of pleasure firing through her brain and body. “Tomorrow night, you mean?” Her parents wouldn’t like it if she left that night, even after dinner and presents.
“Your birthday. Yes.” He dipped down and sucked her throat.
“Yes, please. See me tomorrow.” She was a grownup. If she wanted to go out on her birthday, she would.
“I want to see all of you tomorrow.”
Lia didn’t know how they’d manage that, but she said, “Me too.”
~oOo~
Her parents weren’t pleased, she could tell. Papa’s jaw did that twitchy thing. But before he could say something against her plan, Mamma said it was fine, that Lia should do what she wanted on her special day.
Papa had been locked in his office when Alex came to pick her up.
Now, they were parked in the lot outside the lighthouse again. Lia liked the view here, but it was dusty and musty—and chilly—inside. She’d been hoping for a room at a hotel, somewhere away from Quiet Cove and all the people who knew her. And also fresh linens and fluffy pillows.
Alex opened the passenger door of his hotrod and leaned in to offer his hand. He was like her father in this way—a gentleman with old-fashioned manners. Lia took his hand and stepped from his car.
He changed his hold, wove his fingers through hers, and Lia’s heart pitter-patted. It was just holding hands, but it felt so intimate, so possessive, to have his fingers between hers. His hands were big, and stretched her fingers a little, but she didn’t care.
Since she was old enough to think boys were interesting, she’d wanted to feel like this, but every boy she’d thought was interesting had been afraid of her father—or simply not interested in her.
She’d never have imagined a man who really knew her father, who was one of his men and had seen him in action, would be the one not to fear him. Or to want her enough to overcome his fear.
At the door, Alex let go of her hand and slipped his key into the lock.
“I like it here,” she said.
He answered with a Cheshire grin and opened the door.
Like the first time, he switched on a desk lamp.
Lia gasped and covered her mouth.
This homey little first floor had been tidied up. The surfaces were clear of dust, and the air smelled faintly of polish and cleaning fluid, not unlike her house smelled on Monday evenings, after Emilia did the weekly heavy clean.
The little bed was made, with pillows and linens, including a puffy comforter. There was a sheen to the pale sheets; Lia thought they might be satin.
A silver bucket sat on the table, with a green bottle iced inside it, and two glass flutes on the side. Three thick pillar candles, as yet unlit, were arranged on the table, too.
And a basket of strawberries from Corti Market.
And a small box, wrapped in sparkling silver paper.
Lia didn’t know what to do or say. Until Alex, she’d never had a real date, much less a boyfriend, much less a romantic birthday tryst.
“Too much?” he asked. Doubt kicked up at the end of the question.
Lia could only shake her head and stare at what he’d done, but that was answer enough.
Alex grinned. “Happy birthday, babe.”
“You are …” Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t want to be weepy right now. Swallowing all that emotion back down, she tried again. “You’re amazing.”
With an audible sigh of relief, Alex walked away from her before she could do what she wanted and throw her arms around him. He went to the table and lit the candles with a matchbook that had been sitting on the table. “Do you want some champagne?”
“Sure,” she said and joined him beside the table. She picked up the box in the sparkling paper. “Is this for me?”
He worked the cork off without making a mess. “No, it’s for my other girlfriend whose birthday is today.”
The word girlfriend in his sexy voice, referring to her, for the first time, stopped her brain cold, but she recovered and found something equally teasing to say back. “Well, darn. I was hoping it was for me.”
Hip-checking her lightly, he said, “Open it. It’s not much, but I hope you like it.”
She eased the paper off and set it aside. A black cardboard box held another black box, this one velveteen. Opening that, Lia found a silver bracelet bedded on velveteen lining. A simple silver chain, with a single, solid silver star dangling from it.