Page 85 of Tightrope

“You’re right,” he said against her mouth. “It’s what people like us do.”

The kiss set her senses on fire. She was intensely aware of everything around her. Fiercely alive. Thrilled. She was flying.

He released her for a moment to unfold the blanket and spread it out on the sand. When the makeshift bed was ready, he bent down long enough to unlace his shoes.

Barefoot, he looked at her from the opposite side of the blanket.

She stepped out of her own shoes and walked to the center of the blanket. He met her there. They fell to their knees and reached for each other.

By the time the scorching embrace ended she was on her back and naked except for the frilly panties. Her clothes were in a careless heap at one corner of the blanket. Matthias’s trousers and shirt were in the same pile.

And then his lips were on her throat and his hands were moving slowly—too slowly—over her breasts and down to her thighs. When his fingers slipped under the edge of the wide-legged panties, she almost lost her breath.

“Matthias.”

It was all she could say.

He cupped her and whispered something dark and sensual when he discovered how wet she was. Everything deep inside her was now so tightly wound that she wanted to scream with frustration but she could barely catch her breath.

She seized the hard, rigid length of him.

“Yes,” he pleaded, his voice a harsh rasp.“Yes.”

She tightened her fingers around him and began to move her hand in a pumping action that left him damp with sweat. She thrilled to theknowledge that he was controlling himself because he wanted to please her. She stroked him with still more force.

He sucked in his breath, settled onto his back, and hauled her astride his thighs. She lowered herself carefully onto his thick length.

He thrust upward, filling her completely. The size and urgency of his erection was too much. She came undone in a shivering, shuddering release that seemed endless.

He followed her into the deep. His climax stormed through her, igniting aftershocks.

They fell into each other.

And they caught each other.

Chapter 45

The following morning Amalie found herself in what had become a surprisingly pleasant routine. She was in the kitchen helping Willa with breakfast preparations. Matthias and Jasper were at the large wooden table in the center of the room, drinking coffee and talking about the intricacies of car engines.

They all stopped when Hazel burst into the room waving the new edition of theBurning Cove Herald.

“You’re not going to believe this,” Hazel said. “The robot escaped.”

Willa stared at her. “What in the world?”

Jasper frowned. “Are you talking about Pickwell’s robot?”

“Do you know any other robots?” Hazel asked.

She held up the front page so that they could all read the headline.

ROBOTDISAPPEARS.

AUTHORITIESMYSTIFIED.

PUBLICWARNEDTOBEONTHELOOKOUT.

“There must be some mistake,” Amalie said.