Layers(67)

He brushes his finger along the side of my face from my temple to my jawline, tracing my lips with his thumb, molten hazel eyes not leaving mine. He has on a new expression that I haven’t seen before and it both makes my heart pang and unnerves me at the same time.

“Scoot closer to me,” he asks in a thick voice, his eyes still fixed on mine. As I slide closer he lifts me by my thighs to sit astride him. He pulls my hair back again, holding it in one hand at the nape of my neck and leans in to plant a gentle kiss on my lips. We’re rocked slightly by small waves as he tips my chin up so my eyes can meet his unreadable, deep gaze. His other arm wraps around me, his hand spread flat on my lower back. His gaze softens as his hold on me firms.




Leaning closer to me, our noses inches away, he whispers, “I love you” then softly kisses my startled lips. “I am so in love with you, Hayley,” he breathes, his eyes boring into me.

Once his words sink in, the air in my lungs escapes, leaving them utterly void as my heart wrenches in the most severe manner. Intense, unfamiliar emotions twirl in me and I try to tag along as they sweep me in one direction—the direction of this incredible man who just told me he loves me. Overwhelmed by the deepest sensation of adoration I hug him tight in an almost painful grip for long stretched beats then pull back and kiss him with everything I have. I breathe him in as deeply as I can. The sea, the sunset, our closeness, him, his words. I want to stay in this moment forever.

We embrace, folding into each other, kissing till the wind starts swaying us toward the deeper waters.





Chapter 27: By the Fire


Daniel hands me a towel as he unloads the back of the car. Piling up several logs he brought with us into a cone shape, he lights a bonfire.

“You really rocked out there,” he grins at me appreciatively under the dim evening light, to which I respond with a bow.

“So did you,” I send him a thin smile, still tantalized by his earlier declaration.

“I always do, out there.” He winks. You always do, period. “Beer or wine?” he asks, looking into the cooler.

“Beer,” I answer, taking small steps toward him, closing the distance between us.

“Always the right answer,” he murmurs under his breath clinking my bottle with his. Before closing the door he takes a guitar out of the trunk.

Guitar? D plays the guitar?

Sitting by the warm fire with my suit peeled halfway to my waist, I’m mesmerized as I watch him over the dancing red and yellow flames. Waves of the fire’s warmth carried by the night’s gentle wind flutter in my face. He gazes at me under his lashes with a thin smile. His face is briefly illuminated by the play of the flames back and forth, and obscured as the light fades away. This game of shadow and light swaying on his handsome features enthralls me every time another small part of his face is enhanced by the soft blaze.

He tunes the strings of the guitar cradled in his arms, the flames now illuminating his eyes a reddish-orange shade. I stare at him through the flames as they link with mine for one brief moment. His lips curve up, pulling his sensual scar with them. I can’t take my eyes off him, nor do I want to.

His long fingers turn to deftly run over the stretched strings, the first chords scattering into the night air. Almost inaudibly, he softly murmurs the lyrics, his voice low, throaty. He lifts his eyes up to meet mine and captivates them; I hug my bent legs, embracing myself, utterly dazzled by him. He is playing my song. Something is happening inside of me: these are not just raging butterflies winding through my core. My entire body clenches to one pleasantly aching, tight knot. A lump slowly swells in my throat and I try very hard to prevent tears from rolling down my cheeks, but without much luck. I am too emotional and my willpower betrays me. The music stops at once, and Daniel’s eyes turn wide open, wide open and concerned.

“Hales, what’s wrong?” his soft voice demands in alarm. Not waiting for my reply he moves closer to me, enveloping me, nuzzling my hair. He tilts my head to even our stares. “Am I that bad?” He tries to humor me, wiping my tears with his thumbs then bends to flutter gentle kisses on my eyes.

I mutter between hushed sobs, “Bad and you don’t exist in the same universe.” And I crush my lips to his, kissing him with all my unspoken emotions incorporated into that one kiss, letting myself dissolve into his embrace.

When I come up for air after a few extended moments I manage to finally say what was processing at the back of my mind throughout the day. “I can’t believe how much I love you.” His embrace tightens and I rest my head on his shoulder whispering, “I love you so much, Daniel.”

He slowly relaxes the intensity of his embrace, and tilts his head back, that tender new stare again in his eyes. A small timid smile forms on his lips and he kisses me with an all-absorbing tenacity. “That’s no reason to shed tears, my sweet Hayley.” He flutters powder-like kisses on my eyes again, lingering on one then the other, ending his kissing my tears away tour on my lips. “It’s a reason to do a lot of other pleasuring things, but not shed tears, baby.”

I snicker at the innuendo and my mouth curves over his, my smile mirroring the one rooted on his lips.

“Come here.” He helps me nestle between his legs; I lean back and burrow in his firm, guarding embrace, his loving embrace. When I’m cuddled, all wrapped in his calming cage, he kisses my neck with little feathery kisses, forming a dense, invisible trail toward my collarbone.