Beach Blanket Santa

meant steering clear of unnecessary temptation. She picked up her tea, standing. “I think I’d better carry this back to the bedroom. Start unpacking.”
    Matt’s brow creased with concern. “Did I say something…?”
    “Oh no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just been a long day.”
    She stared into deep blue eyes, consumed by them. He was one good-looking man, maybe the best-looking one she’d ever seen. It was impossible not to remember what it was like to kiss him and how his mouth had moved over hers with obviously practiced skill.
    He held her gaze, and her heart stilled. “I hear you,” he said below the tumult of the storm. “Sleep well.”
    When she spoke, she found her voice a little breathless. “Will this place be in one piece tomorrow?” But the truth was, she was more worried about her heart than the house getting lost in the squall.
    “I’m sure we’ll be fine. This house has withstood far worse and lived to tell the tale.”

    It was impossible for Sarah to sleep with the winds wailing outdoors. Each time the house shook, she feared for their security, imagining their tiny cottage being swept out to sea in a swell. But that was ludicrous. Matt was right. This place had been built to withstand the winds. And this wasn’t some huge hurricane anyway. It was nothing more than a fierce winter storm tearing its way down the east coast. Winds howled again, sending the window casings rattling in her room, and Sarah sat up with a start. An eerie light illuminated the room, emanating from the solar-powered nightlight placed in a low wall outlet. No way could she settle down now. Maybe some more of that herb tea would help.
    Sarah slid out from under the covers and tugged a sweatshirt over her head. It had grown chilly in the midst of the storm, a damp cold seeping indoors. She’d be warmer sleeping with someone else but wasn’t about to consider it. Falling into bed at the drop of a hat wasn’t her style. This was one reason her escapade with Matt had proved so jarring. While she wasn’t precisely chaste, she’d slept only with the few guys with whom she’d had committed relationships. Bedding the best man had been an outlier. So far outside her realm of normal behavior, in fact, that it had caused her to question her priorities. And when she examined those, she saw that what she longed for most of all wasn’t some guy who was in it for a one-night stand. She wanted a guy who would stick around forever, in sickness and in health . Someone who wouldn’t turn tail and run the moment he learned more about her.
    Sarah sighed, wishing so much that Matt had proved himself to be different. But he’d been like all the rest. Eager to take advantage and then ride off into the sunrise at the first crack of dawn. Of course, she understood she was equally to blame for their night of debauchery. It was just a pity that—after all the trouble it had caused—she couldn’t recall the details.

    Matt rummaged through the cabinets in search of something to eat. He didn’t know why he was so incredibly hungry, but his stomach had been growling so loudly he hadn’t been able to sleep. Perhaps he hadn’t had enough dinner, or maybe it was nerves. Growing up in a big Italian family had taught him that the best way to settle any insecurity was with a hearty dose of food. But why should Matt feel unsettled at all? It wasn’t like he had to worry about becoming involved with Sarah. She clearly had no greater interest in him now than she’d had previously. And that was a shame too. The truth was she’d never given him a chance. Never given us a chance…to see what might be. He couldn’t imagine what he’d done wrong, but she hadn’t even wanted to talk about it. At least she’d been upfront in saying good-bye. Conniving Katya would have kept him coming back for more, as long as he’d failed to discover her duplicity.
    He set a box of crackers on the counter and opened the refrigerator in search of some cheese, believing he’d think better after a snack. He didn’t know what it was about Sarah that still got to him after all this time. For all intents and purposes, she was a small part of his past. A long-lost flirtation he should have written off over the years. But seeing her again had proved something different. Matt had an odd inner instinct that maybe there was a reason… Some convoluted explanation for why they’d wound up here together. He wondered vaguely if she was sensing this too.