The ocean rolled in and out against the sand and I lounged back in the chair, stretching out my legs and sighing with pure contentment.
Winter wiggled her glass in the air, the ice clinking around in circles.
“I could get used to this.” She peered at me and grinned. The sun was setting, the sky was a gorgeous purple and orange, and she glowed from spending the afternoon out on the beach.
“I knew you’d like it.”
“Who the heck has a private beach in Avalon? I mean, this has got to be obscenely expensive.”
“Roman is obscenely rich. I know that’s crass, but it’s true.”
“How’d you land a rich man?” She pouted and stretched like a cat. “I’d do some truly nasty things for a billionaire. Nothing degrading, but you know, still pretty nasty.”
“I don’t need the details.”
“Since you asked—“
I laughed and put my hands over my ears as she described a sex act I had never once considered—but might be willing to try with Roman.
The breeze felt good on my skin though it was getting chilly. I was surprisingly tired considering I had done nothing but lay out all day with Winter and talked about everything we hadn’t been able to discuss since this all started.
I didn’t give her the gory details. I glossed over most of it—but she got the general idea. By the end, she was shaking her head, and seemed genuinely mystified by the whole ordeal.
“Let me get something straight.” She sat up and arched her back, knuckling against her spine. “You love this guy, right?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
“When did that happen?”
I considered, chewing my lip. “Early on, I think. Around that first car ride when he helped me deal with my panic attack. It wasn’t full on love, but that’s what it started.”
“How’d you know?” She eyed me suspiciously. “I’ve been with men, but I’ve never really known, you know?”
“I know.” I laughed lightly and stared out at the ocean. When had I realized for sure? It was a hard question to ask because the line wasn’t clear. I didn’t wake up one day and suddenly think—yes, as of eight this morning, I am in love with Roman—it was gradual, like water wearing down rock into sand.
“Seriously, how did you figure it out? How’d you quiet all those dumb voices in your head that always tell you to run away?”
“I know exactly which voices you mean and they were very, very loud this time. But when he kissed me and all I could think about was staying in that kiss forever.”
“Not bad, but I’ve kissed some truly incredible men in my day, but didn’t love them. Keep trying.”
I laughed and looked up at the sky. “It was when I started thinking about the future in terms of him. That’s when I really figured it out.”
“Huh.” She sat back and chewed on her pinky nail. “Well shit. That makes sense.”
“It’s stupid, right? One second, I hated him and was only going through with everything to make him keep his promises. Then suddenly I’m thinking about the next ten years in terms of Roman, Roman, Roman. It snuck up and clobbered me.”
“Like a rogue wave. Those sink ships.”
“Guess I’m sunk.”
“You sure as hell are.” She stood up and grabbed her towel, tossing it over her shoulder. “All right, it’s been fun, but I’m going home. I’m toasty, a little drunk, and very tired.”
“Are you sure? You can crash here.”
Shew waved that off. “Roman’s tasty bodyguard man offered to drive me. What’s his name? Erick?”
“Don’t get any ideas. I don’t think he’s your type.”
She smiled, and there was a strange, sad undertone. “I’m not sure I have a type these days.” She bent down and kissed my cheek. “Love you. Glad you’re back.”
“Love you too. Just please don’t walk home, okay?”
“See you tomorrow.” She waved and trudged to the house.
I watched her, smiling to myself, until I spotted Roman jogging down the beach toward me. He went for an evening run and now he was drenched in sweat, his muscular, shirtless torso glistening, his breath coming fast. He smiled and approached, hands up on his head. God, he had amazing biceps.
“Where’d Winter go?”
“Home. I think she got a little too much sun.”
He looked disappointed. “That’s a shame. I planned on cooking.”
“You? Cooking? The idea surprises me over and over.”
“Get used to it.” He sat down at the foot of my chair and took my legs into his lap. He kneaded my calf gently. “I guess this means it’s just us tonight.”
“Don’t get any funny ideas. I see you formulating some kind of plan.”
“My ideas are never funny. Although they are occasionally kinky.”
“How dirty are we talking here?”
He leaned forward and bit my thigh. I sucked in a breath as he kissed the spot and gently licked it, his eyes locking with mine. “Depends. Have you been good?”
“I think the right answer in this situation is a resounding, no.”
“The right answer is definitely no.” He pulled me down into his lap and I inhaled his smell, the musky sweat mixed with sand and ocean, and when I kissed him I knew there was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be than right there in the arms of my husband.
