Page 182 of The Havenport Collection

Wyatt

I heard the door open, and a cold blast of air shot into the taproom.

I was almost finished closing up and looking forward to passing out as soon as I got home.

I had come in early this morning to work with Liam on some test batches for a potential new beer and ended up staying all day until my shift at the bar.

I loved the energy of this place. Everyone was working really hard, and they loved beer and, most importantly, loved each other.

We drank coffee while eating delicious baked goods Karl’s wife made for us.

We debated the latest Marvel movies while cleaning tanks.

The hours were long, and the work was not glamorous, but I was finally doing what I wanted to do, and it felt great.

So I was quite surprised to look up and see Sylvie standing in front of me, wrapped in a coat and scarf, with her eyes twinkling. I hadn’t seen her since I left her apartment last night. We kissed and then I went home giddy, like a lovestruck teenager.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as she slowly walked to me.

“I missed you. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

I pulled her close and tipped her chin up, capturing her mouth in a sweet kiss.

She broke the kiss, and I smiled at her. “I missed you too.”

She cocked her head. “I need a little more than that, big guy.” When she launched herself into my arms, I pinned her up against the bar, kissing her hungrily while her hands toyed with my hair.

I moved my mouth down to her neck, finding that sweet spot at the base of her collarbone that made her wild.

But there was only so much I could do with her in winter clothes.

Realizing that we were in public, albeit alone, I put her down. “That’s much better,” she said, placing a hand on my chest. “Are you almost finished?”

I nodded. “I need ten minutes; do you mind waiting?”

Not long later, we made our way out of the brewery and into Sylvie’s van. I hopped in the passenger seat, not caring about leaving my truck in the parking lot.

She cocked an eyebrow at me. “Wanna go for a ride?”

I nodded, because I would go anywhere with Sylvie and the pure fire burning in her eyes tonight.

We drove through downtown, past the commercial docks, and out toward the bluffs.

“Where are we going?” I had never been this far out of the downtown area.

“You’ll see.”

She continued to drive out to the beach and wildlife sanctuary, turning onto a bumpy dirty road that was covered in slush.

“Jolene doesn’t have off road tires,” I chided.

Sylvie patted the steering wheel. “My girl is just fine.”

We continued down the path, through the dunes and the frozen remnants of seagrass and beach plums until we reached a small parking lot.

“I have a permit, so we can drive on this beach,” she said, pointing to a blue sticker on the windshield. Somehow I doubted there would be anyone checking parking permits at midnight, but I kept that to myself.

She drove up over the embankment on to the beach and toward the sand. I braced myself. We were headed straight for the ocean.

“The tide is going out, I checked. So we’ll be fine.”

I nodded, not sure what she was up to.

She put the van in park, parallel to the ocean, and climbed into the back, sliding the side door open.

I turned around and found that the back of the van had been completely cleaned out—there was an air mattress, half a dozen pillows, and a few blankets scattered around. There were also several flameless candles that Sylvie was now turning on.

“Come back here,” she said, reclining on the pillows.

I crawled back and sat next to her, facing the ocean, and snuggled up in a cocoon of warmth while we watched the tide go out. It was dark, but the moon was bright, and the night sky twinkled above us.

Sylvie kissed me gently as I snuggled her closer.

“This is beautiful. But why did you bring me out here so late?”

Her eyes danced in the candlelight. “To seduce you.”

My pulse quickened and my heart raced. “You don’t have to make an effort. I’m crazy about you.”

She held my face in her hands and looked into my eyes. “You are worth it, Wyatt. You are worth the effort. I’m showing you how much I want you and how much I appreciate you.”

She sat up on her knees and peeled off her winter coat, keeping her knit beanie on, and my jaw dropped to the floor.

Under her down parka was nothing but a purple lace bra and panties.

Her curves were illuminated in the moonlight, and I ached to put my hands on her.

The deep color contrasted beautifully against her pale skin, and she shivered slightly as the candlelight danced across her body.

I felt lust, affection, and something more for this woman—something I couldn’t name or explain, but I yearned for, nonetheless.

“Keep me warm, Wyatt.”