He kept thrusting his finger, fucking her deep, holding the same hot rhythm, never letting it fall off. She continued to howl her satiation, her cries like nothing he’d ever heard from her before—and would never hear from her again—but at least he’d made her feel it, at least he’d given her a pleasure that deep.
When finally her cries turned to whimpers, she opened her eyes to pull him into a kiss, and that was what pushed him over the edge. “Oh God, me, too,” he said, then felt the assaulting bliss as he spurt his seed up into her, pulling her down, hard, hard, hard, on his throbbing cock. “Yes, yes,” he whispered as the pleasure stretched long and draining, as his cock finally emptied itself completely in her sweet pussy.
She fell against him in a huge hug; he held her warm and tight and knew in that moment without fail that this was what life was about.
Moments later, he carried her naked up onto the beach, laying her down on the blanket and wrapping them both up in it to peer at the newly risen crescent moon, looking like a bright smile in the dark sky.
They exchanged slow, sweet kisses.
He said, “Stay.”
She blinked up at him. “What?”
“Don’t go back. Stay.”
He heard her sigh. “But I have a life there. A business. I’ve worked hard to build my business.”
“So start a new business here.”
Carrie was at once amazed, touched, and frightened. She knew she’d fallen in love with him, and she knew they’d just had the sexual liaison of a lifetime, but she’d only known Chris for a week. She had no idea how many girls he might have gotten this involved with, how many times he might have made such a request.
Deep inside, she knew this wasn’t an everyday thing for him, though, just as it wasn’t for her. In fact, she was forced to recall his story about the one girl he’d loved who hadn’t loved him back, and he wondered if maybe it was possible he felt exactly as she did now—but even so, there was so much at stake.
Her beloved bookstore. She’d built it from nothing into a thriving business in a time when most independent stores failed. How could she possible abandon what she’d worked so hard for in exchange for what, honestly, was an uncertain life? What would she do here? How would she make a living? How long would their romance last?
It was all too quick, too fast. She’d let go, surrendered herself, her beliefs, her heart—but with the understanding that this was temporary. How could she let go of her entire existence completely?
She gazed into Chris’s eyes, turned dark by moonlight. “How would you feel if I asked you to give up your business and come to Maryland?”
He flinched and she knew the question had hit home. “Not great,” he admitted, “but…Key West is a lot more fun than Maryland.”
“And Maryland is where I’ve worked just as hard as you to establish a business I love.”
He sighed, glanced down, softly kissed her breast. “You’re right. I understand about your business. I know what a huge part of you it becomes, how it means everything.”
She leaned her forehead against his, and could scarcely believe she was turning him down. “Maybe I’m passing up something wonderful, Chris, I don’t know. But I can’t stay.” She gave her head a slight shake and worked to hold back the tears that threatened. She’d worried so much about leaving Key West with a broken heart, but she’d never dreamed it would be her decision that would break it.
* * * * *
He woke the next morning in her hotel room, in her arms, after another night of mind-blowing sex. Like at the beach, they’d started out soft and slow and ended up rough and raging. He’d been tempted to ask her one more time to stay, but had resisted. He’d known from the start that she was a woman on vacation, a woman on the rebound from a tragically broken engagement, and that this was her chance to cut loose for once in her life. It hadn’t been meant to turn into love, but for him, it had, and it only meant he’d have to get over her and find a way to guard his heart a little closer from now on.
They ordered a room service breakfast and ate on the balcony. She acted cheerful, so he tried to, as well. He found himself wishing it were twenty-four hours earlier, that yesterday was starting over with brunch at Blue Heaven and that they’d have their day at the beach all over again.
“I can drive you to the airport,” he said across the table.
She shook her head. “I made arrangements to ride with Amy and Cole. They’re flying back today, too, from Miami, and our flights leave at almost the same time.”
He couldn’t help being disappointed. He’d looked forward to the three hour drive up the Keys as a chance to say goodbye. “When do you leave?”
She’d already dressed in light summer pants and a matching top—something Carrie the Angel would wear. She checked her watch. “In about an hour.”
He nodded, not quite knowing what to do or say. Maybe they’d said it all already.
After eating, she walked to the balcony railing and gazed out on the ocean. He followed and let his arms circle her from behind. Without warning, she turned in his arms and kissed him hard and desperate, then peered up into his eyes. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
He only nodded. I love you.
Last chance. Last call for telling her the thing that might make her stay.
But he still didn’t say it. Memories of a rejection that had scarred him held the words inside. Besides, if she didn’t want to stay, three little words weren’t going to change anything.
When it was time for her to go, he walked her down to the lobby, waited as she checked out,
