Artful Love: A Short Summer Love Story (new adult/contemporary romance) Read Online Free Page B

love you, too.”  
    Even though I had never said these words to a man before, I felt their truth in every fiber of my body. I had spoken from my heart. A heart that yearned for only one man: that gorgeous man who’d just declared his love for me.  
    Roberto swallowed, and when he spoke again, his voice cracked. “Jess, I don’t have anything to offer you. Only my heart, and my dreams. What future could we possibly have together?” He dropped his gaze down, slumping his shoulders, and rubbed the back of his neck.  
    A pang of sadness shot through me. He was right—we didn’t have a future together. Yet I couldn’t imagine living my life without him. I had never felt so fulfilled, so whole before. It was the first time a man had ever been able to reach inside and touch my soul.  
    “We could get married.”  
    It had come out on impulse, without any thought to the consequences of what I’d just offered. “We’ll get married on the ship and then we’ll go to New York.”
    Roberto’s dark, sensual eyes widened in astonishment, rendering him momentarily speechless.  
    “Baby, are you sure? Are you really sure you want to do this?”
    Flashing him a sultry smile, I pushed him in the middle of his chest with my finger. “Hey, I thought you said you loved me.”
    “I do. I do love you.”
    “So, what do you say?”
    Roberto furrowed his thick eyebrows. “I want to say yes, but shouldn’t we think this over? It’s only been two days. Are you sure you’re ready to spend the rest of your life with me?”
    “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t think I was ready.” I threaded my fingers through his thick hair.  
    Roberto dropped his chin to his chest. “Oh Jess, I wish I had something more to offer you. I don’t want to see you suffer, married to a poor artist like me. You’re so beautiful, you’ll easily find a man to marry you, someone with a well-paying job, someone who will provide for you.”  
    “I don’t want anyone else. It’s you I want, and only you.” I left a tender kiss on his forehead.  
    “But how will we survive? We don’t even have jobs.”  
    “We’ll worry about that later. Love conquers all, isn’t that what they say? So, for the last time, will you marry me?”
    My mouth felt dry as Roberto gazed deeply into my eyes.  
    “This is crazy, but yes. I’ll marry you. I’ll spend the rest of my life with you. And I’ll make love to you like this every night.”
    The thought made my pulse take a crazy leap. “Is that a promise?”
    “I promise.” Roberto pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips against mine, his tongue ravishing my mouth. I returned in kind until our tongues were deeply entwined in a dance of passion.  
    As his hands skimmed the curves of my body, waves of pleasure started to flood my system. But I willed myself to break our kiss, rolled him over and pushed his chest down into the mattress. He lay there, hot and hunky, with eyes full of yearning. With my arm stretched, I found a condom on the nightstand and rolled it down his shaft. The moment it was in place, I climbed on top of him, straddling him with parted thighs. I lowered myself slowly, stretching open my folds to accommodate his hardness. I sank in deeper and deeper, savoring the sense of fullness.  
    His hands found my breasts—palming them, kneading them; his thumbs brushing my nipples to unbearable tightness. As I rode him, lifting and sinking, each stroke fanned the fire within me. Within minutes, I felt my body tighten and my flesh convulse around him. My spasms triggered his release, and gripping my hips, he thrust into me a final time before soaring into ecstasy.
    Later, as I gazed at Roberto asleep with his arms around me, utter happiness filled my whole being—something I’d never felt before. I would wake up like this every morning for the rest of my life. It felt so good, so right.  
    Cradling myself against him, I drifted off to sleep.  

    The captain’s door was open; I