Before I know it, two hours have passed, and the sun is high in the sky and beating down against my skin. I foolishly realize I neglected to apply sunblock and groan when I think of how sunburned my pale skin will be in a couple of hours. The trek back is long as I've made my way along the shore, enveloped in my own private thoughts. But none of it seems to matter because I feel better and happier than I have in weeks.
A huge smile is plastered across my face when I finally make it back to the hotel grounds. But then, I freeze on the spot when I see the scene in front of me.
There's Kade, the man I love. And that scene alone would put a grin on my face, but... There seems to be a woman with him.
I'm standing too far away to see who she is, but she is slim and pert, and has long dark hair just like me. If I wasn't aware that I was standing so far away, I might even think it was us—Kade and me like it should be. But he's laughing at something the dark-haired woman is saying, and then he wraps a hand around her bikini-clad body, and before I know it, his hand reaches downward, squeezing her pert ass.
A gasp escapes my lips as I stare at the scene in front of me, and then anger starts boiling my blood. While a voice keeps telling me my Kade would never, ever do what I just saw, I have to face the hard facts right in front of me. Finally, I've had enough of looking at them, and I storm back to our room to change.
Dressing in my prettiest and sexiest outfit, I head downstairs for lunch. And only a few minutes after me, Kade comes through the door and joins me at our table with a kiss and that cheeky signature smirk of his. I knit my brows together when he sits down, noticing he's managed to dry his salty hair since the last time I saw him. I have no idea how he did that since I was just in our room, but I swallow my pride and deny that something is wrong. We go through our meal, my moves robotic, my heart pounding, and finally, I can't take it anymore.
"I saw you at the beach today," I say coldly, staring him right in the eyes. But all Kade does is return a completely blank look, devoid of all emotion.
"With that dark-haired woman," I clarify, making it perfectly clear what I did and didn't see.
"Junebug, I have no idea what you're talking about," he says with a confused grin. "I was in the reception area talking to them about the internet service. It's utter shit here."
I can see his brows knitting together in worry, no doubt already thinking about work. But I know what I saw, and I know where his hands were. I also know Kade wouldn't lie to me unless he wanted to protect me... or would he? Doubt settles in, and though I don't say anything else about the subject, I'm twitchy and nervous for the rest of the day.
There's this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that someone is watching me. I feel like a pair of eyes is glued to my back, and every time I turn around, I'm just a split second too late to catch whoever it is. And it's seriously starting to bug me.
The feeling doesn't disappear but only grows stronger and stronger as the day goes on. Kade sees something is wrong but doesn't push me to tell him what it is, which I both appreciate and resent at the same time. Finally, he announces he'll go check some emails in the lobby, which is apparently the only place where he can get good reception. I accept that with a grunt, and as soon as he's gone, I change into my nightgown and start getting ready for bed.
But I can't resist stepping out on the balcony again, and when I see the sparkling water in the moonlight, I can't help it—it's like the sea is calling me home. Choosing not to care what anyone might think, I sneak my way downstairs until I'm on the beach. It's completely empty, and I enjoy the moment of solitude, though the annoying feeling just doesn't seem to fade.
I miss Theo. I’ve missed him since we first got here, and I’m worried about him, even though he’s safe. But Parker’s in the same city as my son is now. And that makes me feel nervous.
As I'm admiring the reflection of the moon on the crystal water, a pair of arms wraps around me, and my heart jumps up to my throat. Turning around swiftly, I find myself in Kade’s arms, and I laugh nervously. Despite my confusion at what happened on the beach, I'm more than thankful to see him.