read those, and given the time period they were set in, I figured it would be wise to learn from something a little more modern.
“Oh boy,” I muttered, turning the page. This woman was due home any moment, and her husband was waiting for her. Her angry and betrayed husband.
Somehow, I’d gotten too caught up in the stories to pay much attention to the sex scenes, but I couldn’t find it within me to care all that much. Not when this woman was about to be kicked out on the street. I made a mental note to give this one to Adela when I was done.
“What are you doing?”
The book fell as a silent screech barreled up my throat. “Ever,” I panted, hand on my pulsing chest. “A little warning.”
“Nah.” Lips sliding into his cheek, he tapped the windowsill. “I like watching you when you think no one is looking.” Before I could even blink, he said, “Meet me out front.”
Reaching for my book, I deposited it on the nightstand, and with only a brief glance at the bedroom door, I threw back the bedding.
After shuffling into a cardigan to hide the absence of my bra, I shimmied out the window and rounded the side of the house.
Leaning against the back of the bus, Everett stomped out his cigarette, then gestured for me to hurry.
“Where are we going? I have no shoes, and I’m in my pajamas.”
“The ocean doesn’t care.”
Laughing, I lit up inside when his hand clasped mine, and we raced down the alleyway and side streets leading to the beach.
The air was warm, the crickets chirping between breaks of the crashing waves.
Everett kicked off his boots at the base of the stairs, then tugged me onto the vacant stretch of sand.
Lying down, his fingers memorizing mine, he murmured, “I get it now.”
Tearing my attention from the stars, I peeked over at him. The half-moon gave glimpses of his jaw, his nose and mouth shadowed. His eyes stayed fixed on the night sky. “Get what?”
“The glow worms.”
Turning back to face the sky, I smiled. “Oh.”
Some minutes passed, and thanks to his hypnotic touch and the lull of the sea, my eyes began to lose the battle, fluttering closed.
“You know, you’re probably one of the only girls a guy could randomly drag to the beach and lie in the sand with without wondering why we aren’t fucking.” He huffed, the sound dry with humor. “Or complaining about sand in your hair.”
My nose and chest bunched, my hand tensing in his. “Sorry,” he said, quick and soft. “I’m…” he sighed, exasperation coating the exhale.
I sat up. “Let’s go.”
“Clover, wait.”
Tearing off my cardigan, I let the breeze carry it to the sand, and then I stepped out of my sleep shorts.
In nothing but my cotton tank and panties, I waded into the foaming water, shivering as it reached my waist.
“Stevie!”
I ignored him. A wave crested, and I dived beneath it, swimming through cold midnight depths toward the moon. Shoving my hair out of my face, I treaded water, clearing the salt from my eyes.
The roar of the water drowned out his approach, but when he broke through the surface, just in time to keep from being pulled back to the shore in a violent tumble, I smiled.
Confusion swept his brows together, and he raked a hand over his face, ridding it of water and his hair. “A little warning.”
Laughing, I spat water at him, my eyes drifting over those broad, naked shoulders. “Nah, I like wondering if you’ll chase me.”
Water lapped, a gentle push as we stared, and then we both moved at the same time. “What were you reading?” He rubbed at his nostrils, his face bobbing close to mine.
“A book.”
Unamused, he hooked an arm around my waist, dragging me closer. Our feet tangled beneath the surface, wanting to join but needed to stay afloat. “You looked more invested than usual.”
His curious eyes, coupled with his hand sliding beneath my tank, fingers skimming over my lower back, made me relent. “I ordered some romance books online.”
He didn’t so much as blink. “Yeah? You like them now?”
Nodding, I admitted, “I wanted some advice, I guess.”
It took a moment, but then it registered. Everett chuckled, his smile both grim and warm. “Does it feel like we need advice?” Pulling me closer, he urged my legs around his waist, and my hands slid over his bare shoulders. “When we touch, does it feel like we need any kind of instruction manual?” Lifting me, he