Conflicting Hearts by J. D. Burrows Page B

leather seat. His gorgeous blue eyes communicate
something totally unexpected. Timidly, I squirm and my breath hitches in my
throat.
    “What do you think?” he drawls in that deep velvet voice of
his.
    What a loaded question! This man definitely wants in my
pants. He pulls his eyes back to the road. Thank God he did. If I had been
driving, we would have been wrapped around a tree.
    “Um, probably not.” I gulp.
    “Definitely not,” he quickly replies. “Susan has moved on,
and that’s exactly what I’m doing now.”
    Ian reaches over and grabs my clammy hand, which is resting
in my lap. He gives it a gentle squeeze, and then pats me on the leg. A moment
later, his attention is back on the road.
    “Wish I could kiss you.” He wickedly smirks.
    “Me too.”
    I look out the window and see the mileage sign alongside the
road—twenty-six miles to Cannon Beach. God, I can’t wait to get this guy in the
sand and attack his mouth.

Chapter 7
    Pinch Me
    The wind blows into my face, and I close my eyes and tilt my
head back. Ian is behind me somewhere. For the moment, I’m lost in the
atmosphere that captures my soul. It’s cool—in fact it’s cold. I zip up my
jacket to my neck and pull my hood over my baseball cap. When I open my eyes
again, I’m greeted with the white, foamy waves of the Pacific Ocean pounding
the shore. Out in the distance are dark storm clouds. It won’t be long before
the rain arrives.
    Suddenly, I feel Ian behind me. He slips both of his arms
around my waist and pulls me back into him. He lowers his head to the right
side of my face and gives me a peck on the cheek.
    “Bit chilly,” he says, tightening his grip upon my
midsection. My eyes remain fixed on the horizon until I’m suddenly aware of an
erection pressing against my derrière. I don’t know whether to run, cry, or
laugh. It’s been so long since I’ve felt the need of a male against my body,
I’m not sure how to react.
     “Yes, it is, but I don’t care.” I tug away from him,
and he releases me. When I turn around, I can see heat in his eyes, but a
slight frown on his face.
    “Race you to Haystack Rock.” I tease him with a wink and
find my footing on the hard sand where the waves play games getting me wet.
    “You’re on,” he says, and off he goes, flying ahead of me.
    “Hey, you!” I yell at the top of my lungs. He doesn’t stop.
Before I know it, I’m out of breath, and I’ve caught up to him. The tide is
coming in, and the waves are getting higher and more frequent.
    “Okay, I concede, you won,” I admit.
     He flashes a smile. “Looks like the rain is coming
sooner than later,” he says, looking at the clouds out on the horizon.
     I try and ignore the threat.
    “Do you want to keep walking down the shore?” Ian grabs my
cold hand and holds it tight.
    “Yes, and then find a place in the sand to sit. I brought a
little blanket,” I announce, patting my backpack.
    “Okay,” he says, drifting off in a weird way. He has a
strange look on his face, but I shrug it off.
    We start strolling down the beach, heading into the oncoming
wind. The waves are pounding the shore with a roar. I’m in a fantasyland, where
nothing hurts me and nature tenderly caresses my wounded soul. After a few
minutes, I spot a perfect spot by a large driftwood log that has rolled up on
the beach.
    “How about we sit over there,” I suggest, pointing in the
direction of where I want to head.
    “Looks good.”
    Ian grabs my hand and pulls me through the sand I’m now
struggling to walk in. With every step that I sink, I can feel my shoes filing
up with the beach.
    We reach the log, and I throw down my backpack and fish out
the old blanket. It’s big enough for two. I set up camp, plop down, and Ian
follows suit. He slips his arm around me and tugs me close. When I look up at
him, he’s staring into my eyes with a smile that tells me that he wants more. A
moment later, his lips give me another sweet kiss.
    His mouth is always