Page 21 of Return to Cheshire Bay
“He?”
“It’sjust what I call it. Seems wrong to meto address it as an it. Some days it’s she, todayit’s he.”
“You have noidea?”
Ishrugged. “None. And none of those dreams either. Some women get astrong idea about what they’re having, I haven’t had any thoughts one way oranother.”
He lefthis hand onmy belly,inching it a little to the left or right, presumable to chase downthe movements, and I doubted I would’ve complained had he movedfurther south. “That’s really nifty.” He winked as he said the lastword. “Thanks for sharing.”
I gazedinto hiseyes, notingfor the first time how deep they were, the colour of wet sand underthe moonlight, and try as I may, I couldn’t tear myself away. Mygaze searched out the laugh lines on his face, and I lowered mygaze to study his full lips.
It hadto be hormones, pure andsimple. There was no other acceptable reason. The hormones made mehorny, desperately horny, and Eric being the sweet, sexy guy he washad become my body’s focus. The truth was I was on my own for thepregnancy and the rest of my life, and I was prepared to fully takeit 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 himright there on the beach.
Instead,I moved my lips closer to his while he slowlylowered his head.
Inaheartbeat, our lipscrashed together, at first, teasing the other out as if asking forpermission, and then diving in fully, tongues intertwined as welocked our lips together.
It was agood thing I was in the water as his kiss was so powerful, it heated me to a level Inever knew existed, and had I been standing it had the intensity toweaken my knees. Just before I was out of air, he pulled away, aheat and hunger yearning in his eyes I’d wanted to see for the restof my life. He stared into my soul like no one had before. I’d justshared a deeper intimacy with him as he touched my belly and kissedthe life out of my lips than I had with Parker. How did that evenhappen? How was that even possible?
Isplashed some water over my chest and arms, unable to speak or utter a sound, but Icouldn’t stop looking at him. And the smile on his face neverfaded. My heart skipped a beat as my brain sounded an alarm,warning me I was leaving in four weeks.
ChapterNine
“Do youfeel up to surfing?” Eric stood impossibly close, as he held his surfboard in front ofhim.
We stoodat the edge of the water, shoulder to shoulder, waves slappingagainst my thighs. “I want to, but I don’t think I could paddle outsince I can’t lay on mystomach.” My hands ran around the swell of my belly.
“You couldfrog lay. Would that help?” He passed me his board.
“I don’t thinkso.”
I hadn’taccepted the board fully, yet. I really wanted to try, but I wassure I’d be unable to get out far enough to enjoy the ride in. And popping up? Thatcould be an issue since I hadn’t in years and my balance wasn’twhat it used to be, thanks to the baby throwing off my centre ofgravity.
“I’llswim out beside you. You don’t have to go out far. I can seethe desire in your eyesto at least give it a shot.”
Thedesire was more than just for the possibility of surfing, it wasfor the handsome guy offering me theopportunity. This time, I jumped at the chance. Ithad 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. Thefrog pose was the most awkward, with my boobs flattened against theboard and my rear end up in the air, giving an undignified view toEric who swam behind me.
I didn’tgetvery far out beforeI called it quits, fighting to catch my breath. “I giveup.”
Maybe ifI’d been doing it my whole pregnancy, it would be natural, but thiswasbeyondodd.
“Aw, toobad, I enjoyed the perspective.” He swam to the front of the boardandput his arms on,resting his chin on top.
Breathlessly, Irolled up and straddled the board, my legs dangling in the waterand checked out how far I’d managed to go out. Our houses dottedthe landscape, and I could still see the towel I’d hung on theupstairs banister.
“Comeup, sit withme.Rest.”
Eric managed tohop on the head of the board without tipping us into the water andslid his way closer while we floated and breathed and basked in thesun.
Togetherwe bobbed with the motion of the ocean, slowly drifting towardsland. The sunheated mychest and warmed my skin as I held the foot of the board behind myback.
“God, you’regorgeous.”
I tippedmy head up to look him straight in the eyes.“You’re pretty damnhandsome yourself.”
Hisvoice lowered to a deep and sexy level. “I’d love to take you right here on my board.” Thesexy way he was devouring my body turned me on, again.
“What?”My voice cracked. No way that could happen. I’ve done manythings on a surfboard,but never that. As turned on as I was by the prospect…