I don’t care who you are—
There’s nothing more beautiful than the beach at night.
The sand looks almost white. The sea is a deep, dark blue that tickles the bay. We don’t need flashlights, not when the moon is this full and the sky this bright with stars.
I leave my shoes behind and sink my toes into the sand. It’s cold, but there’s a little daytime warmth underneath it still when you really bury in. I like the chilly breeze coming off the water—it’s sharp and clean.
“Last one to the water is a muskrat!” Kenzi shouts and takes off running. I dash after her, kicking up sand under my toes. She touches the water first, and I get to it next. It’s like liquid ice, licking my toes.
Kenzi gasps. “Oh my God, it’s freezing!”
But neither of us move away.
Behind us, Donovan finally catches up, strolling leisurely. He has wine, after all. Precious cargo.
“Truth or dare, D?” I ask him.
“Dare.”
“I dare you to howl,” Kenzi says. “As loud as you can.”
Donovan lets out a loud animal noise. There’s no one on the beach—who cares? Kenzi joins in. So do I.
Pack of animals. It feels good. Exhaling vowels, letting the salt air back in.
When I look back at Kenzi, she’s smiling. The moonlight eclipses her face and highlights her dark hair.
She’s got one hell of a smile. Big, kissable lips.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I ask her.
She watches the water. “This is the first time since getting here that I’ve felt like I’m home.”
“Your toes numb?”
She laughs. “Yeah, kind of. But I don’t want to move yet.”
“Me neither.”
I could watch her like this. All night.
She shifts from foot to foot, drawing her toes through the water and back again. And then she loses balance. Kenzi lets out a quick yelp and stretches out her arms. I grab her quickly, hooking my arm around her middle to keep her from hitting the cold water.
“Shit…thanks,” she laughs. Her body heat feels nice against mine. I want to unzip my jacket and let her inside. “Sorry. I’m clumsy.”
“You’re perfect.” The words just fall out of me. But I mean them.
Her eyes meet mine. Those sweet emeralds. Curious, inviting.
I can’t help it—I find myself leaning in. I nuzzle against her, my warmth seeking hers. I feel her breath on my cheek when her lips part. My mouth finds hers in the dark. I don’t plan it, I don’t even think about it—it just feels natural, kissing her like this. The ocean sea licks our ankles and her small body snuggles tighter against mine.
Our kiss is slow, unhurried. She tastes like ChapStick, soft and feminine, and I want to savor this. This moment exactly as it is.
When the kiss breaks, she lets out a small laugh. She tucks herself in, drawing away almost shyly. “Should we…go inside?”
“Absolutely.” Even in the dead of winter, a single kiss from her has me warm all over.
I glance back at Donovan. If he noticed our kiss, he doesn’t say anything. He stands there, straight as an egret, eyes on the ocean. Sipping from his wineglass.
We walk away from the lapping shoreline. “We’re heading inside,” I tell him.
“I’ll be right there,” he replies. His breath crystalizes in the night.
I chase Kenzi inside. The sand grows cold under my bare feet, and we do our best to kick it off on the mat in front of the screen doors.
We slip inside, and I pull the glass door closed behind us. Immediately, Kenzi hugs herself and shivers. “God, the winters get brutal here,” she says.
I slip my hands over her sides and rub over the soft curves of her body. “I’ll warm you up.”
She grins up at me. “You’re handsy.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“I should say yes,” she says.
“Probably,” I tell her.
“Probably.”
For a moment, we just stare at each other. Shivering.
“Fuck it,” Kenzi says. She grabs my shirt and pulls me in.
We’re kissing again. God. I love kissing her. This time she opens up more to me, letting me inside her mouth. I taste her tongue, and she moans, a sound that vibrates through me and makes me diamond-hard.
We stumble through the house, and I lose my footing. We fall on the couch together, and she takes the breath out of me when her body collapses on top of mine.
Kenzi cackles, and the sound warms the entire house.
