One Look: A grumpy, single dad small town romance(24)

Wyatt flicked his wrist. “I said come on. I’ll catch you.”

I shook my head. “No way.”

He lifted a shoulder. “Fine. Break a leg. Just don’t come hobbling over for help or you’ll scare my kid.” He turned away.

“Stop!” More sand shifted below me, and panic started to set in. “Okay, fine. Please.”

He turned, and a ghost of a smirk crossed his face. “Come on then.”

I stared down at him. If I continued forward, Wyatt could reach up and pull me down, but my boobs would be right in his face. If I turned around, he would get a face full of my ass. Indecision gnawed at me.

“What are you waiting for?”

I looked around and noticed we’d caught the attention of Lee, Annie, and Penny, who were now watching the whole scene play out.

Of fucking course we did.

“Give me a minute!” I tried to adjust my grip on the grass, and a small squeak escaped me.

“What are you doing? Just come down.”

I swallowed hard. The firm line of his lips was making my insides all gooey, and I couldn’t get the image of his large hands wrapping around me out of my stupid head. “Boobs or butt?”

“What?”

“You’re about to get a face full of something. There is no graceful way to maneuver this so . . . boobs or butt?”

This time he was grinning right at me. “Well, I am kind of an ass man.”

I rolled my eyes. Wyatt was definitely enjoying my discomfort and the fact that I had, yet again, made a fool of myself.

Still gripping the sand and grass, I inelegantly rolled onto my belly. “You are the worst.”

He chuckled softly. “I know. Just shimmy down here.”

I shot him a glare over my shoulder and faced the sand. My eyes squeezed shut. “Please don’t drop me.”

“I got you, Lark. I promise.” The confidence in his voice was comforting. I believed Wyatt wouldn’t let me fall.

I wiggled my hips and started to lower myself. My cover-up rode high as I moved down, and my legs began to dangle over the cliff.

“Where are you? I don’t feel you!” I wiggled my foot and it connected with the side of his face and nose. “Shit! Sorry!”

Wyatt spit, unaffected. “You’re fine. Keep going. You’re almost there.” His hands connected with my calves, and warmth spread through me.

Higher and higher his hands smoothed over my legs. In any other circumstance it would have been delightfully sinful. When his palms reached my hips, he gripped me tightly, fingers digging into me. Sure enough, my butt was inches from his face. His strong arms took over, and when I let go of the grass and sand, he lifted me effortlessly until I was planted on the ground.

I closed my eyes and steadied my breath, thankful to be on solid ground again. Wyatt’s large frame hadn’t moved and was still enclosing me between him and the dune.

A hand ran down my back. “See? You’re fine.”

I could barely breathe. I turned and had to practically tip backward to look him in the eyes. In the reflection of his sunglasses, I could see how owl eyed and breathless I looked.

“Thank you.” My hands rested on his forearms.

I stared up at him, and everything around us fell away. The air stuck in my lungs. For a moment I forgot where we were, what day it was, and that we had an audience. Somehow his hands were back on my hips.

Wyatt’s chin tipped down. I glanced at his lips as they tipped up in a smile.

“Dad, you’re a hero!”

My toes curled into the solid ground.

I stepped away as Penny ran up and hugged her dad from the back, shoving him a step forward.

“Yeah, a knight in Coppertone armor.” Lee smirked in our direction and crossed his arms.

Annie joined us, and I took two more steps away from the group of Sullivans, who were looking at me like I’d lost my mind.

“Okay. Thanks. Sorry about that.” I ran my hands through my hair and brushed the thick layer of sand off my stomach and thighs.

What an epic disaster.

“Hey, Lark,” Annie called out. “Let’s do lunch sometime, okay?”

I raised my hand and nodded as I hurried away. “Yep, lunch sounds great. Bye!”

Wyatt was still staring at me as Penny kicked at the waves with laughter and Lee and Annie talked and meandered along the beach.

I knew he was still staring even as I made my inelegant exit—I felt his heated gaze on my back the entire walk up the beach.

Why did I like that so much?





11





LARK





I really should have kissed Wyatt.

I wanted to kiss him that night on the porch. Something about his rough, grumpy exterior was working for me. Really working, and in that moment I had wanted nothing more than to wrap my legs around him and let him devour me. Maybe it was the way he always seemed a little lighter around his adorable daughter. Or the way he was looking after three unruly college football players. Or the fact that despite being back in his hometown, he seemed really, really lonely. His broad shoulders and chiseled jaw certainly didn’t put any marks in the This Is a Terrible Idea column.

I groaned inwardly. I definitely should have kissed him.

“Hey, can you clear that table over there?”