “It was obvious, since your sheets were in the trash and your bed was empty. Besides the red eyes and bags here.” He touched her face lightly, then leaned down and placed a feather-light kiss where his fingers had just been.

“Adam?” she said between kisses. Somehow he’d gone from soft kisses to deeper, more passionate ones without knowing. Pulling back quickly, he moved to stand up, but she held him in place.

“I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I should have…”

“Finished what you started?” she supplied, pushing her hands into his hair and holding him to her lips once more.

“Lilly… you… deserve more,” he said between her lips rushing over his.

“Then give me more,” she said against his skin and he knew they were not going to make it back to his room for the night.

S
he tried not to shiver when Adam lifted her up into his arms gently. His mouth was so soft against her skin, showing her tenderness the likes of which she’d never experienced before.

The cabin was so small, when he carried her up the narrow staircase to the loft, she had to duck. He laid her down on the oversized mattress that took up the entire space, then just looked down at her. He was on his knees, and she reached up to pull him towards her.

“I’ve thought about this,” he said in a low tone as he looked at her, his eyes roaming over her face. “I’ve imagined it a thousand times.”

“Me too.” She loved the feel of his hair under her fingertips. The softness of it in her hands. When his lips touched hers again, she wished more than anything that she could hold onto this moment forever.

Her hands roamed down his neck to his shoulders and a slight moan escaped when she felt them bunch under her fingertips. When his hands moved, they pulled her shirt higher until she felt his fingers brush her naked skin underneath.

She couldn’t stop the moan from escaping her lips, or the need from building inside her. Her legs wrapped around his hips, holding him closer to her body as she felt something she’d never imagined before. Her entire body vibrated as his hands moved slowly over her.

“Easy,” he said against her skin. Then his mouth left hers and traveled down her neck until he found the spot just above her collarbone. She felt him shift and closed her eyes when his hardness pressed against her core.

“Please,” she begged, not knowing if she could wait much longer.

“I’m enjoying myself too much to hurry.” He chuckled against her skin. He’d worked on her shirt buttons and before she knew it, she was exposed to his view. He leaned up and gently pulled the silk from her shoulders.

“Beautiful,” he whispered before his head dipped down to cover her exposed breast. He tugged on the strap of her bra, sending it downward until that too was removed.

His eyes slowly moved over every inch of her exposed skin and she saw them heat. Then his lips heated her skin as he trailed kisses over the same pathway.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she felt herself building, her hips jerked against his. Demanding. Wanting. Needing.

She reached for his shirt, then waited when he leaned back to pull it over his head. His chest was even more impressive than she’d imagined. Her hands reached out and she trailed her fingers over his bare skin.

“Lilly,” he moaned. “I wanted to go slow, but you’re driving me crazy.” He chuckled.

“Good, now you know how I feel.” She started to reach for his jeans, but he pulled back and shook his head.

“No, not that fast.” He smiled. “Let me…” With his fingertip, he inched her pencil skirt up until it was almost to the top of her thighs. “I want to take care of you first.”

Just having his hands touch her where she’d never allowed another to go had her hips jerking underneath him. His fingers swept softly to her inner thigh, causing her eyes to close in pure pleasure.

“You’re so soft,” she heard him say. She was shocked when he dipped a finger underneath her silk panties. Her shoulders bounded off the bed when he touched her. Then his finger sank inside her slowly and she fell back onto the bed as he played with her softness.

“Adam,” she begged, tossing her head from side to side. She didn’t know what was building inside, only that soon, she felt she would explode into nothingness.

“Soon,” he said, then she felt him slide her panties down her legs until he rested between her knees. When she felt his wet tongue against her inner thigh, she tensed.

“Easy,” he murmured. “You taste like heaven.” He trailed kisses along the inside of her thigh until she relaxed back against the bed.

His hot mouth trailed higher and she tensed once more, until his mouth covered her. Then she did explode, crying out his name as her fingers dug into his hair, holding him, begging him for more.

She’d never experienced anything like it before. Her entire body shuddered and jerked until she felt him pin her down to the bed with his weight as he settled between her legs. Only then did she realize that he was completely naked.

“Adam?” She started to tense, but his hands moved in slow, small circles, relaxing her once more.

“I’ve got you,” he said next to her lips.

“Yes.” She closed her eyes and turned herself over to the feeling of him sliding slowly into her.

Sex had never been something she’d desired, nor something she’d ever imagined she would enjoy. Her body easily relaxed around his, taking him in until she felt every touch, every soft caress.

She knew that it wouldn’t last, that soon her body would convulse again, but her mind kept screaming for her to hold out. Just one more moment.

His mouth covered hers. Her fingers dug into his hips as he moved over her, in her, thrusting deeper, longer than she could have dreamed.

A moment before she felt her own release, Adam tensed over her and she allowed herself to follow him.

***

He must have slept for a while. The soft breathing next to his skin and the tingle of Lilly’s hair on his chest woke him almost an hour before the sun normally did.

He glanced down at her and smiled. She was fast asleep in his arms, her leg tucked over his and her hand sprawled on his chest. He could stay like this forever, but his inner clock told him that it was time to start the morning shift. The guests would be waking up soon. Today would be an easier day than yesterday since the large group was leaving before lunchtime. The next group of guests would be arriving just before dinner.

Hopefully, he could persuade Lilly to have another picnic lunch with him down on the beach.

Then he heard the thunder outside and groaned.

“What?” she said against his skin.

“It’s raining.” He tried to get a glance out the window, but he’d shut the blinds when they had arrived.

“Yes, it’s supposed to rain until Tuesday, then again later next week.”

He groaned. “I was hoping to persuade you to go with me on a picnic for lunch.”

“And?” She leaned up and looked down at him, her hair falling over her shoulders.

“And, since it’s raining—” Thunder crashed again. “And pretty good, from the sounds of it, I guess we’ll have to settle for eating—”

“In the pavilion?” she suggested.

“Not if there’s lightning that goes along with all that thunder. How about…” He thought about it. “How about the attic?”

She frowned. “The attic? Which one?”

“The one in the main building. I went up there once when I got turned around, shortly after I started working here. Anyway, it’s pretty large and there’s some really cool furniture up there. We can make ourselves at home and find a place to finish plotting out our trap.”

He sat up slightly, taking her with him. Just the feel of her skin against his had his body reacting.

“Sounds good.” She moaned and started to stretch over him, but he was quick and pulled her atop him instead.

“But first.” His mouth took hers as he slid once more into her heat. “Breakfast.”

Less than an hour later, Adam walked into the kitchen whistling. Even the poor weather outside couldn’t dampen his mood.

He seemed to spread his good mood to everyone, and breakfast whizzed by. After the kitchen died down, he poured everything he had into making their picnic lunch a perfect meal.

Since they couldn’t have perfect weather, he decided to make perfect-weather food. He started with a creamy summer pasta salad, then added some German potato salad, along with orecchiette with pesto and oven-roasted tomatoes. Then he made crispy sweet potatoes, and for the main dish, lobster rolls with lemon herb butter. Rachelle’s specialty chocolate chip s’mores would be the perfect end to a summer’s meal.

He grabbed a bottle of Lilly’s favorite wine and packed everything into a large basket. He headed up half an hour early to make sure everything was perfect before she arrived.

He found the attic exactly as he remembered it, dusty and full of old-time charm. There were several large pieces of furniture pushed up against a wall and covered with sheets.

He flipped the white sheets up and found an antique thirty-inch round pedestal table with two bentwood chairs, a set his grandmother would be envious of. He pulled out the white tablecloth and started setting the table.

After the table was perfect, he continued his search and found several paintings and set them up around the table for atmosphere. He pulled a few boxes down, so that the lighting would be better then switched off the neon overheads. Lighting the silver-plated candelabra he had found under a pile of books, he sat back and surveyed his masterpiece.

Music! He rushed around the room looking for the old radio he’d seen up here earlier. Finally finding it, he pulled it over to a plug and prayed that it still worked. When the light came on and static echoed in the room, he twisted the dial until he found a station that played soft music, then he turned the volume low.

“Wow,” Lilly said from behind him. He turned around and lost his breath. She’d changed from the pencil skirt and silk blouse she’d worn last night into a flowing cream-colored summer dress that hugged her curves. Curves he enjoyed very much.

“Yes, wow.” He walked towards her and took her hand as his eyes moved slowly over her.

“This looks amazing.” She nodded to the table. “I didn’t know all of this stuff was up here.”

“I think no one else does as well.” He leaned down and placed a kiss gently on her lips, then took her hand and walked her towards the table in the middle of the room.

“I always loved that window.” She nodded to the massive floor-to-ceiling arched window. The unique shape of it was part of the charm that East Haven’s main building held. Its shape mimicked the windows on the main floor and the arches in the main entrance and hallways. “This is bigger than I remember.” She glanced around as she sat down.

“You’ve been up here before?”

“Yes, but it was so packed with boxes”—she glanced towards the window again— “there wasn’t much to see.”

He sat across from her and poured them both some wine. When he lifted the lids to the food, her eyes lit up.

“Wow, it’s like a real picnic.” She smiled. “It smells so good.” She leaned in and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.

He watched her eat, but when she stopped and glanced up at him, he realized he hadn’t touched his food yet.

“So, when do we start setting the trap?” she asked as she took a sip of her wine.

“Tonight. If it’s alright with you.” He glanced up. “I’d like to start spreading the word that we are… involved.” He held his breath.

She frowned slightly and he wondered if she knew how rapidly his heart was beating.

“What do you think that will do?” She bit her bottom lip and set down her fork. She shook her head, and her hair fell around her shoulders. She’d worn it down today, and he liked the look very much.

“For starters, I think whoever left the note will be forced to do something unexpected. Which, if you’ve ever watched a good detective show, always proves beneficial in catching the perp.”

She giggled. “Okay, so we force him to be sloppy.”

He nodded and smiled. “If all of this is about you”—his smile fell away— “about his feelings for you, then the knowledge that we’re an item will piss him off.”

“But”—she leaned closer— “why wreck my room? Why trash my stuff in the first place? Why not just leave the note?”

He shrugged. “Maybe he’s confused.”

“Speaking of confusion, I’ve got a list.” She leaned up and pulled a folded piece of paper from the pocket of her sundress. “Of employees I think would fit the profile.”

His smile returned. “So do I.” He pulled out his list from his back pocket and handed it to her.

For the next half an hour they glanced over the lists, debating the names. Some they crossed off. At the end, they had a list of ten people, all of them employees he had never liked. If it was up to him, several of them would be literally off the island.

“So, what’s the next step?” she asked finishing the last bite of her food.

Leaning down, he pulled out the box of dessert, set it between them, and opened it. “The next step is; we show everyone on the island that we’re together.”

Her eyes were glued to the s’mores. “How do we do that?”

He handed her a plate with the dessert on it. “Well, I figured after we finish this meal, we head down where we can”—his eyes locked with hers— “make a public display of ourselves.”

Her lips curved up. “Now that sounds fun.” She took a bite of the s’more and moaned with pleasure.

“If you keep moaning like that, we might have a private showing first.” Her cheeks flushed and he decided he enjoyed making her blush.

Lilly helped with the cleanup, then glanced around the room once more. “You know; this would make a great ballroom.”

He looked around again. “What would we need a ballroom for?”

“Weddings, parties, events…” She tilted her head. “A row of chairs along that wall, a glass bar there.” She pointed and spun around, then glanced down. “The flooring would need to be sanded and stained, but other than that…” She broke off. “I bet it wouldn’t take more than a few thousand dollars to fix it up.”