Coming Home to Seashell Harbor (Seashell Harbor #1) - Miranda Liasson Page 0,88
later, in the middle of his haircut, “how’s it going?” Hadley had dropped the scissors twice, startling the dogs as they slept on the patio. But she wore this look of intense concentration where she sank her teeth into her lower lip as she worked that was the cutest thing he’d ever seen.
“You still have beautiful hair,” she said as she lifted each layer and carefully measured as she cut. “Super thick and wavy.” The sensation of her fingers sliding through his hair was familiar and felt way too good.
“I might lose it one day,” he said, but even that thought didn’t alarm him enough to stop thinking of how much he wanted to kiss her, to pick up where they’d left off the other day at the beach. But he knew that she was thinking…a lot.
She laughed. “Somehow, I can’t imagine that. But I’d still think you were cute.”
He flicked his gaze up, and it got snared in hers, caught and trapped in the pull of her warm brown eyes. “Why would you still think I was cute if I was bald?”
“Because you have a nicely shaped head.” She ran her hand along his scalp, assessing. “Your face is nice and oval, and you have a strong jawline.” Her hand grazed over his cheek. “And as far as I can tell, your head is perfectly egg shaped.”
“Hmmm. Egg shaped. Now that sounds really sexy.”
She laughed. “The point I was trying to make is that I would like you regardless of whether or not you had hair. I always liked you for what was on the inside.”
He wasn’t really sure how many people in his life he could say that about. Especially in the past few years.
“What is it?” she asked, putting down the scissors. “You look so serious.”
“Just thinking that when you get famous, things change. People don’t like you for you a lot.”
“Well, they do here. So maybe it’s good you came back.”
“And frankly, people are looking for a down-and-out story. That’s why I have to get back up and running as soon as possible.”
Hadley shook her head. “I completely disagree with jumping on some bandwagon as fast as you can just to avoid scrutiny.”
He shrugged. “I don’t want my story to end with my football career.”
She stood in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders. “I’ve always known you were more than football.”
“That means a lot.” He took her hand. “Here’s the thing, Hadley,” he said, twining his hands with hers. “You remind me of what’s the best in me. Every minute I spend with you, I want you more. I miss you. I miss…us.”
“I miss you too,” she said, her voice practically a whisper.
They’d both leaned in, her lips close, a kiss tempting and inevitable, but he forced himself to say what he needed to say. “I can’t lie to you,” he said. “I’m off balance, off my game.”
“I’m off balance,” she countered. “I…Well, there’s no way I’m ready for another relationship right now. Not to mention if we started one and…and it didn’t work out. We’re both not in the best place.”
She seemed as nervous as he was. “Those kisses on the beach…I haven’t felt that way with anyone but you.” He paused and looked straight at her. “But I don’t want to hurt you.”
She stroked his mostly cut hair, then smoothed a hand down his cheek. Her touch was so pleasurable he closed his eyes.
He pressed his forehead to hers and they stayed there for a long moment. Then he drew back and looked at her.
“We still have a building between us.” This time, he had to make sure all the cards were on the table.
Neither of them moved. Seconds ticked. In the corner of the patio, Bowie rolled over in his bed, his tags making a soft chink. In the background, the waves gently rolled.
He should let her go, but instead of dropping her hand, he tugged on it. Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Despite everything, I want you so badly I can’t think of anything else.” There. He’d spilled what was in his heart.
“Me too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Except I’ve never kissed a man with a bad haircut before. You really should speak to your barber.”
“You’re fired,” he said. And then he kissed her.
* * *
Their lips met in a clash of passion, so different than the more tentative kisses on the beach. Cam’s lips were hungry and devouring, his mouth possessing hers with every kiss,