Luke squeezed her leg. He turned up the stereo, and the voice coming through the speakers was singing something about chillin’ on a dirt road. Embry fished her sunglasses out of her purse and settled into the comfortable leather seat. With the caress of the breeze on her skin and Luke tapping on her leg to the beat of the song, she thought she might just like country music after all.
They made their way south to Sunrise Highway and then headed east. After driving for a while, Embry wondered how far he intended to go.
“Where on earth are you taking me?”
“To your favorite place.”
“But my favorite place is—”
“Cupsogue Beach, I know,” Luke said with a smug grin.
“How did you … Morgan?”
“No, you told me on the phone a few weeks ago. You were talking about how much you missed the ocean when you lived in Gainesville and told me all about your favorite beach.”
Embry stared at Luke in wonder. “I can’t believe you remembered that.”
“I remember everything you say, beautiful.”
Embry’s face split into a huge grin.
Thirty minutes later, they were driving down Dune Road, surrounded by gorgeous beach houses and mansions. The smell of the ocean brought Embry back to her childhood and made her feel at home.
She took a deep breath, sucking in the salty air, and turned to Luke. “You smell that?”
“The ocean?”
“Yeah.” Embry let out a contented sigh and leaned her head back. “It smells like home. I haven’t been here since I moved back. Thank you.”
Luke remained quiet, but Embry saw a small smile tugging at his lips. They pulled into the parking lot, and Luke walked around to help Embry from the car. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her before setting her down. Then he opened the rear hatch and grabbed a blanket, two sweatshirts, and a small cooler.
“Ah ha!” Embry said. “There were clues in the Rover! I just didn’t look far enough.”
Luke shrugged, grinning. “You got me.”
Embry trailed a few steps behind him on their way to the beach, admiring the view. His faded blue jeans fit his ass perfectly, and the muscles in his back flexed as he walked. Luke stopped short, and Embry nearly ran into his back.
“Come on, pokey,” he teased. “What are you doing back there?”
She was totally caught and didn’t mind. “Admiring the view.”
Luke chuckled, shaking his head as he continued toward the beach. It was a gorgeous afternoon. The perfect ocean breeze made it just a bit chilly, but the sun was out in full force. They walked over the boardwalk and took the stairs down to the beach. Embry kicked off her flats and nearly squealed in delight at the feel of sand beneath her feet. Luke spread out the blanket and moved a few things around in the cooler as Embry wandered down to the water’s edge. She let the seawater wash over her feet as she stared out into the blue. She hadn’t had the time to even think about the beach since starting law school.
She couldn’t believe how much had changed in just a few weeks. When she came home for law school, she’d never planned to meet someone. Long Island was the last place she thought she’d find a guy worth her time. But somehow she found an amazing, intelligent, gorgeous man—her “southern sexy” as Morgan started calling him. She had no idea how it happened, but she was glad she had given him a chance.
Embry was startled out of her thoughts by Luke’s arms wrapping around her waist. “Hey, you,” she said.
“Hey, yourself. Deep in thought?”
“Yep.”
“Wanna share?”
Embry turned to face Luke. Looking into his eyes, she saw so much there, but she wasn’t quite ready to share what was on her mind. “Just thinking about how nice this is,” she said, pushing up on her toes and placing a kiss on his lips.
Luke kissed her back and grabbed her hand. “Come with me.” He pulled her back toward the blanket.
Luke sat down, his arms resting on his knees, and Embry settled between his legs, her back to his front. He swept her hair aside and rested his chin on her shoulder.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Starving actually.”
“Good. I grabbed a few sandwiches before we left.” Luke opened the cooler and pulled out two cellophane-wrapped packages. “Caprese or Pesto Chicken?”
“Mmm, they both sound good.” Embry pouted, trying to decide which sandwich she’d rather have. “Can we share?”
“How’d I know you’d ask that,” he teased before kissing her neck. After having lunch together a few times, Luke was used to Embry picking off of his plate. She took forever to order, always conflicted about what she wanted. He started ordering whatever she didn’t so that she could have both. “Of course we can.”
“What else have you got in there?” Embry twisted out of Luke’s hold to peer into the cooler.
“Snacks, drinks, the usual.”
Embry relaxed against Luke’s chest and opened one of the sandwiches. They traded bites until it was gone, then sat in silence and watched people come and go on the beach. The sun sank low on the horizon and the air had cooled down quite a bit. Chill bumps rose on Embry’s skin.
Luke rubbed her arms. “Want a sweatshirt?”
“Yes, please.”
Luke reached for the sweatshirts. “Arms up,” he instructed.
Embry complied, and he pulled the soft, gray material over her head. She slipped her hands through the arms, and he tugged it down until she was cocooned. The sweatshirt smelled like Luke, and she snuggled into it. He pulled a sweatshirt over his own head and brought his arms back around Embry. She looked down as she twined her hands with his.
Then she shot up off the blanket, turning and pointing her finger. “No, you did not!”
“What?” Luke said, failing miserably to suppress a smile.
Embry dramatically pulled the sweatshirt away from her chest, stared down at the red and black “G” on the front, and narrowed her eyes at Luke. He stared at her for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh. Luke and Embry hadn’t yet come to a truce over their fierce love for their college football teams.
“You put me in a Georgia sweatshirt?” Embry yelled. She stalked toward him, pushed him onto his back, and climbed on top of him, poking him in the chest. “You, my friend, are a sneaky bastard.”
“Take it off if you don’t like it, sweetheart. I’ll keep you warm instead,” Luke said, his eyes gleaming.
She watched as his blue eyes burned bright with desire. Embry became aware that she was straddling his lap as she felt the heat of his body beneath her. She hovered over him, her hair creating a curtain around them. Luke gently swept her hair aside and pulled her mouth down to his. A shiver rippled through Embry as their lips met.
Luke’s tongue ran across the seam of her lips, begging for entrance. She opened and moaned as his tongue glided over hers. His hands found her bare legs and slowly slid up and down her thighs as they kissed. Before she knew it, Embry was on her back, Luke poised above her, his hands tangled in her hair. He deepened the kiss, and she lost all coherent thought.
Embry was lost in a sea of sensation as Luke placed hot, wet kisses along her jaw. She raised her hips reflexively, feeling Luke’s hardness against her core, and he groaned into her neck. He pulled back to look at Embry, but she pushed her hands into his hair bringing his mouth back to hers. Their kiss slowed, and Luke brushed his lips across Embry’s cheek as she squirmed beneath him.
He pulled back to look at her again. “Warm enough?”
Embry nodded, breathless.
“Good.” He placed a soft, sweet kiss on the corner of her mouth then sat back onto his knees. “It’s starting to get dark. We should probably head out.”