education, the skills, the experience to make a difference. I had been making a difference, and now I just wanted to see the ocean every day.”
“You were wrong. About her being disappointed.”
“I was wrong. She said I should find my place, and I should live my life in a way that satisfied me, that made me happy. So I came here, and I found ways to make myself happy and satisfied. I might not be here, doing what I really love, if Derrick hadn’t broken me.”
“He didn’t break you. I don’t believe in fate, in destiny, in absolutes, but sometimes it smacks you in the face. You’re where you’re meant to be because you’re meant to be here. I think you’d have found your way.”
“That’s a nice thought.” She stood on the bottom beach step, turned to him, laid her hands on his shoulders. “I have been happy here, and more open here than I ever was before. I made a very deliberate decision a year or so ago to go on my sexual fast because, though I’d met some very nice men, none of them fulfilled that part of me that may have been damaged more than I admitted. It’s a lot to lay on you, Eli, but I’d really appreciate it if you’d help me break my fast.”
“Now?”
“I was thinking now would be good.” She leaned in to kiss him. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
“Well, you did make soup.”
“And bread,” she reminded him.
“It seems like the least I can do. We ought to go in the house first.”
He cleared his throat as they started up the steps. “Ah, I’m going to have to make a quick trip to the village. I didn’t bring any protection. I haven’t been thinking much about sex until recently.”
“No problem, and no need for the trip. I put a box of condoms in your bedroom the other day. I’ve been thinking about sex recently.”
He let out a breath. “You’re the best housekeeper I’ve ever had.”
“Oh, Eli, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
Thirteen
OUT OF PRACTICE, HE THOUGHT WITH SOME NERVES AS they climbed the beach steps, and he wasn’t entirely convinced sex was like riding a damn bike.
Sure, the basics remained the basics, but the process required moves, technique, timing, finesse, tone. He liked to think he’d been pretty good at it once. Nobody’d complained, including Lindsay.
Still.
“We’re going to stop thinking about it,” Abra announced when they reached the door. “I’m messing up my head, and I’ll lay odds you’re messing up yours.”
“Maybe.”
“So let’s stop thinking.”
She peeled off her hoodie, hung it on a peg, then grabbed his jacket, yanked it off his shoulders as she pulled herself in, as she fixed her mouth on his.
His brain didn’t explode out of the top of his head, but it sure as hell banged around in there.
“That’s how it works,” she said as she tugged his jacket off, hung it up.
“Yeah, it’s coming back to me.” He grabbed her hand, pulled her along with him. “I don’t want to do this in the laundry room, or on the kitchen floor. And they’re both looking pretty good to me right now.”
With a laugh, she spun into him, took his mouth again as she flipped open buttons on his shirt. “No reason not to get started on the way.”
“That’s a point.” She wore a soft blue pullover, or did until he yanked it up and off, tossed it behind them as they arrowed toward the stairs.
She pulled at his belt; he dragged at the skinny white tank she wore under the pullover. And both of them tripped on the base of the stairs.
They teetered, groped.
“Maybe we’d better get up there,” she managed.
“Good idea.” He grabbed her hand again.
They raced up—like a couple of kids, he’d think later, running toward the big, shiny gift under the Christmas tree. Except most kids didn’t try to rip each other’s clothes off while they ran.
Out of breath, he finally stripped off her white tank as they hurtled into the bedroom.
“Oh God, look at you.”
“Look later.” She slid his belt free, let it fall to the floor with a clunk.
He knew they couldn’t dive into the bed, not literally, but he figured they came pretty damn close. He forgot about moves, timing, technique. He sure as hell forgot finesse. But she didn’t seem to mind.
He wanted those soft, pretty breasts in his hands—the femininity of the shape, the smoothness of skin. He wanted his mouth on them—the leap of her heart against his lips and