by Tina Saxon
She narrows her eyes at me. “So, why did you accept this date?”
“I almost killed the guy. What choice did I have?”
She shakes her head at me, not believing a word I’m saying. There’s an attraction to the guy, but it doesn’t mean I’m ready for a relationship. It’s just a date. One. Date. My phone dings on my dresser and butterflies tickle my insides. He said he’d text me when he arrived. Tori reaches it before I do, waving it around, striding into the living room with it in her hand.
“Time to take a magic carpet ride, baby doll.”
I snatch the phone, laughing. “You’re a nerd.” She smiles wide, plopping down on my couch. “You going into work?” I ask while making certain everything I need is in my purse.
“Of course. What else do I have to do?” She sighs dramatically. I stop fiddling with my purse and peek up through my lashes.
“Yeah, your life is so monotonous.” She flashes a sly grin. It’s not boring at all. She has a boyfriend that takes her out on his yacht or flies her to random exotic destinations a couple of times a month for the weekends. I’m not jealous of Ben, or Mr. Silver as we call him, our nickname for him because he’s older than her by ten years and rich, but I am envious of what she does with him. I’ve lost count how many times he’s asked her to marry him. She loves him, but she likes her freedom too. He’ll need to strap her to a gurney to get her to the altar.
Tap tap tap. I smooth my dress, glance down to make sure my boobs aren’t sticking out and ask, “Do I look okay?” I shake out my hands, my nerves jumping into overdrive. Why am I so wound up?
“Stunning, Ell. Calm down. Like you said, it’s only a date.”
Taking a deep breath, I blow out my anxieties and open the door. Our eyes meet, and I can feel the thrum of my pulse as my heart picks up speed. His eyes work their way down my body, leaving a trail of heat.
“Wow,” he murmurs, his eyes blaze. “You look amazing.”
He’s only seen me in my work uniform, black shorts and a black tank, with Ocean’s sprawled across my boobs. My dark hair is loose and curled, unlike the bun it’s normally in. I even pulled out makeup which I normally don’t make time for between work and school.
I stop at the elevator and tilt my head in confusion as he keeps walking. Once he realizes I’m not by his side, he turns around. “Where’re you going?”
He flashes a boyish grin and shrugs. “I don’t do elevators.”
I glance at the mirrored doors and back at him. “Are you claustrophobic?” I’d be surprised if he said yes considering he was a SEAL.
His incredulous laugh confirms my thoughts that it’s crazy. “No. I don’t like to feel trapped in a box.”
“Isn’t that the definition of claustrophobia?”
He licks his bottom lip and it’s sexy as hell even though he didn’t mean for it to be. “It’s more about the loss of control than the confined space.”
I bob my head back and forth, kind of understanding. Although, not enough to make me take the stairs every day. I join him, walking down the six flights of stairs. I’m grateful we’re going down instead of up. That might be embarrassing.
He holds the door to the garage open for me, the smell of his cologne greets me as I pass. I close my eyes for a moment, reveling in the scent. I'm in so much trouble if his scent is getting to me. When he stops at a motorcycle - a beautiful black Harley - I peer down at my fitted dress and heels and glance back up to meet his uncertain expression.
“We don’t have—”
“I can go—”
We both say at the same moment. He chuckles and says, “We don’t need to take this, I’ll grab Cody’s car.”
“No,” I say quickly. I’ve never been on a bike, but it’s happening tonight. “I’ll go change.” I hold up a finger and take a couple of steps back before pivoting on my heels. “Don’t go anywhere,” I yell over my shoulder.
“That would be stupid of me,” he yells back. I turn and smile at him, he winks in response.
Damn. Damn. Damn. I’m ready to jump into the visible flames he’s putting off.
I dash into my apartment. Tori stands in my bedroom doorway as I shimmy into my skinny jeans, not yet taking off my dress. “See, I told you, a magic carpet ride.”
I stop mid-zip and glare at her as realization dawns on me by what she meant. “You knew he had a motorcycle?”
With a taunt of a smile, she shrugs unapologetically.
“Really, Tori? You even told me not to wear panties.”
She hums. “How hot that ride would be? Maybe I should talk Mr. Silver into getting a motorcycle.”
“Oh my god. You are a nymphomaniac.”
This shouldn’t surprise me coming from a woman who doesn’t wear a bathing suit when out on the yacht and all the places her and Mr. Silver have had sex out in the open. She’s as comfortable naked as she is with clothes on, but I’m not. I’d rather the lights be turned off. The scars have always made me self-conscious.
The royal blue silk tank glides down my torso. It’s still sexy and date-worthy. Boots in the summer sound as good as hot chocolate on a steaming, muggy day so I grab wedges out of my closet. At least they won’t fall off my feet.
I glance at the stair exit and I smirk. Nope, not this time. I’ll break my ankle trying to do the stairs right now.
Kase is sitting on his motorcycle when I return, messing with his phone. “Hey stranger, can you give me a lift?”
His thumbs stop moving, and his lips turn up as he mumbles something to himself. When he lifts his head, he flashes a sly grin. I can’t ignore the flush of heat burning deep in my core. I should have kept my dress on. Without panties.
“Where you headed?” His words are playful, but his eyes are full of fire. I try to ignore his heated stare, but it’s always been hard for me to turn away from danger. And Kase is dangerous. I’ve seen how he interacts with other people. He’s intense, reserved, yet doesn’t back away from a fight. He’s nothing like that with me, which makes me question everything about him. It also draws me in and makes me want to know who the real Kase is.
“Wherever you want to take me.”
“Damn, woman. Don’t tell me that.” He grabs a helmet off his handlebar and lifts it over my head. I pull my hair back before he pops it down. His warm fingers graze my jaw as he snaps my chinstraps together. I shiver involuntarily and heat rushes to my cheeks. He flashes a knowing smile and bites his lip and it's damn sexy. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” He twists his body to grab his helmet. “Hop on,” he says over his shoulder.
Feeling nervous, excited, and slightly aroused, I swing my leg over and straddle the seat. I hold on to the seat behind me, not knowing if I’m supposed to wrap my arms around him. “I tried to say no. You wouldn’t let me.”
“Ellie, you didn’t try very hard.” His laugh echoes in the quiet garage until he floods it out with the buzz of his bike. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around his waist, not caring what I’m supposed to do. The press of my body against his, the rumble of the bike between my legs and the adrenaline of being on a motorcycle has my body tingling with little volts of electricity. I’m more alive right now than I’ve been in years.
The wind rushes around us as we zip by the coast and the sun sets low in the sky behind us. The engine roars louder as Kase pushes it to go a little faster. My hands tighten around his waist and I can feel the shake of his laughter. I pinch him, and he retaliates by reaching around, grabbing my ass. Fear spikes through me. Keep your hands on the handles!
“Noooo!” I yell and tap him on his stomach. I release a sigh of relief when both his hands are where they’re supposed to be. After about a twenty-minute ride, Kase pulls into a small beach-side restaurant. It’s a cute, tiki-hut style restaurant with bright lights, beach themed decor and a patio that wraps around the entire restaurant.
Kase parks and takes off his helmet. “This okay?”
I lift off my helmet, hand it to him and shake out
my hair. “Yes! I’ve never been here.” North of Gilley Cove is new to me as I don’t venture out this way. He helps me off and I rub the inside of my thighs, not used to the vibration between my legs. Well… for that long.
He slips his hand in mine, with no hesitation. He’s worried if I’ll like the restaurant, yet holding my hand is not up for discussion. I steal a quick glance up to him and he winks. The confident man leads me inside and I can’t help the butterflies tingling in my belly.
“Reservation for Nixon,” he says to the blonde hostess. Reservation? The restaurant is what I imagined it to be. Laid-back and casual. Typically, this is not the type of place that takes reservations.
“Right this way, Mr. Nixon.” Kase’s hand stays on my lower back as we follow her through the restaurant. I'm excited they're seating us on the patio. The sun hasn’t disappeared yet, leaving a soft pink glow across the horizon. When we keep going, past the patio, I glance at Kase, confused. He nods his head forward and I follow it to a single table set up by the water. Candles flicker on the table from the soft breeze coming off the ocean.
He pulls out my seat for me and helps me scoot forward in the sand. When he whips my folded up napkin and lays it in my lap, I stare up at him in bewilderment. He rounds the table and sits, repeating the motion with his napkin. I’m caught off guard by his chivalry.
He takes a sip of his water, looking at me over the rim of the glass. “What?” he asks, lowering his glass.
“You surprise me.”
He leans back in his chair, chuckling. “Why is that?”
I spread my arms out, looking out to the ocean and back to his amused smirk. “This. I never pictured you being a romantic guy.”
Well, that sounded a bit judgmental and came out totally wrong. He nods twice, his fingers twisting his lower lip. “Why type of guy do you think I am?”
Domineering alpha. My cheeks heat at my first thoughts. “I don’t know. Not this.”
His eyebrow lifts and he leans forward on the table, reading through my bullshit. “You seem to have formed an opinion of me, Ellie.”
I release an awkward laugh, glancing back up the beach, hoping a waiter is about to show up. They’re never here when you need them. He waits for me to answer, a slight tick at the corner of his mouth. “You’re confident, slightly arrogant, with a tough guy attitude. Sweet and romantic, not so much. Dominant and alpha, definitely.”
He shrugs one shoulder. “I go after what I want.” A shiver runs up my back as he locks eyes with me. “And one doesn’t negate the other,” he rasps.
We’re interrupted by the waiter. Finally.
I notice I’m fanning myself with the menu as I’m placing my order. I shove it into the hands of the waiter, rolling my eyes. The heat coming from his words seeps into my skin, leaving me wanting more. It’s irritating I can’t control it. I kick off my sandals and dig my feet into the cool sand, seeking any relief I can find.
“You’re not used to the word no, are you?”
His lips twist as he glances up to the sky, mulling it over internally. Finally, he answers, “I’m just persuasive.”
“Ha! Remember, the only reason I’m here is out of guilt.” I sit back, cross my arms and smile sweetly at him.
“Is that the only reason?”
I want to answer yes. I want to prove to myself that he doesn’t affect me like he does. But when he cocks his eyebrow up and flashes a smile to match, my confidence wavers about what I want.
Chapter Thirteen
Ellie
“You mentioned you were in school?” He leans back in his chair, giving me his full attention.
I nod, holding up a finger while I finish eating the piece of bread I stuffed into my mouth. I’m still hungry after the salad I had for dinner. Why did I order a freaking salad? I’ve never had a problem eating in front of a man. Then again, I’ve never been this nervous on a date either. “I am. Thankfully, I’m almost done. My major is Photo Journalism.”
“You like taking pictures?”
“I like telling stories through my pictures. The school project I created has turned into a passion of mine. One I hope to continue after I graduate.”
He gestures with his hands for me to continue. “Tell me more about this project.”
I smile. Is he for real, or is he playing me? He seems too perfect. He’s attentive, he’s polite, he’s sexy… he’s single. Why? Was his fit of jealousy the other day his real personality? Because I’m not seeing a hint of that guy today. And it’s confusing the hell out of me.
“What?” He eyes me with a quizzical look.
“Do you hate animals? Or snore really loud?”
His laugh is heady and sexy, and I feel guilty for trying to find a flaw as he entertains my doubt. “I'm certain I don’t snore. The guys on my team would’ve let me know.” He chuckles to himself and I assume he’s talking about his military team because he doesn’t room with any of Max’s team. “Not a fan of cats, but I love dogs.”
That’s it! He hates cats. Then again, so do I.
“Why?” he muses.
“Why are you single?”
Why are you so interested in me? Since day one, he's been hell-bent on winning me over. He could have any woman. One who isn’t broken. Tori’s words float through my head, ‘You deserve to be happy.’ Although this may be true, it’s the person I’m with that doesn’t deserve to be saddled down with my past. When they find out the truth, they won’t stay.
“I guess I haven’t found the one, yet.”
Keep searching, because you won't find her here.
He narrows his eyes as if he read my mind. I quickly look down and butter my bread, or try to. The melted butter drips off the foil paper onto my lap and I mutter a few curse words under my breath. Trying to accomplish simple tasks around him seems to be impossible.
“Need help?”
I peek up from blotting my jeans with the napkin. “Anything to get your hands between my legs, huh?” I say jokingly without thinking.
He licks his lips and shakes his head. “I meant buttering your bread.”
I flush and squeeze my eyes shut wishing I could take back my words. “But I like where your head is at.”
I try to laugh it off, folding the napkin in my lap. “So, how about we go back to talking about my project?” The slight tip of his head is all I need to move on. “It’s about…. When women are…” I keep pausing, searching for the right words. “It’s hard to explain. Rather, it’s something you need to see. The project is called You are the Light.”
“Something I have to see?”
“I’ll show you when you drop me off.” He flashes a disarming smile and I think about what I said to make him smile like that. “My project. I’ll show you my project,” I clarify.
“Well, I can’t wait to see it.” His genuine interest makes me like him a little more. “You’re not from here, are you?”
I hesitate, peering past him out in the ocean. The waves gently roll up the beach. This is why I don’t date. His question slams into me like a brick wall, waking me up to the reality I can’t commit to someone right now.
“Ellie?”
“I’m from Texas.” Despite the building anxiety, I answer. Small details won't open the floodgates from my past. I open my mouth to ask him where he’s from but snap it shut. If I ask him a question, it opens the door to more questions. More lies.
“I could tell.”
I’ve tried my hardest to lose my accent, but the damn thing won’t go away. “I could say the same thing about you, Cowboy.” His accent is a lot more prevalent than mine. He’s certainly from the south.
“Yes ma’am,” he says with a heavy accent that makes me laugh. “What brought you to Gilley Cove?”
“I came out here with my dad and I fell in love with it. I didn’t want to leave, so I didn’t.”
He sits forward in his chair. “Do your parents live here too?”
“No. They still live in Texas.” I sense he wants to ask m
ore, so I change the subject. “You were in the military? Right?”
“Navy.”
“Were you on a ship the whole time?”
Chuckling, he replies, "No." He’s quiet for a moment, his attention pulled out to the ocean. I run my finger down the condensation of my water glass, wondering if he'll say more. It’s obvious neither of us want to talk about our past. I stay quiet to let him gather his thoughts. Who am I to pressure him into talking? His gaze meets mine again and the intensity in his eyes makes me question if he had a bad experience in the military. I know all about PTSD, but I don't have firsthand knowledge of people in the military and what they deal with overseas.
“Should I call you Popeye?” I say to lighten the mood.
He belts out a laugh and shakes his head. “Cowboy is fine.” His features soften, the tension fades. “Do you enjoy swimming?”
“In a pool, yes. In the ocean, not so much.” Living creatures grazing my legs and not noticing if they’re about to make me dinner scares the hell out of me. Nope, no thank you.
He grips his chest in mock horror. “I’m going to have to rethink our relationship,” he jokes.
“I wouldn’t call what we have a relationship.”
He leans in a little and whispers, “Yet.” His eyes drop to my mouth, and the spoken promise makes me fidget in my seat. "I’ll make you love the ocean."
Shaking my head, I say, “I doubt it.” He pushes his chair back and stands up, towering over the table. His wicked smile sends warning bells through me. “Wh… what are you doing?” I stutter.
I place my napkin on the table, not taking my eyes off him. The live band’s music comes off the patio. Darkness surrounds us now except for the scattered tiki torches lit on the beach from here to the top. The fire from a torch behind me reflects in his eyes as he takes a step toward me. I push my chair back, knocking it back, and move to the opposite side of him. “Kase,” I warn, holding up my hands. “How about we play around in the water, during the day?”
