Seaside Sunsets by Melissa Foster Page B

even think about it without getting all hot and bothered.”
    She pinked up again—hell, he liked her reactions.
    He kissed the back of her hand. “I want to know you, Jess. I want to know about your life, your family, why you’re on a hiatus. If we start with a sexual relationship, I don’t know. It’s just that I like you too much to do that. It would feel like we were working backward.”
    She let out a long breath. “Really? You don’t mind waiting?”
    “Don’t mind? No. Jess. Do you mind? Maybe it’s just me, but this feels different from just another date. Being with you feels different.”
    She dropped her eyes to their hands and bit her lower lip. He lifted her chin so he could see her eyes.
    “What is it?”
    “I…Okay, this is really hard to say aloud, but…” She closed her eyes for a beat, drew in a breath, then opened her eyes with a nervous smile. “I’m a little relieved.”
    “Was I pressuring you?”
    “No, no. Nothing like that. My body was pressuring me. I keep wanting to touch you, to go further, but I’m not used to all of this. Well, any of this, really. I almost never date, Jamie. I don’t spend the day at the beach or walk around flea markets with hot guys and a woman I could spend all day talking to. My life is hours of practicing my cello and evening concerts. I’m almost always in symphony mode. You know, prim, proper, demure. It’s been ingrained in my very soul since the time I was a little girl.”
    “Jess, I like who you are. All of you.” Jamie loved how open and honest she was being, and he could tell that it wasn’t easy for her to reveal her innermost feelings to him. He wanted to reassure her, to let her know he wouldn’t push her.
    “We’ll take it slow.”
    She nodded, swallowing hard and blinking away the dampness in her eyes. “I don’t even know if I want to go slow. I’ve never felt like this before. I’ve never wanted to touch anyone the way I want to touch you. You’re like…chocolate-covered potato chips. Sweet and salty. A guilty pleasure. Oh God, I’m making no sense.” She covered her face and he folded her into his arms.
    Every single thing she did endeared her to him. She was completely different from any woman he’d ever dated, and he liked her more for it.
    “You’re making total sense.”
    She pressed both hands to his cheeks and gazed into his eyes. “Make no mistake about me wanting you. Ever since I beaned you with my phone and you smiled at me, I’ve wanted you, and then we kissed, and…I was a goner. As relieved as I am that we’ll take it slow, let’s not take it too slow, okay?”
    He laughed, then touched his forehead to hers. “What does that mean?”
    “I’m not sure. Maybe we should have parameters, like a three-date rule or something.” She lifted one shoulder and blushed.
    “Babe, tell me what you want and I’ll do the best I can, even if it means three cold showers a day. What is a three-date rule?”
    “You know, like we won’t be intimate for three dates, then…” She lifted her shoulders. “Then I guess we go with whatever we feel.”
    “Three dates? We went to the flea market, then the beach. Is that two?”
    She laughed again. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
    “Okay, so no touching for three dates.” He nodded. “I can handle that.”
    Her smile faded.
    “What?”
    “I thought we were talking about being really intimate, not touching.”
    He groaned again. “I have a feeling I’m going to get detention for misbehaving. There are too many gray lines I might cross.”
    “Okay, okay. How about this? Nothing below the waist for three dates.” She drew a line across her waist with her hand. “For either of us.”
    “Thanks for the clarification. I thought I might get lucky.” He pulled her into his arms. Nothing below the waist . He felt a little like he was a kid again, wanting more from a girl than he probably should. He wanted below the waist—he wanted above the waist. He