Free Beginning Again: Book 1 in the Second Chances series (Crimson Romance) by Peggy Bird Page A

a picnic basket. Near the top of the dune, he stopped so they could look around. He was right again. The beach was even more deserted than the campground had been. Not a soul in sight.
    “This looks like a good place,” he said after they crested the dune. He spread out one of the blankets where they’d be hidden among clumps of beach grass, kicked off his shoes, and helped her remove hers.
    He’d brought an elegant lunch. Cold game hens, a thermos with basil-infused, roasted tomato soup, marinated green beans, grapes. After he’d laid out all the food, he produced two plastic champagne glasses and two bottles of wine to go with them.
    “Did you think it would take a couple bottles of champagne to get me to participate in your little plan?”
    “It may have occurred to me. But if you don’t want to drink any wine, that’s okay. Your call.”
    She held up her glass for him to pour some of the bubbly into it. “Well, maybe just a little. I like champagne too much to turn it down.”
    They toasted each other and she grudgingly admitted that he’d found as romantic a spot as she had imagined. At his urging, she lay back propped up on his thigh. He served her lunch, feeding her green beans one by one, popping grapes in her mouth, refilling her glass once, then twice. As they finished their meal, the sun broke from behind a line of clouds and streaks of sunshine began to dance over the ocean waves, looking as lighthearted as Liz felt.
    After they finished lunch and Collins tidied up the remains of their meal, he lay down across the blanket from her. He didn’t try to touch her, just continued their conversation about beach trips they’d taken as kids in California. When she couldn’t stand the suspense any longer, she said, “Okay, now what? Aren’t you supposed to, I don’t know, make a move here or something?”
    “It’s your fantasy, sweetheart. You’re going to have to decide what’s next.”
    “Suppose I decide to take a nap?”
    “Then, take a nap. Like I said, your fantasy, your move.”
    She reached across the blanket and touched his cheek. “On second thought, maybe I’d rather have you hold me.”
    “I can do that.” He moved toward her, snugging her hips against his. “What now?”
    “Well, if you won’t kiss me, I guess I’ll kiss you.” She brought her mouth to his. He tasted of wine and salt air, sweet fruit and desire — her tongue sampled all of it. When they came up for air, she touched his mouth. “God, I love kissing you,” she whispered.
    “Anything else you love doing with me?” he asked.
    She inched her hand slowly down his chest until she reached the waistband of his jeans. “Yes, now that you mention it, there is.” She unsnapped and unzipped him. After he returned the favor he spread the second blanket over them so they could wriggle out of their jeans and undies.
    “I thought we were … ” she began as he pulled her close.
    “You think too much.”
    “But you said … ”
    “Talk later. Fantasy now.” He illustrated his point with his mouth and his body.
    • • •
    Still covered by the blanket, they slowly came back to Earth after sweet lovemaking. She played with the curl that fell onto his forehead and asked if a little boy with a curl in the middle of his forehead was like the little girl with the curl.
    “No,” he responded. “When she was bad she was horrid. When I’m bad I’m wonderful.”
    They were working up to round two in the sand when suddenly the breeze picked up. In fact, it was getting very windy, as if a storm were coming in. Which seemed odd because the sun had gotten steadily brighter while they were there.
    Collins sat up to look out towards the horizon. He started laughing so hard she had a difficult time understanding what he was saying. Finally, he got out, “Your fantasy. The Coast Guard. They’re in it?”
    “The Coast Guard? What are you … ?” She bolted upright and got the answer to her question before she had it finished.