Free Lying in the Sand by E. L. Todd Page B

the same spot she met him last time. He was wearing a black suit with a blue tie. His thin legs looked toned in the slacks, and his shoulders were broad. When he turned in her direction, she stared at his blue eyes, which suddenly looked gray. He stared at her hard, the intensity shining through. One hand was in his pocket and he sauntered to her, closing the gap between them.
    When she reached him, she suddenly felt light, like she was floating in space. It was an out of body experience, one she couldn’t describe.
    Gray immediately wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her to him, crushing her. Then he cupped her face and gave her a hard kiss, moving his lips against hers. He breathed into her mouth almost instantly, the passion taking over.
    She hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him hard, pulling him as close as possible. His tongue moved into her mouth, touching hers lightly. Then he sucked her bottom lip before his mouth moved against hers again.
    Her hand moved to his hairline and felt a soft curl. She fingered it, twisting it while he kissed her. She wanted to kiss him all night. Dinner was forgotten. All she wanted was this.
    Gray pulled away, the desire heavy in his eyes. “I’m not known for my self control so I’m going to stop before it’s too late.” He kept his face close to hers, looking at her lips.
    “Maybe I don’t care about control.” She wasn’t sure why she said that. It was a very stupid thing to blurt out.
    His eyes burned and smoldered. “Don’t tease me, darling.” He sucked her bottom lip. “Because I’ll drag you to my room and order room service—not that we’ll be eating it.”
    Her spine shivered at his words.
    He studied her face before he stepped back. “Now let’s go to dinner before my gentleman side disappears altogether.” He grabbed her hand and walked her to his car. The valet opened the door for her and Gray escorted her inside. Then he got into the driver’s seat.
    Once he pulled onto the road, he rested his hand on her thigh, feeling the bare skin. He gripped her gently then released, his fingers making circles across her skin.
    Whenever he touched her, she felt the burn in every inch of her skin. Her internal body temperature increased sporadically. She wouldn’t be surprised if there was steam coming out of her ears.
    He pulled into the parking lot and killed the engine. “I hope a steakhouse is okay with you.”
    “It is.”
    He got out then opened the door for her, immediately taking her hand and helping her to her feet. Then he pushed her against the car and boxed her in. His lips sought hers and gave her a long and slow kiss. “Something to hold me over during dinner.”
    She was knocked off her feet and could barely think straight. “Yeah…”
    He grabbed her hand and walked with her inside. He pulled out the door for her when she sat down then moved across from her. “I recommend the sirloin. It’s quite good.”
    “I’ll consider it.” She crossed her legs then looked at the menu. But she wasn’t really thinking about dinner.
    He put his menu down, already knowing what he wanted. “How was your week?”
    “Uneventful. My car battery died so I didn’t have a car for a while.”
    “Is everything okay now?”
    “Yeah. My friend helped me out.”
    “I’m glad to hear that.”
    “How was California?”
    “Good. But I worked the entire time.”
    “It sounds like you’re a workaholic.”
    He shrugged. “Guilty. But the greatest success stories in life are people who live and breathe their job. There’s no such thing as a forty hour week work schedule.”
    She nodded. “My brother has been surfing non-stop for years. Now he’s a pro.”
    “Your brother sounds like an interesting guy.”
    “He is. I can’t stand him but I love him.”
    He smirked. “My sister and I are the same way. I’m insanely protective of her and she hates it.”
    Cheyenne laughed lightly. “My brother is the same way.”
    He studied her face.