Chapter Sixty Seven

"What do you think? I stayed the hell out of it. What can I say.... Deanie is the one who always gets on my parents' nerves. They can't stay mad at her for long anyways so I guess it always works out well for her"

She laughed and leaned against the rails. "I can't wait to take a walk barefoot on the beach. It's been a while since I let myself do anything else apart from work"

When she turned back to him, he reached out and brushed his fingertip against the tip of her nose. Such a jolt of electricity went through her, she drew back sharply, tucking her chin and touching the spot herself to soothe the lingering burn. A myriad of feelings swirled through her. Self-consciousness, sheepish amusement, something uncertain and shy as she reacted to the most innocuous of caresses from him. His shrewd gaze seemed to delve all the way to her soul.

"Am I invited to that walk?" he asked softly.

Chloe gave him a small smile. "Sure you are," she said.

Her entire body was still tingling from the brush of his fingertip against her nose. He made her think and want and wonder. She wasn't a covetous person. But as he reached his hand out to her again, she had this urge to take the risk, let go of her inhibitions and see where this would go. Chloe's lashes swept down shyly as Timothy tucked her hair behind her ear. He took the liberty of smoothing her hair, allowing his touch to linger against the fine, soft tails. He touched her chin, urging her to lift her mouth. The tip of her tongue appeared to wet them. His skin tightened. He lowered his head.

He grazed his lips against hers until his own burned with anticipation. A small gasp parted her lips and she opened her eyes. Her pupils looked massive, and the light changed around him, telling him his own were reacting. All of him was expanding in an urge to overwhelm but he only kept that one finger crooked under her chin, wanting the full impact to be this. He settled his mouth more firmly over hers, felt the tremble of her soft, soft lips. The timid response as he took his time rocking to find the perfect fit.

She lifted on her toes to increase the pressure and her lips clung to his. A noise he didn't consciously make growled in his throat. He moved his hand to the side of her neck so her pulse pounded against the heel of his palm, and gave himself more freedom. He explored the silky shape of her lips from the pillowy softness of her bottom lip to the luscious curve of her top lip.

Then he tasted her. Deeply.

And she moaned.

He was dimly aware of her hands splaying against his ribs, nails like kitten claws as she searched for balance while rising higher on her toes, wanting more.

Sliding his arm around her slender waist to support her, he pulled her in. Her one arm came up around his neck and the warm swells of her breasts mashed into his chest. She softened in surrender, unleashing the barbarian in him. He dug his hand into the thick silk of her hair and plundered. Made love to her mouth and filled his hand with the lush cheek of her behind. Pulled her up so she could feel his growing arousal straining against her mound.

She dove her fingers into his hair and encouraged him. Sucked delicately on his tongue while shyly dallying her own across it. It was both carnal and sweet. He forgot everything except that this woman ought to be his. He wanted to take her to his bedroom and make it happen. He also wanted to stand here and savor the kiss. Wanted to take his time with the most purely sensual woman he'd ever met. As he started to guide her leg up to curl her knee at his hip, her other foot turned. She gasped and grasped at him. He had a firm hold on her and it only took a half step to regain their balance, but it was enough to pull them out of their sexual spiral.

Her expression was stunned. His heart was pounding, his breath uneven.

"Wow... That-" She carefully drew back until she stood before him without so much as a loose thread connecting them. Her shaking hand went to her mouth.

"That was... Amazing" Timothy completed for her in a voice still husky with desire.

"Yes" she whispered.

Timothy reached for her again. Not to kiss her, but to pull her into his embrace. His arms wrapped around her, sniffing her hair while she clung to him.

"I'm glad you are here with me, Chloe," he said.

Chloe's arms tightened around him. "Same here, Tim" she murmured..

—-------------

They dined that evening on the veranda, overlooking the ocean. Heat lamps took the chill off the air and added a pinkish glow to the candlelight against the white tablecloth. A slow romantic song hummed sweetly from unseen speakers. The sky stayed indigo so the stars remained faint, rather than twinkling against an ink-black sky.

It would have been even more fairy-tale perfection if a block of tension hadn’t fallen between the both of them. She had wanted him to kiss her….loved it in fact. It had raced through her, blanking her to everything except the primal flex of his shoulders and neck, his raw, masculine scent and the lingering taste of alcohol on his tongue. Her butt still felt the imprint of his hand. The intimacy of kissing him refused to be ten as she set delicate morsels of duck soaked in orange liqueur into her mouth and chased them with a shred of clove-spiced beet and a sip of a full- bodied red wine..

She had thought she was a mature, independent adult, but as she contemplated kissing him again, she felt as though she stood in the narrow space between the girl she had been and the woman she had become.

"You know you haven't once spoken to me about your parents since we.... reconnected” he said, breaking the silence. "How are they?... You know, if you don't mind me asking"

She didn't, she realized with an almost visceral thunk of realization inside her, but she was happy to break the silence between them. Chloe sipped her wine to wet her throat. “They are fine.” she replied. "They are going great... Individually. But together....that's not the case" she shook her head. "Well, since the divorce, they are barely able to stay in the same room without getting on each other's nerves. They can't stand each other. It’s ard to believe that they were once married"