“Come on. You should know this one.”
And suddenly, I do—the sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun—the puzzle pieces fall into place in my memory. “Is it…our spot?”
His fingers work the knot of the blindfold. The cloth falls away, revealing a scene that’s hauntingly familiar. We’re standing where the tide meets the sand, the ocean stretching out like a rippling, blue blanket all the way to the horizon.
It’s the secluded stretch of beach tucked behind the dunes where we danced and kissed back in high school. The place I first met him.
Everything slams into me at once, the memory overlaying the present moment. But the man in front of me is different now—even more handsome than the teenage version I fell in love with.
I remember being surprised at how soft his lips were, how the waves lapped against our ankles as his mouth explored mine. He was my first kiss. First love. First heartbreak.
You never forget your first.
But you also never forget yourbest.
Mine are the same.
“This is our place.” I turn to study his face in surprise. “But why come here tonight?”
He sits on the sand, then pulls me down next to him. “I brought you here so we could finally pick up where we left off. Because that night didn’t end the way I wanted.” He takes my hand, pressing a kiss to the inside of my wrist. “And I’ve been waiting over a decade to make it right.”
“Brendan, you’ve already made things right—” And before I can get the words out, he closes the gap between us, his mouth finding mine as the memory of our first kiss intertwines with this one. But this time, he’s holding me like I’m something valuable, something he’ll never let go of again.
I grab the back of his neck and pull him against me, my hands gripping his shirt, as his mouth consumes me like a thunderstorm. His lips move across my jaw and I’ve never felt more alive.
“Scarlett,” he murmurs. “I would wait forever for you.”
Then he tumbles backward onto the sand and I fall with him, laughing as the waves crash nearby. When he finally finishes kissing every inch of my face, he holds me in his arms, and we sit like that for a long time, watching the waves tumble over and over again.
“I want to date you, Scarlett Rossi,” he finally says.
“You’re already dating me,” I say with a soft laugh.
“That was pretend dating,” he clarifies. “I want the real thing. I want to hang out with you and drink chocolate milkshakes. I want to play dart games and win stuffed dolphins and kiss you on every ride in the park. I want to take you dancing and make you breakfast. And I promise to always wear matching pajamas, no matter how ridiculous.” Then he brushes my cheek. “How does that sound?”
My heart is a pinwheel, spinning furiously. “Like everything I ever wanted.”
“Does that mean you’re up for dating the assistant coach of the Crushers?”
“Of course.” I give him a teasing look. “Can I still call youCoachin private?”
His eyes flame. “Yes. Especially if it’s part of that sexy kissing game.”
“You’re on. Teach me all your ways,Coach.”
He doesn’t miss a beat—just flips me to my back so I’m lying under him on the sand, caged in by his arms.
“Oh, I’ll teach you alright,” he says in a low voice. “But only if you pay me in kisses.”
“Deal,” I say, reaching up and pulling his mouth to mine for another kiss.
When we finish, he gives me a playful smirk.
“What?” I ask.
“My mom’s already asking when the wedding is.”
My eyes nearly pop out of my head. “She just finished Carmen’s wedding!”