but secretly, it scares the shit out of you. Claire may drive you crazy, but she’s your best friend, and you’d lay down your life for her.
“And you visit church every year, no matter what the day, on the anniversary of your remission diagnosis, and send your mom flowers to let her know you’re thinking of her.”
“Shaw—” my voice quivers.
“That’s only the tip of the iceberg. I have ten years of facts and knowledge that I’ve been storing up. I may have been blind to so many things, but I’ve never been blind to who you are. This is not getting to know you, because I already do, and I love everything about you. It’s time to build new memories, together.
“I’m not an idiot. There are things I don’t know, but I will, because I vow to discover everything about you. We may have a history, but we now have a future together. One afternoon has changed my entire life. You seem to have a knack for doing that.”
I have no words. Actually, I do. I have to bite my tongue from declaring my everlasting love and humiliating myself. So, instead of speaking, I throw myself at him and crush my mouth to his, pouring my response into the kiss.
He’s still at first then meets me stroke for stroke as our tongues move together. I grind down on him, feeling every inch of his hard erection against my center as his arms fold around me. He breaks away, but I don’t stop kissing him, covering very inch of his face with my lips. When I finally reach his ear, I get up the courage I never knew I had.
“I want new memories with you more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
He gives a throaty moan and twists, so I am once again under him. “So we start now with you in my bed. And tomorrow, when we wake up, we start again.”
Chapter 7
Shaw
Our Captain gives us the last of the instructions, and I glance around the boat, seeing everyone is at ease with his directions. Except Bizzy. Her face is so scrunched, I would bet money she’d be taking notes if she had a pen and paper. Her lips move, repeating his words, and she gives him a shy grin when he walks by.
Everyone sits as the mate helps guide us out of the slip and into the intercostal toward the ocean. I take out my phone and order an enormous bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine for Gail, along with a note for her to take Monday off. I make sure to have it delivered today and then shut my phone off.
She did a hell of a job arranging this at the last minute when I called her last night, and I suspect there will be questions when I return to the office on Tuesday. But it was worth it, knowing I now have the next two nights and days free of work obligations. After we get off this boat today, it’s just me and Bizzy and a shitload of time alone.
Darren Jackson didn’t blink an eye when I asked if we could change our Saturday night dinner to a chartered fishing trip. He jumped on the idea. I invited Joe to come with us, knowing how much he enjoys being on the water. And after last night’s dinner, he was stoked to spend more time getting to know each other.
The only problem was fucking Perry. He took all of four hours to decide he fucked up and wanted another chance to talk. I ignored his calls, but when he called Gail, she reluctantly invited him along today. I tried to insist she rescind the invitation, but she laughed at me and refused, reminding me everyone deserves a second chance.
I started to argue, but Bizzy came out, dressed for the day, and the argument was the last thing on my mind. She was dressed casually in shorts and a tank top over her bathing suit, but she had her long hair pulled through the back of a baseball cap. She has always been beautiful, but this morning, it was more. She was adorably beautiful. One look and I grew hard, thinking of running my hand through the hair I love so much as I kissed her, again and again.
She gave me a knowing grin and was halfway to my outstretched arms when her phone rang. She waved it at me with an apologetic look and went in the