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When Keegan arrived and honked the horn, Sadie feared Alexis might wake up despite the early hour. It was almost ten o’clock and Alexis wasn’t set to get up for another two hours. Sadie wanted to have time to steal away without Alexis knowing where she was going or with whom.
Grabbing her beach bag on the way down the hall, she whipped into the living room, picked up her straw hat and headed out the door, careful to close it silently behind her.
Once in Keegan’s SUV she let out a small squeal of delight. “I can’t remember the last time I went to the beach.”
“Then you’re going to love this. I’m taking you to a secret little spot that few people know about.” He reached for her hand, gave her an affectionate squeeze and brought her fingertips to his lips.
Tingling all over, she giggled as they took off. It was like going on an adventure and she greatly needed one. The stress of living with Alexis was beginning to show and, while she was an excellent student, the strain of leading a teenager’s life was more strenuous than the adult life she’d adopted in Ireland.
Though Keegan initially took a route she was familiar with, he eventually turned onto a dirt road and twisted and turned, bringing the salty scent of the ocean closer and closer. When they emerge in a cozy cove, deserted save for a few seals toasting on a scattering of rocks, Sadie immediately fell in love with it.
“This is spectacular, Keegan. I didn’t even know there was a place like this.”
“It’s my favorite place to be.” He beamed with pride and seemed especially happy to be sharing his secret with her.
“I can see why.”
Getting out of the truck, Keegan grabbed a picnic basket from the back seat then led Sadie between too large boulders that created an intimate lunch setting while allowing a fabulous view of the crashing waves.
“Hope you're hungry. I brought a great assortment of salads, sandwiches and some drinks.” He shook out a large thick blanket.
“Wow, Keegan. You're too much.” Kneeling on one corner of the blanket, she reached back to pull her sandals off.
“My mom used to say you can never have too much food when you're treating guests, so...” He pulled out the bottle of wine and expertly popped out the cork. “And every meal has its wine.”
Sadie looked at the ruby red content of the glass he offered and thought of the last time she’d properly fed. She was walking a thin line and knew it, feeding just enough to keep her going, but never feeling fully satisfied.
Keegan held his glass up to her. “Cheers.”
Reluctant to bring up the underage argument, Sadie simply feigned taking a sip then set the glass aside.
“So what’s your story?” she asked.
Setting his gastronomical picnic out on the blanket, Keegan glanced up at her. “Story?”
“You cook, you seem to live alone, yet you’re still in high school, yet you're able to go out and buy wine.”
“I guess, in a way, my story kind of resembles yours.”
Taken aback, Sadie tried to understand the connection. She rarely spoke of her childhood or of her time in Europe. How much did he know about her?
“I’ve always loved to cook,” he said. “As a kid I was always in the kitchen helping out.” He unwrapped a sandwich and smiled with pride at the work he’d done. “My parents died in a fire when I was eight.”
“How dreadful.”
“Yeah, it was rough. But I guess you would know that, right?”
A bit of the tension that had raced to her shoulders began to dissipate. “All too well, yes.”
“For a long time I felt guilty for having survived.”
“And where have you been since?”
“Around. Caretakers, guardians...I moved from home to home, from place to place. But in October I turned eighteen and was on my own.”
“No offense, but what are you still doing in high school?” She picked away at her salad, separating the onions from the macaroni then setting the green peppers to another corner.
“I started a year late because of my birthday. Then I lost another year after the fire. I was out of school for over four months and fell too far behind.”
She felt the pain of his loss, for his parents and for his childhood. Having to go from foster home to foster home must have been rough, too. Remembering her own loss, she brought her hand to his shoulder. “Your parents would be incredibly proud of you, Keegan. You're a remarkable young man.”
He cracked his crooked smile. “Well, before you shower me with too much praise...” He lifted his glass of wine to his lips. “I did get a friend of mine to buy me this. I wanted to make today special.”
Sadie looked thoughtfully at him. After a moment of contemplation, she reached for his glass and set it aside. “We don’t need this to make today special.”
His eyes narrowed and he seemed exceedingly pleased to hear her say that. When he licked his lips, it was all Sadie could do to keep from devouring him. He was adorable and suddenly so vulnerable, yet she saw the strength and independence he was so proud of.
Feeling wild and wanton under his steady gaze, Sadie knelt back on her heels and began slowly unbuttoning her shirt. His eyes were riveted to her motions and while she felt a hint of uncertainty, she didn’t stop. Once she’d completely exposed the bright yellow top of her bikini she stood and shimmied out of her short denim skirt. The bikini bottom was skimpier than she was comfortable with, but she was pleased with the effect it had on him.
Keegan’s jaw dropped and his eyes didn’t seem to know where to look next. They wandered up to her breasts, trailed over the trim curve of her waist, stared into the core of her belly button and finally traced their way down the toned line of her legs. “Wow,” he sighed.
A playful smile on her lips, Sadie cupped his chin and set it back into place. “Last one in has to give up his dessert.” Before Keegan could even register what she’d said, she was sprinting towards the shore. Conscious of the true speed she was capable of, she paced herself as reasonably as she could while still maintaining a competitive speed.
Just as her toes made first contact with a salty wave, Keegan came up behind her, swept her up into the air and ran into the crashing waves with her in his arms. His strength surprised her, almost frightened her as his motions were effortless.
He looked at her with a victorious grin while boyish mischief alternated in his eyes with lustful hunger.
Clinging to his neck, Sadie’s eyes widened as a flash of her time with Ashwin suddenly hit her. The water. The breeze. The power of his arms. His water soaked clothes. Her desire to get closer.
She could feel the damp fabric of her dress clinging to her breast and the weight of her skirt as it trailed in the water. In the distance she saw Stoker Manor and felt the fear of having her father find her in the young Lord’s arms.
His damp curls tickled arms that held her tightly, inviting her to run her fingers through each tendril.
“Never try to outrun a running back.” Keegan laughed and held her closer.
Sadie laughed along with him, but knew her distant thoughts had to be apparent. Keegan’s eyes clouded over a brief moment and she felt the weight of the moment descend on them. Guilt engulfed her as she looked into the intensity of his gaze. He was fully there for her and she was reminiscing about an ancient love.
“Where did you go?” he asked.
“Not very far, thanks to you,” she answered, trying to be as flirty and flippant as possible.
He pecked her on the temple. “In there.”
A large wave crashed into them, causing Sadie to squeal and tighten her hold of his neck, but Keegan held steady and waited for a response.
She hated the thought of lying to him, but realized she couldn’t tell him the complete truth. “When I was a young girl, we lived by the sea. It was grand and marvelous and I miss it more than I’d realized. Being here brought me back to that special time.”
Satisfied with the answer, he smiled and headed back to the shore where he set her on her feet. “You seemed sad for a moment there. Sorry if all this brings back bad memories.”
“I wasn’t sad, Keegan and don’t ever be sorry for bringing me here.” She brought her fingers to his lips to cease his apologies. “I love it. It’s perfect.”
Keegan took her fingers and pressed them to his lips, kissing the salt away.
“It’s perfect,” Sadie whispered. Wild sensations zipped from her fingertips to her toes and her eyelids felt incredibly heavy.
Pulling her fingers away, Keegan held her hand in both of his, his fingers weaving and threading through hers repeatedly as though he couldn’t get enough of touching her. Taking each digit one at a time, he kissed them, leaving her middle finger for last. With one slow, deliberate and exquisite motion, he passed his tongue over the length of her finger.
It took every ounce of control to hold in the sigh that swelled inside her. He was amazing and she didn’t want the day to end. His every touch felt perfect, as if they were meant for one another and she longed to feel more of him.
Her free hand trailed up his arm and stopped to play at the nape of his neck, twirling a curl. His lids seemed suddenly heavy as they shielded his eyes and Sadie realized her touch affected him just as his did her. With a will of their own, her feet tilted up onto her toes and she leaned into him, eager to have his lips over hers.
The first tender brush of his lips left Sadie dizzy, and as he pressed for more, she felt her soul slowly open up to him. His mouth consumed her, filling all her thoughts, blocking out any other desire and leaving her breathless.
But when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer, pressed the length of her almost nude body against his, she felt a confusion of hunger and passion.
As Keegan’s tongue slipped into her mouth, Sadie suddenly felt the tip of a fang emerge. Getting a grip on her growing passions, she pulled away, her tongue subconsciously passing over the retreating fang.
“This is Keegan, too fast.” Her brain, still caught up in the sensations that had filled her, couldn’t compose a proper sentence and she knew she was spewing nonsense. Lack of proper feeding left her hungrier than usual, and the immensity of the passion she felt for him exacerbated the situation. “I mean, I’m not...”
She knew what boys said about girls like her; girls who ignited the flames of passion only to extinguish them with a prudish and innocent bat of their eyes.
“I’m not in a rush, Sadie.” His voice was husky and heavy, and though he showed his complete understanding, hunger still clung to his gaze.
“Don’t hate me.”
“I could never hate you, Sadie. It’s no big deal.”
But just as he pulled away and turned to walk back to their picnic blanket, his brow furrow with conflicting emotions.