wondering if you’d really be waiting for me when the ferry docked tonight?”
“I was pretty nervous myself,” Riley admitted.
“I forgot to ask you what you wanted to cook tonight,” he said, making the sharp turn onto the narrow path leading to Sandy Point. “I didn’t know if you’d like fish or meat or what, so I covered all my bets with some mahi steaks and a couple of little filets. I had Mom bring some stuff over from the Mercantile to stock the fridge, too.”
“Does your mom know about us?” Riley asked shyly.
“Of course.” He paused. “Wait. Was I not supposed to let Annie know?”
“No, that’s fine,” Riley said. “Actually a lot of people on the island know about us now. Including Maggy and Evelyn.”
“Oh yeah?” He pulled the cart up in front of the cabin. It was still daylight, but the front porch light was on.
“Let’s unload your groceries and pour a drink,” Riley said grimly. “And then I’ll tell you what happened.”
* * *
They found a Mason jar full of sunflowers on the kitchen table and a chilled bottle of champagne in the refrigerator, along with a cheese and pâté plate and a baguette of French bread.
Nate opened the wine and poured a glass for Riley and opened a beer for himself, then led her by the hand to the sofa.
She sat down beside him, and he pulled her into his arms. “I’ve thought about this every night while I was gone,” he said, running his hands through her hair and nibbling on her earlobes. “You wanna know how nutty I am about you? I pulled up some of your old video clips on YouTube and watched them at night, when I couldn’t sleep.”
Riley laughed. “Now, that’s just weird.”
“It gets weirder,” he chuckled. “It got so I got a hard-on every time I heard that stupid theme music for your Wake Up, Carolina show.”
She stood up and pulled him to his feet. “Okay, I know how to fix that.”
Nate grinned. “Should I put the coals on first?”
“Later,” Riley said, slipping out of her sandals. “We’ve got all night.” He had her undressed before they made it to the bed. “I want you,” he said, stripping off her panties and bra. “Stand right there and just let me look at you,” he said, his voice hoarse. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her ears and shoulder blades. He lifted her hair and kissed the nape of her neck and she shivered with delight. He ran his hands lightly up her belly and cupped a breast in each hand, and sitting on the edge of the bed, he slowly kissed his way down her spine, pausing at each vertebrae. He slid his hands downward, then pulled her onto his lap, teasing her with his fingertips, entering her and stroking her until she was mindless with pleasure.
Riley turned and pushed him backward onto the bed. She pulled his shirt over his head and fumbled with his zipper while he watched, his head propped up on the pillows, while she tugged and struggled until she had him naked.
She ran her hands lightly down his chest, then stroked and fondled and kissed him until he could stand it no longer. He raised himself above her and smiled down at her.
“You’re doing it again,” Riley whispered.
“What?”
“Smiling,” she said, touching a finger to his lips. “Having fun.”
“And what about you?” he asked.
She reached up and guided him into her, raising her hips to meet his. “No more talking.”
58
“Now I wish you had started those coals,” she said, hours later. She rolled over on the bed and grabbed her phone to check the time. “It’s after nine, and I’m starving.”
He nipped at her neck and tried to pull her back to him. “Starved for love?”
“Starved for food,” she said firmly. “Dinner now. Love later.”
“I’ll go start the coals,” he said. “You want a shower? There are clean towels in the bathroom.”
He went to the dresser, got a pair of shorts, and stepped into them while Riley picked up her discarded clothes and headed for the bathroom.
She’d just stepped out of the shower and was toweling off when she heard her phone ringing in the bedroom. She grabbed it and paused before hitting the connect button. The call was from her mother.
Riley frowned down at the phone. She let the call go to voice mail and got dressed.
By the time she’d walked into the kitchen, Nate was slicing tomatoes for a