Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
I had no idea how long I was there, but I was starting to get hungry. And very thirsty. The walk back to the compound wasn’t far, but I wasn’t ready to leave yet. Decision made, I went back to my towels and sat down under the sun. I was probably red as a lobster, but I didn’t care. If I was sunburned, it was worth it to feel this free and, more importantly, carefree. Even for a short while.
It wasn’t long before the sun did its work. I was sleepy and happy. Tucking my arms behind my head, I sighed happily. This, I could do every single day for the rest of my life. The thought had just entered my head when the sunlight suddenly dimmed, the warmth cooling in the shadow. Opening my eyes, I saw the problem.
“There a reason you’re blocking my sun, Warlock?” I did my best to put all the ire I could into my voice. Given I was as mellow as a mushroom, it was damned hard.
“You’re gonna burn. And you need to move back.”
“Move back?”
“Yeah.” The second he spoke, water tickled my feet as a wave creeped up the shore.
I gasped and sat up. “I wasn’t that close when I lay down!”
“I’m sure you weren’t.” He reached out a hand. I took it automatically, and he pulled me to my feet. “Tide’s comin’ in.”
“Tide?” I stared at him blankly. For more than one reason. Warlock was in shorts… and nothing else. He might be white-headed, but his body was in prime condition. The man was ripped. And had tattoos scattered over his skin in intriguing places. One snaked into the waistband of his shorts from his side, making me wonder how low on his hip it went. He was completely decent, but he represented the first man I’d been close to in this state of undress.
“Yeah, honey. Let’s move your things farther up the shore, and I’ll take you into the water.”
Well, this was a turn. I wasn’t sure I trusted this change of attitude on his part. I squinted at him, shielding my eyes from the sun. “Who are you and what have you done with Warlock?”
He snorted. “Get your shit.”
I picked up the two towels and my clothes. I saw he’d set up two beach chairs and walked in that direction. He took my stuff from me, tossing it onto the chair before reaching for my hand again. He didn’t wait for me to take it, just snagged my hand and led me toward the water. Then a thought occurred to me, and I stopped in my tracks.
“You’re not… I mean, I didn’t do anything to betray you, Warlock.” If he’d decided the easiest way to get rid of his problem was to eliminate it, I was in a really bad position with no way to fight him.
“What? No!” He shook his head and, surprisingly, pulled me into his arms. “Absolutely not, Hope.” I was so surprised, I let him hold me. It felt good. Damned good. Better than it had a week ago when we’d talked after my breakdown. That still embarrassed me every time I thought about it. Now, though, none of that mattered. I soaked up this rare show of affection like a sponge. And, oh, my God! He smelled good!
When he let me go, it was to frame my face in his big hands and force me to look up into his eyes. What I saw there stunned me. This man was haunted. Almost immediately, he jerked his hands away and stepped back. He snagged my hand again and tugged me after him as he headed toward the ocean.
“Come on.” His voice was gruff. Like his throat was tight. “Let’s get in the water.”
He took me much deeper than I’d gone myself. The water was past his waist, which meant it was to my chest. Waves still rolled around us, but they seemed gentler in the deeper water. As they moved our bodies, Warlock wrapped his arms around me. If I were smart, I’d have been hesitant about letting him cage me in like he was. If the man meant to kill me, I was being so stupid as to not be believed. Again, though, it felt too good to back away from him. I figured, if I was going to die, at least I’d die happy. Warlock constantly looked behind us, and it was then I remembered something I’d never really understood.
“Never turn your back on the ocean,” I murmured.
“Sound advice,” he said, his gaze shifting to mine before going back to the water beyond us. His lips curled slightly as if my statement amused him.
“It’s just that I’ve always heard that expression, but never really understood what it meant. After seeing how quickly the ocean can creep up on you, I get it now.”