Crystal took a hop step to keep up with his longer legs on the stone pathway.
“You don’t have an answer for that, do you?” she challenged, even as she acknowledged her feeling of triumph was disproportional to the situation. “That’s why you walked away.”
He didn’t answer.
“Face it, Professor,” she continued. “I’m winning this discussion, and your ego’s feeling the pain.”
He inserted the key into the front door of the house. “You think this is about my ego?”
“I absolutely do.”
He opened the door wide and gestured for her to precede him. “Ever consider that I simply want you to enjoy a nice Bordeaux?”
She marched inside. “Not even for a second.”
Then her voice trailed away as her gaze caught on the plush furniture, the gleaming hardwood floors, fine oil paintings and massive windows overlooking a white sand beach and rolling azure waves.
She vaguely heard Larry set down the bags and close the door after Rufus followed them in. An air conditioner hummed gently in the background; otherwise the house was silent. It smelled of lemon polish and the fresh flower arrangements that sat on a rectangular table in the entryway and on the low coffee table nestled between two cream-colored couches in front of a stone fireplace.
“Wow.” she breathed, moving on autopilot toward the dining room to open a set of French doors that led to a wide, cedar deck. Rattan chairs with plump taupe cushions were placed around small redwood tables, while one end of the deck was dominated by a glass-topped dining table and a massive, stainless-steel barbecue.
Crystal nodded to the barbecue. “Any chance we can grill steaks tonight?”
“Sure,” said Larry from where he’d followed her outside.
She turned to contemplate his expression. “You gave in awfully easy on that.”
He moved up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against the cradle of his body. “That’s because you really do want to barbecue. You’re not just offering to be polite.”
She nestled against him, trying to remember the last time she’d felt so secure in a man’s arms. Maybe never. There was something about Larry’s voice, his touch, his scent, that made her feel like she never wanted to leave his side.
He might not have any expectations of this weekend, but her expectations were growing by leaps and bounds. She couldn’t imagine anything nicer than spending a warm, romantic evening overlooking the Atlantic, followed by a night in a big, comfortable bed with Larry.
The strength of her desire surprised her. Sure, his kiss had been off the charts. But it was a pretty big leap from a first proper kiss to a night in bed.
She felt his lips touch the top of her head, kissing her, softly, gently, lingering there while he inhaled the scent of her shampoo. It was an undeniably sexy move.
She stayed still and silent, not wanting to break the mood. White foam burbled its way on shore; a few gulls danced above the scattered sailboats and yachts in the bay. By the beach on the far side, compact boutique hotels rose against the blue sky, while dots that were people milled about on the faraway sand.
There were houses on either side of them, but hedges and tall maple trees protected their privacy. A couple with a little white dog walked barefoot along the beach below, leaving footprints that were quickly obliterated by the waves.
Larry’s arms reflexively squeezed, and she covered his hands with her own. He leaned down and kissed her temple, then her cheek, then the shell of her ear. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, holding her close.
How many times had she heard that? How many times had some man waxed poetic about her face or her legs.
And how many times had she considered he might be talking about something more than her physical attributes?
Never.
But with Larry, she instinctively believed he’d seen past the golden ratio, past the physical beauty she’d always found to be more of a curse than a blessing. When he called her beautiful, he didn’t simply mean she’d impress his buddies, or turn the heads of strangers who watched them cross the dance floor, or that she’d look good in their photo Christmas card.
Her heart glowed warm with the compliment.
“Thank you,” she said simply.
They silently breathed in the fresh air, his chest rising in sync with hers. A breeze gusted against them, blowing her loose hair, while a gull called in the sky, swooping on the air currents.
Crystal settled more comfortably against Larry’s body. “What now?” she asked.
His pause was telling, and she hoped he was thinking the same thing as her. She screwed up her courage, getting ready to suggest they check out one of the bedrooms upstairs.
CHAPTER SIX
“WALK WITH ME?” LARRY ASKED in a gentle voice, even as he backed off and put an inch of space between them.
Crystal squelched her burgeoning fantasy. She was obviously getting away from herself on the romance front. They were staying in separate rooms, and he’d made it perfectly clear he was expecting a platonic weekend.
Maybe he wasn’t ready to move past his wife? He’d certainly made it clear that he’d loved her.
“Sure,” said Crystal.
He gave her a brisk rub on the upper arms before letting her go. Then he headed inside and retrieved the leash, calling to Rufus. He secured the sliding door and opened the low gate at the top of the staircase that led to the beach.
Crystal turned her attention to the strip of sculpted, white sand. An enthusiastic Rufus trotted down the narrow staircase in front of them.
The tide was high, and a few fluffy clouds made their way across the open blue sky. Crystal pulled off her sandals and dropped them on the bottom stair. She fluffed her hair and took a deep breath of the fresh air, while Rufus trundled, nose down, toward the pulsing foam.
“Should we keep him on the leash?” Larry asked as the dog investigated a bulb of yellow seaweed.
“I don’t think he’ll go far.”
There was no one else in sight. The couple with the white dog were long gone. Rufus trotted ahead on the wet sand, in the general direction of the town site. He found another scent trail, followed it for a few yards, then took off on a new tangent.
Larry stretched out his hand, capturing Crystal’s and twining their fingers together. She let herself sink into the silence of the sky and the gentle whoosh of the waves as they gradually relinquished their hold on the mushy sand.
“Ever been sailing?” Larry asked, his gaze going to the white flashes of sail far out in the bay and the bare masts rocking closer in at anchor.
“Recreational pursuits were never high on my parents’ list of priorities.”
“Yeah?”
She shook her head. “No picnics, no camping, no amusement parks.”
“What did you do on vacation?”
She listed off on her fingers. “Marketing trips, tool trade shows…”
“I hear you. I spent my formative years in NASCAR garages or at midget tracks.”
“Midget tracks?”
“That’s where Dean got started.” Larry smiled, but there was something other than joy in his eyes. “All racing, all the time.”
“Did you race?”
“Nope. I spent a lot of time in the pits with my nose in a textbook.”
Crystal paused, trying to picture Larry as a young boy, next to the toolboxes, fuel tanks and spare parts. “Was it hard?” she asked.
“I liked textbooks.”
“No. I mean, was it hard having your family focus exclusively on Dean’s dreams and not on yours?” At least Crystal had an ally in Amber. Amber had hated business trips, too.
“I didn’t need a pit crew, and I didn’t need to drive from town to town. I could do what I loved anywhere.”
“You know what I mean.”
Larry shrugged. “When you live in a NASCAR family, you live in a NASCAR family. And we love each other. We’re an extremely close family.”