After a long day of shopping, basking in the sun and splashing in the waves, Sabrina donned the royal blue romper she’d purchased on her outing with Marissa. The one shoulder design made her feel young and sexy.
The sun was setting as they met the men on the veranda. Candles and landscape lights dotted the luxurious space; it was something out of a dream. David and Allen each had a beer in hand as they manned the grill.
The look in David’s eyes as he studied her made her insides clench. In a single word, it was predatory.
Beside her, Marissa snickered. “Someone’s getting lucky tonight.”
Heat rose in Sabrina’s cheeks and she gratefully accepted a glass of white wine from the cook. Herbs and spices combined with the salty sea air to make her stomach growl with appreciation.
“I’m lucky every day,” Sabrina said. It was true. After Ethan’s death, she’d made a conscious effort to look at every day with a grateful heart, to have a good attitude and meet problems head on, as Ethan had.
But since David had come back into her life, she felt more content, like her soul was finally able to rest and relax.
“That is so sweet,” Marissa cooed. “I’m pretty lucky myself.”
She shot Sabrina a brilliant smile as she rubbed her belly.
“We’ve both lucked out,” Sabrina agreed.
David slid an arm around her waist, pulling her against his side. He seemed utterly relaxed and comfortable in a pair of navy shorts and a soft gray button up. She was glad to see no signs of his earlier anxiety.
“What are you two ladies talking about?”
“How lucky we are.”
“And hormonal,” Allen teased, and kissed the top of Marissa’s head before turning his attention back to the meats and vegetables sizzling away.
“What can I help with?” Sabrina asked, snuggling into David’s embrace.
He was so big, so warm, she loved being in his arms. Close. Safe. She belonged there.
“Not a thing, Sabrina. We’re almost done. Chef has prepared everything else.”
It wasn’t long before they were gathered around the table. Allen and Marissa’s chef doted on them. It was exquisite to relax in such an idyllic setting, not tethered to her phone, no worries.
Well, one worry, but with David, she felt like she could conquer anything.
Somehow, she steered her thoughts away from a pregnancy test and to Marissa's sweet chatter. Despite being surrounded by Hollywood types, the redhead kept her sense of humor.
“My car was getting new tires, so I took Allen's car to my appointment. When I came out, there were panties tucked into the door handle.”
Sabrina's jaw dropped at the ballsy move.
“How'd they know what he drives?” David asked. Leave it to him to wonder about security.
“We never did figure that out,” Allen inserted.
“So, I take the panties, and the note, and call her.”
“Right then?” Sabrina asked, shocked that Marissa would bother. Allen only had eyes for his wife. There was no need to confront a fan, a stalker, a crazy panty-leaving-fem-fatale when your husband looked at you the way Allen did Marissa.
“Right there in the parking lot.”
“What'd she say?” David asked.
Allen just shook his head and laughed. “She didn't get a word in edgewise.”
“I told her that Allen Croft is happily married and the only panties he's interested in are mine.”
“You told her, honey,” Allen said and reached for his wife's hand.
“I did,” Marissa said with a saucy nod.
Everyone laughed and finished off their dinner over tales from the war zone, actor antics, and Sabrina's one Bridezilla.
Sabrina felt light and bubbly when the chef brought out a rich chocolate cheesecake.
“I think I've died and gone to heaven,” Sabrina murmured. And for the first time in a decade, she didn't count the calories or tabulate how much more exercise she'd need to do the next day. Instead, she slid her palm across David’s rock-hard thigh beneath the table.
He shot her an amused look.
“So, you're all settled? In Atlanta?” Marissa asked, reaching for her water glass.
“For now.”
“What? You're moving again?”
Sabrina shrugged, not sure but seeing no use in being coy. “That depends on David.”
Marissa beamed. “Ohh... sounds serious.” She let out a giggle that kept the mood light.
Sabrina didn’t deny it and neither did David.
That night, after a few rounds of cards, they said their good nights and Sabrina followed David up the stairs. Hand in hand, they made their way down the hallway to the guest room. She liked this, just being with him. Doing coupley things.
In their room, he started undoing the buttons of his shirt. Desire speared her. He was magnificent. All man. So beautifully masculine, he took her breath away.
“Everything okay?” He sat on the end of the bed and kicked off his flip flops.
His deep voice rolled over her like warm honey.
She stepped between his thighs and ran her hands over his shoulders. “You ask me that when we’re half naked in paradise?”
“I know it can’t be easy seeing friends from the west coast, now that you’re out here.”
She raked her fingertips over his chest, glorying in the ability to touch him, to be with him like this. It still blew her mind that the boy who knew all her childhood secrets was this gorgeous man. A man who knew just how to touch her and drive her wild. A man who was sweet and gentle with her when she needed him to be.
“That doesn’t really bother me,” she answered honestly.
“What is bothering you?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer to his massive chest. Would there ever be a time when simply being near him didn’t rev her engine?
“Not a thing, gorgeous. Not a thing.” He stared up at her, his expression earnest.
She recognized that he didn’t talk much about his past and she couldn’t help but wonder if there were secrets or skeletons lurking there. It was the only reason she could
