She paused on the stairs and turned.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said, his tone completely at odds with their former playfulness.
Her giddy smile vanished. For a few taut seconds, they just stared at each other. The air separating them seemed to pulse with electric tension. Natalie swallowed with difficulty.
“I was thinking…” she began.
“Yes?”
“Maybe we can go to the Captain and Crew for dinner.”
His eyes flashed with surprise. What she’d said hadn’t been what he’d expected, obviously. She saw his widening smile.
Apparently…he’d liked it, though. He’d liked it a lot.
It was nowhere near as bad as she’d always worried it would be, eating in such a bustling, crowded restaurant in Harbor Town. Na
talie knew it was because of Liam. He was a buffer, of sorts. It was hard to worry about judgmental appraisals when she was feeling so happy.
Liam was so well known in town that a few of the bolder Harbor Town citizens initially approached their table. He was never rude—from what Natalie could see, his manners were perfectly amiable. Still, people must have noticed some vibe he transmitted, some signal that he wanted privacy, because no one lingered. They were left to the privacy and wonder of their growing feelings.
“That was nice,” Natalie said later when they walked through the door of the cottage. She’d sounded a little breathless. Her sense of anticipation had been mounting ever since their charged encounter on the stairs earlier. It only seemed to build as they had dinner at the Captain and Crew and then took a walk along the harbor.
“You think so?” Liam asked as they walked into the kitchen.
Natalie nodded.
“You seemed relaxed,” Liam said. Despite his casual manner, she knew it wasn’t an off-the-cuff observation. He’d been watching her with keen attention tonight. Her days of believing Liam was a gorgeous, clueless beachboy were long gone.
“I was. I want to thank you, Liam.”
“Why?”
“You were right. I shouldn’t let other people rule my actions. I shouldn’t…hide.”
He came to a stop next to the refrigerator and looked at her.
“You’re right. You’re the last person on the planet who should ever hide.”
She shifted restlessly when she noticed the way Liam was staring at her mouth.
“Do you want anything?” he asked, his stare unwavering. “Some cold water?”
“No. Not cold water.”
Her heart started to pound in double-time when Liam didn’t move. Something told her he wanted her to go to him, wanted her to make the first move. She stepped forward and looped her arms around his waist.
It might have been the most difficult thing she’d ever done in her life to date. Liam’s nostrils flared slightly as he looked down at her, his expression rigid.
“You. I want you.” Her voice had never sounded stranger to her own ears and yet…never truer, either.
His pressing body tensed before his mouth swooped downward. Natalie met him halfway for the kiss, feeling a shock go through her at the impact as the coil of their combined restraint sprung free.
His low, vibrating groan thrilled her. His kiss consumed her.
His hands lowered to her hips. He lifted her. She continued to kiss him as if her life depended on that electric, ephemeral thread lacing them together. Her bottom hit the kitchen counter with a gentle thud. He slid her along the slick surface toward him. His mouth felt hot on her throat. His gruff voice penetrated her awareness. He sounded a little desperate.
“Natalie, I want to be careful with you, I want to go easy, but—”