“You are so beautiful,” she whispered. She pulled on him, and he complied, moving close enough so their bodies pressed against each other. “I’m bedazzled by muscular chests, and yours is spectacular.”
Fin groaned and covered her mouth with his. He took his time exploring her body, tenderly removing her night clothes and tracing his tongue over her skin as the fabric disappeared. He had discovered her shyness the first time he’d moved his mouth to her more intimate parts, but her reaction once she relaxed told him she enjoyed it. Fin worked his way down her body, intent on giving her the same pleasure again. She moaned and gripped his hair in her fists.
“Oh, god, Fin. Please…” Her breath hitched, then her body tightened. “Oh!” she exclaimed as she went over that cliff. Her body relaxed, and he crawled back up toward her face, planting kisses along the way.
“You’re awfully good at that,” she whispered.
He smiled and kissed her. He pressed his erection against her and deepened the kiss. The soft whimpering noises she made maddened him as he explored her mouth with his tongue. She tugged at his bottoms and he rose up to help her push them off. As he settled back on top of her, she wrapped her legs around him.
“I need you. Now,” she commanded. “Now, please.” She strained toward him, trying to take control.
“Patience, love,” he whispered. Fin reached over and plucked a condom from the box on the nightstand. He had strategically placed them there before bed so as not to break the mood should the need arise. He tore open the wrapper with his teeth and swiftly donned the protection before turning his attention back to Alex.
He flipped over, pulling her up so she sat on top of him. She gasped at the unexpected movement, but quickly maneuvered him into position and slid down on him. Fin sucked in his breath at how complete he felt in that moment, buried deep inside her and looking up into her eyes. Then Alex moved, and he lost all coherent thought.
Chapter14
Saturday at the Beach
Alex awoketo the smell of bacon. The empty spot beside her told her Fin was the source of the smell. She stretched and took stock of her body. She grinned to herself at the strange combination of soreness from using unfamiliar muscles and complete satisfaction from feeling sore in those places. While she hadn’t had many lovers, she had enough experience to recognize that Fin knew what he was doing. He knew exactly how to fine-tune her body and make it sing. Her mirth grew at the musical comparison, and she threw back the covers to go find the subject of her thoughts.
She wandered into the kitchen and burst out laughing when she encountered him frying bacon wearing nothing but an apron. “Are you making a fashion statement?”
Fin turned to her and beamed. “Must protect the manly bits.”
She walked up behind him and slapped his naked butt cheek before palming it as she peeked at the stovetop.
“Good morning,” he said as he pecked her cheek. “You looked so sweet in your sleep. I didnae want to disturb you.”
Alex pinched his butt and moved to the refrigerator. “I am not sweet.” She poured herself a glass of orange juice, then held the jug up to Fin in question. He shook his head no, nodding to the coffee cup sitting on the counter. “I’ve noticed your Scottish brogue seems to come and go.”
“Aye. I get more formal under stress. Almost the opposite of you. I’ve noticed your Texas drawl shows up more when you’re excited.”
Alex cocked her head sideways. “Huh. I’ve never thought about it, but you’re probably right. The more wound up I am, the more I sling those words out.”
“Or chop them off.” At her raised eyebrow, he added, “You seem to lose the letter ‘g’ at the end of your words sometimes.”
“Are you tryin’ to tell me somethin’, Mr. McAlister?” She playfully batted her eyelashes at him.
“Aye, you’re thoroughly delightful with your Southern charm. Now pass me the eggs, will ye?”
Alex handed Fin the eggs and made toast for them. They sat down to breakfast and planned their day while they ate. After cleaning up, Fin hurried them into the bedroom to get dressed.
“Take a look at my new disguise,” Fin said as he donned a baseball cap embroidered with the Houston Astros logo. “I noticed my fedora stood out more than blended in.”
“Go Astros!” Alex cheered. “That’ll work.” She took in the rest of his outfit. He wore dark blue jeans, a blue t-shirt with buttons at the neck, and a lightweight suede jacket. “You look nice.”
“Thanks. You too,” he responded as he looked her up and down. She also had on jeans, although hers were whitewashed and barely blue anymore. She wore a navy and white striped t-shirt with a faded jean jacket. Her feet were encased in white sandals, but she planned to stash her socks and ankle boots in the car in case the temperature dropped later.
They spent the morning exploring downtown Galveston. The historical town was reminiscent of New Orleans and had an old-world vibe to it, in contrast to the shiny, modern skyscrapers of downtown Houston. They wandered in and out of the shops, looking at the different wares targeting tourists. Occasionally, there would be a stir of recognition from the surrounding crowd. Fin deftly maneuvered them back to the street when it happened.
They visited the museum and read about the destruction from the massive hurricane that had come close to obliterating the landmark town at the turn of the twentieth century. The images were awe-inspiring reminders of both the forces of nature and human resilience.
After a pleasant lunch on the boardwalk, they drove over to Moody Gardens. They strolled through the aquarium and the rainforest, making a game out of dodging any would-be autograph seekers. Alex noticed throughout the day that the more people around, the more likely Fin would be recognized. As the afternoon wore on and they finished their tour of the rain forest, they found themselves surrounded by a pack of women who had been trailing them throughout the exhibit. Fin graciously signed their autograph books, papers, and pictures and the women left happy.
“That wasn’t nearly as frightening as last time,” Alex commented.
“Aye. When it’s the fans alone, it’s generally a pleasant experience. Most of them are polite and aware they are interrupting my personal time. It’s when the media gets involved that things get unruly. Are you getting hungry?”
