Seized By Love Read online

  He captured her mouth again in a slow, sensuous kiss, leaving her powerless to resist his charms—and unwilling to even try.

  ***

  AFTER HANGING THE picture they’d painted between her kitchen and living room, so she could see it from either area, they drove out to Yarmouth, stopping for muffins and coffee along the way. Blue wished Lizzie had accepted a date with him a year ago. Despite her claims that her life was too complicated for them to date, she was warm and openly affectionate, holding his hand and kissing him without his prompting. He could only assume she’d somehow waylaid those worries in the hour they’d spent apart.

  She was acting different, even more relaxed than last night and when they were making out this morning. More present and less hesitant. Not only was she not afraid to join him in singing off-key like a goof on the way into Yarmouth, but she tortured him—in the very sweetest way—with the silliest knock-knock jokes known to man. He loved seeing that uninhibited side of her almost as much as he loved seeing the unguarded sexual side of her.

  They spent the morning perusing arts-and-crafts booths at the annual Seaside Festival. The grounds were lined with large blue vendor tents, selling everything from handmade furniture to used books and children’s toys. Lizzie gravitated toward the more crafty exhibits, like homemade quilts and pottery, which didn’t surprise him, given her creativity with flowers and plants.

  Children ran around the lawn, and a clown entertained a group outside the largest tent. Lizzie pulled Blue over to watch.

  “When I was little I was afraid of clowns,” she confided as the clown made balloon animals for the children.

  “Because of the whole strange man dressed up in a costume and playing with little kids thing?”

  She laughed, and he tugged her in closer for a kiss.

  “That scares me, too. But I’ll protect you.”

  “I bet you will,” she said with another sweet laugh.

  After watching the clown, they meandered through a few more booths, then wandered over to listen to the band playing by the beach. Lizzie pulled Blue into the center of a crowd of people who were dancing.

  “I suck at dancing,” he said, holding her close and hoping she’d stick with a slow dance.

  “You couldn’t suck at anything. Just let yourself go.” She pushed away and swayed her sexy little hips, awakening his entire body. “Come on, move with me.” She stepped in closer and placed her hands on his hips. Pressing her body against him, she guided him to the beat, instantly arousing him. “See? You can dance. You just needed the right motivation.”

  He clenched his jaw against his mounting desire. She was so damn sexy, with those dimples beckoning to be kissed as she smiled up at him, oblivious to what she was doing to him.

  “Only with you, Lizzie.”

  Her fingers trailed over his chest, making it impossible to take his mind off of her seductive dancing. And when she lifted her hands over her head and swayed, her breasts brushing against his chest while she moved against his erection, it was all he could do to keep from taking her right there.

  “Lizzie,” he warned.

  Her eyes narrowed, darkened, and a wicked smile split her lips. She was clearly aware of the effect she was having on him. He took her hand and led her out of the crowd.

  “Where are we going?” She stumbled to keep up as he pulled her too quickly behind the stage and gathered her warm, pulsing body against him.

  His hands traced over her curves as he took her in a punishingly intense kiss, knowing it was all they could have. She pressed her body to his, moaning with pleasure, making him want to go further despite the fact that they were outside at a festival with hundreds of people walking around just out of eyesight.

  “I’m sorry,” he said against her mouth. “I had to kiss you.”

  “You don’t have to take me away from people to kiss me, Blue. I’m with you.”

  He loved the sound of that, although he would have liked it even more if she’d said, I’m yours. “I didn’t take you away just to kiss you.” He stepped back, and her eyes dropped to his raging erection.

  “Oh.” She covered her mouth with a giggle.

  “Get over here.” He kissed her again, and she rocked against him. “You’re not helping.”

  “Oh, I think I am,” she said with another sinful laugh. “You’ll be sure to think about me all day long after this.”

  He took her hands in his and backed her up against the wall, pinning her wrists beside her head. “You don’t think I’ve been thinking about you every day since the moment we met?”

  She pressed her lips between his pecs, then went up on her toes—a move he’d already come to love—and whispered, “Kiss me again.”

  A tormented groan tore from his lungs. Knowing he was only going to be more tortured, more desperate to have her, he sealed his lips over hers and released her hands so he could clutch her fine ass and press their bodies firmly together.

  “You feel incredible.” He kissed her neck, and she lifted her chin, spurring him on to take more. He buried his fingers in her hair—God he loved her hair—sealed his mouth over her flesh, and rocked his arousal against her thigh. Her hand slid between his legs, and she stroked him through his jeans.

  He gripped her wrist. “Lizzie, I won’t be able to walk out of here.” His eyes darted to the grounds around them. They were tucked behind the stage among wires and technical equipment, out of eyesight from passersby, but still, as badly as he wanted her—and he did, desperately—he felt possessive and protective of Lizzie. He didn’t want to take a chance of anyone seeing them when they were being intimate.

  She trapped her lower lip between her teeth, looking even more adorably sexy. He’d never met a woman who could look equally seductive and innocent—and it was a total turn-on.

  “You’re too damn sexy.” He kissed her again, weighing the urge to take her home, strip her bare, and make love to her, with the part of him that remembered her plea for him to be strong when she couldn’t.

  “I’ve never been this attracted to anyone in my life, and I’m afraid of crossing a line if we don’t get out of here.” He forced himself to take a step back.

  “But I love kissing you,” she said, reaching for him again.

  He cupped her face and gazed into her sultry eyes. “Lizzie, I want you so badly I ache. If I keep kissing you, I’m going to pin you against that wall, strip you naked, and take my fill.” She smiled, and her cheeks pinked up. He added, “Which would be incredibly hot, until I killed some guy who happened to notice us and we got arrested for indecent exposure—and murder—and you had to explain to your parents why we were in jail.”

  She laughed. “Well, I do have a Fuck-It list we could work on, and this plays right into it.”

  “A Fuck-It list? Holy hell, woman, who are you?” He stepped in closer again, even more aroused.

  She dragged her finger down the center of his chest. “It’s a list of all the places I want to…you know.” She licked her lips, and he gritted his teeth.

  “You’re every man’s darkest fantasy come true, but I want you as mine, Lizzie. I’m not good at sharing.”

  “No sharing. Got it.” She went up on her toes and kissed him again.

  A surge of desire drew him further in to her. “Fuck, Lizzie,” he said against her lips. He reluctantly took another step back, trying desperately to stand up to his promise of behaving. “I cannot wait to work on that list, but in light of keeping this PG, stay here while I walk this off.” He glanced down at his raging hard-on and shook his head.

  “Don’t think of me,” she whispered. “Think of math or science.”

  He closed the distance between them again. “I could think of seaweed, and if it’s your voice I hear, I’m a goner.”

  “Oh, the power,” she said with another wicked grin.

  He captured her mouth in one final kiss and said, “Try not to sound sexy.”

  A very long and painful time later, they finally returned to the fest
ivities.

  “I love being out with you,” Lizzie said as they walked toward the arts-and-crafts booths.

  “I love being with you, too.” He swept her into his arms and kissed her again, knowing he was kissing her way too much but so utterly taken with her, he was unable, and unwilling, to stop. “God, do I love being with you. It should be illegal to taste this good.” He kissed her again. “And feel this good.”

  She giggled and, holding his hand, ran toward the tent. “Come on. Otherwise I’m going to make you do things to me you really want to do.”

  “Holy Christ. You think that’s a threat?”

  They decorated a pumpkin and gave it to a little girl who admired it. Then they ate hot dogs while they walked through more arts-and-crafts tents. All the while, they kissed and touched and teased. It was the most wonderful date Blue had ever been on.

  “I need something sweet,” Lizzie said.

  “There’s a pie-eating contest in five minutes. Want to try?”

  “Really?” She was already dragging him toward the tent. “I love pie. Will you do it with me?”

  “Sure, but you can’t possibly eat more pie than me. I’m twice your size.”

  “Watch me,” she said with a challenging stare.

  Donning plastic bibs, they joined a long table full of hungry spoon-yielding contestants.

  “I’m so going to beat you,” Lizzie declared. “Even if I don’t beat everyone else, I’m still going to eat more pie than you.”

  Blue laughed. “I could eat you under the table.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Promises, promises.”

  The whistle sounded, signaling the start of the contest, and while Lizzie gobbled down blueberry pie, Blue tried to pull his slack jaw up from the table.

  “Hardly fair,” he said, before digging in.

  “I have a Lick-It list, too. If you’re lucky, maybe you can help me work through it.” She shoved more pie in her mouth.

  “Lick-It list?” His fork paused on the way to his mouth. “Is that…?”

  “Things I’d like to lick off a man’s body.” She licked her lips and gobbled down more pie. “And things I’d like to have licked off mine.”

  “Holy…” The dichotomy of the heat in her words and the flicker of innocence in her eyes made his body fully alert again. “I think I found the perfect woman.”

  They finished their first pies at almost the same time. Lizzie leaned closer to Blue as they started on their second. She lifted the spoon to her mouth and made a seductive show of licking the sweet filling off of it.

  The hell with the contest.

  He pushed his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a blueberry kiss, which he intensified until he drew a lusty moan from her lungs and left her breathless. “Paybacks are hell.” He finished his second pie slowly, savoring every bite as she recovered from their scorching-hot kiss.

  When the whistle signaled the end of the contest, he dipped his finger into the sugary blueberry and brought it to her lips. “I won’t leave you hanging, babe.”

  She swirled her tongue around his finger, then drew his finger into her mouth and sucked it like she was sucking the very aroused part of him below his waist.

  “No, but I will,” she said as she rose from her seat. “That’ll teach you not to cheat.”

  “Cheat?” He scooped her into his arms as she giggled and squirmed. “You just got even hotter, but be warned. Second-time-around paybacks are even worse.”

  “I’m so looking forward to it.”

  He kissed her again before setting her feet back on the ground. “I love that you’re not bashful about eating like most girls are, and I love that you challenge me back with the naughty stuff.”

  “I think you’ll find I’m nothing like most girls.”

  He pulled her against him again. “Sweetheart, I’ve known that since the day I met you.”

  “I have no idea how. I’m nothing special.” She gazed up at him with the most innocent expression of disbelief in her eyes, and his chest tightened.

  “How did I get lucky enough for you to finally agree to go out with me? You’re not just special, Lizzie. You’re unique in every way. You make rules about kissing, and sometimes you catch yourself enjoying us too much, and I see you trying to pull away, but I can feel how much you don’t want to. You have a personality that lights up a room. You’re smart and funny and sexy as hell. How can you think you’re nothing special? I’ve never met a woman like you.”

  She wrinkled her brow. “You can feel when I’m enjoying myself too much?”

  “Not today, but I did last night and this morning. I thought you were just getting used to giving in to your emotions, the same way I was.”

  “And you think I light up a room?”

  “When I got back home this morning after dropping you off, my cabin felt like it had less life in it. Your absence was tangible, like part of me was missing. I realize that might be the craziest thing I’ve ever said after two dates.” He searched her softening gaze, seeing the disbelief slowly melt away. “It’s true, Lizzie. We spent a year building a friendship. A foundation, as you said. It makes sense that we’d fall hard and fast.”

  She clutched his shirt just above his waist, and her eyes went serious again.

  “You make me want to give in to what I feel and not worry about how complicated my life is.”

  He touched his forehead to hers, basking in the knowledge that she wanted to give in to the emotions between them. “We’ll uncomplicate it together. Nothing is too much for us to handle.”

  “I want to believe you.” Her grip tightened, snagging his skin in her clutches.

  He covered her hand possessively and reassured her. “Trust in me, Lizzie, like I trust in you. We belong together. I’ve known it since we first met, and it’s only gotten stronger every day since.”

  Chapter Nine

  IT WAS AFTER eight by the time they left the festival. The sun had long ago kissed the horizon, leaving a chilly evening behind, but Lizzie was warm and happy sitting beside Blue on the drive home, tucked beneath his arm. She’d already decided to forgo trying to end their relationship—because in the space of a day that’s exactly what it had become. A relationship. She struggled with how to tell him about the Naked Baker, because she knew Blue trusted her, and the guilt of hiding that part of herself was eating away at her. Maybe it was selfish that she didn’t want to ruin this beautiful day by blurting out something that might totally turn him off, but as she snuggled closer and he kissed her temple, she knew she would never get enough of him. How could she? Blue was everything she’d always known he’d be, and so much more.

  “I would really like to see the place you bought out on the bluff. You’ve talked about it, but I’ve never actually seen it.”

  “I’d love to show it to you.” He squeezed her tighter against him. “How about if we make a fire and we can chill on the beach for a while?”

  On the way to Bowers Bluff, Blue’s brother Jake called. Blue put the call on speakerphone. “Jake, good to hear from you and to know you’re alive.”

  “Dude, do you expect anything less? It was a hell of a mess. Sorry for not being in touch.” Jake’s voice was as deep as Blue’s. “We got about two hours’ sleep each night before heading back out. Am I on a squawk box?”

  “Yeah, sorry. I’m driving, and keep it clean. Lizzie’s with me.” Lizzie had met his younger brother last summer, when Jake had come to visit. He was tall and fit, like Blue, and a total flirt.

  “Hi, Jake,” Lizzie said.

  “Hey, Lizzie. How’s it going?”

  “Great, thanks.”

  “What’re you doing with B? Slummin’ because I’m not in town?” Jake asked with a laugh.

  “I can still kick the shit out of you,” Blue teased.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Jake scoffed. “We’ll see if that’s true when we get together at Cash’s wedding. Are you going, too, Lizzie?”

  She said, “No,” at the same time Blue
said, “Maybe.”

  “Okay, then,” Jake said. “Listen, I was just calling to let you know I’m okay. I’ve got to give Duke a ring. He’s called me about fifty times. I’ll see you at the wedding. Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “Great. No restrictions, then. Love ya, bro,” Blue said casually.

  “You too.”

  Blue was smiling when he ended the call. Lizzie had seen Blue with Duke and Jake, and she knew how close they all were, but hearing Blue say he loved his brother struck her in the center of her chest.

  “I like that you guys say you love each other,” Lizzie said.

  “Family’s everything,” Blue said. “Don’t you tell your family you love them?”

  “All the time. But I’ve never heard guys say it so freely.” She glanced out the window as Blue pulled down a dirt road. “This is really private.”

  “Just the way I like it.”

  He parked the truck in front of an adorable white cottage with a red roof, set at the edge of a sandy beach streaked with long dune grasses whipping in the wind. There were no trees or bushes to buffer the breeze as it swept off the water. To the right of the house stood a stately white lighthouse with a balcony around the top and a peaked black and glass cap.

  “This is beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Blue lifted Lizzie from the truck.

  Lizzie had never been the type of woman who felt like she needed taking care of, but being with Blue, having him lift her to and from the truck, watching his eyes dart around them, like he was always making sure she was safe, felt good and made her feel special. She’d put so much energy into hiding part of her life for so many years that she’d forgotten what it felt like not to feel so alone. And she hadn’t even realized she’d been lonely, but Blue touched a part of her that made her see how lonely she’d been. Every minute they spent together brought them closer, magnifying the reasons they were meant to be together.

  “I can’t believe you bought a lighthouse. This is so different from your cabin.”

  “I know. But as I said, it spoke to me. The inside still isn’t quite finished.” He unlocked the cottage door and moved aside for Lizzie to walk in.