Let’s see. Marinated mushrooms, chorizo, and olives. Oh my God, is that ceviche?”
“It loves to be cold.”
“Tell me that’s Man-chengo,” she said, popping a wedge in her mouth. “Yep.”
“If you’re referring to the cheese, it’s Manchego.”
“Not like Jemma and I…used to call it. We dubbed it the Man-chengo.”
Ah, that wicked sense of humor. Hadn’t he always loved it? “Why?”
“Because it’s a funnier name—and really nutty.” She kissed him again, deeper this time. “You did all this for me?”
“Sure.”
She tore her sunglasses off. Her green eyes outdid the lush pines snaking up the mountain. His heart shifted, and it felt like it was falling clear out of his body. He didn’t want to tear his eyes away from her. Realized he could gaze at her forever.
His insides shook. God, he so didn’t want to screw things up between them. And after his parents, he wasn’t sure he could ever have a forever with anyone. Even her. Time for a toast, he decided, grabbing a glass, cursing himself for thinking about his parents at a time like this.
“To us,” he said because any romantic words had evaporated from his mind.
Their glasses clinked. “To us.” She took a sip. “Yum. Thanks, Bri.”
He popped an olive in his mouth, off balance. Their relationship made him feel a whole hell of a lot more than he was ready to feel. Hadn’t he just gotten out of an insane relationship not too long ago? One that had consumed him, annihilated him. He loved being with Jill, but when she looked at him like that…She had always looked at him like that. Like he was everything, could do anything.
He couldn’t be her hero.
He wasn’t a hero.
Hadn’t he proved that in New York?
She dug into the food, talking with her hands. Everything she said came from her whole heart. God, he didn’t want to hurt her by not being able to give her everything she wanted.
A blue jay cackled from the nearby tree, and squirrels chased each other, jumping from branch to branch. Occasional moans danced across her lips as she ate and drank her champagne. He ate in silence. He’d gotten carried away. It was Valentine’s Day for Christ’s sake. He’d feel normal tomorrow.
He fed her more tapas. They ate. Sipped more champagne. Took a few pictures of each other and then one of them together. Then he put the picnic away. She seemed to naturally end up with her head leaning against his chest as they both looked out over the valley.
The quiet unnerved him. Being with Jill and not needing to talk was new. Part of him wanted to talk about anything and everything to take away the intensity.
When she turned her head and met his gaze, his breath caught. He could drown in those luminous green eyes. His hand cupped her cheek. Drown was too scary. He could wade in them.
The tightness in his chest didn’t ease, but he fit his mouth to hers like it was the most natural thing in the world.
***
Jill kept her eyes open as he kissed her, tracing his dark brows, the slash of his high cheekbones. Was there anything more dear to her? Hadn’t she missed this face?
He sipped at her lips and stroked her tongue in long sweeps, making her heart sing. Her blood boiled. She tugged on his lower lip as he turned her onto her back.
“Do you have any idea how much I want to kiss your breasts right now?”
She inhaled sharply. Everything inside tightened. “Well, it is pretty warm in the sun. So long as you cover me up from the rays, I can give you a little skin.”
He tugged on her zipper. “Afraid of a sunburn?”
She helped him lift her shirt. “Jemma and I tried sunbathing topless once when we were teenagers. You have no idea how much that hurt.”
Her nipple tightened. “You mean here?”
“Yes, there.”
He met her gaze dead on. “What do you want? Tell me.”
Voicing her desires was new and awkward and…kinda hot. “I want you…to kiss my breasts.”
His mouth tipped up. “So do I,” he murmured as he lowered his
“It loves to be cold.”
“Tell me that’s Man-chengo,” she said, popping a wedge in her mouth. “Yep.”
“If you’re referring to the cheese, it’s Manchego.”
“Not like Jemma and I…used to call it. We dubbed it the Man-chengo.”
Ah, that wicked sense of humor. Hadn’t he always loved it? “Why?”
“Because it’s a funnier name—and really nutty.” She kissed him again, deeper this time. “You did all this for me?”
“Sure.”
She tore her sunglasses off. Her green eyes outdid the lush pines snaking up the mountain. His heart shifted, and it felt like it was falling clear out of his body. He didn’t want to tear his eyes away from her. Realized he could gaze at her forever.
His insides shook. God, he so didn’t want to screw things up between them. And after his parents, he wasn’t sure he could ever have a forever with anyone. Even her. Time for a toast, he decided, grabbing a glass, cursing himself for thinking about his parents at a time like this.
“To us,” he said because any romantic words had evaporated from his mind.
Their glasses clinked. “To us.” She took a sip. “Yum. Thanks, Bri.”
He popped an olive in his mouth, off balance. Their relationship made him feel a whole hell of a lot more than he was ready to feel. Hadn’t he just gotten out of an insane relationship not too long ago? One that had consumed him, annihilated him. He loved being with Jill, but when she looked at him like that…She had always looked at him like that. Like he was everything, could do anything.
He couldn’t be her hero.
He wasn’t a hero.
Hadn’t he proved that in New York?
She dug into the food, talking with her hands. Everything she said came from her whole heart. God, he didn’t want to hurt her by not being able to give her everything she wanted.
A blue jay cackled from the nearby tree, and squirrels chased each other, jumping from branch to branch. Occasional moans danced across her lips as she ate and drank her champagne. He ate in silence. He’d gotten carried away. It was Valentine’s Day for Christ’s sake. He’d feel normal tomorrow.
He fed her more tapas. They ate. Sipped more champagne. Took a few pictures of each other and then one of them together. Then he put the picnic away. She seemed to naturally end up with her head leaning against his chest as they both looked out over the valley.
The quiet unnerved him. Being with Jill and not needing to talk was new. Part of him wanted to talk about anything and everything to take away the intensity.
When she turned her head and met his gaze, his breath caught. He could drown in those luminous green eyes. His hand cupped her cheek. Drown was too scary. He could wade in them.
The tightness in his chest didn’t ease, but he fit his mouth to hers like it was the most natural thing in the world.
***
Jill kept her eyes open as he kissed her, tracing his dark brows, the slash of his high cheekbones. Was there anything more dear to her? Hadn’t she missed this face?
He sipped at her lips and stroked her tongue in long sweeps, making her heart sing. Her blood boiled. She tugged on his lower lip as he turned her onto her back.
“Do you have any idea how much I want to kiss your breasts right now?”
She inhaled sharply. Everything inside tightened. “Well, it is pretty warm in the sun. So long as you cover me up from the rays, I can give you a little skin.”
He tugged on her zipper. “Afraid of a sunburn?”
She helped him lift her shirt. “Jemma and I tried sunbathing topless once when we were teenagers. You have no idea how much that hurt.”
Her nipple tightened. “You mean here?”
“Yes, there.”
He met her gaze dead on. “What do you want? Tell me.”
Voicing her desires was new and awkward and…kinda hot. “I want you…to kiss my breasts.”
His mouth tipped up. “So do I,” he murmured as he lowered his
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