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.
Epilogue: Winter
I trudged down the road, my sandals flopping against my heels.
Erick hadn’t been happy when I told him to go sit on his thumb and screw, but whatever, he’d get over it. That man was handsome, maybe a little too handsome. I wasn't in the mood to flirt, and based on the way he looked at my body, I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to keep him from trying something.
And considering the epic dry-spell I was on, I didn’t have the will power to turn him down.
So a-walking I must go.
Not that I minded. Avalon’s not far from Sea Isle, though getting over the bridge might be a pain. I decided I’d call an Uber, but walking felt good after being so damn sedentary all day. Besides, I was a little tipsy, and the hike would help sober me up.
I smiled and sucked in the ocean air. God yes, that was the stuff. The whole reason I moved down here. I could bottle that up and live on nothing but that smell.
My good mood didn’t last long though. I worried about Cassie. She seemed happy—honestly, she was the happiest I’d ever seen her by a longshot, and that was important—but I knew danger lurked around the corner, stalking her like a hyena. I got hints of it at the edges of her story, and although she didn’t go into detail, I glimpsed enough to know that something huge was happening, and Roman was deeply involved.
I didn’t know what to do for her. Probably nothing. This was the path she chose, and I couldn’t fault her for that.
Lord knew I did a bunch of stupid shit in my past. I couldn’t judge her, not even a tiny bit.
Roman seemed like a good guy. Definitely a little cold and intense, but protective of Cassie. I noticed the way he drifted toward her unconsciously, like he was orbiting her in space. His eyes never left her, not really, even when he was looking at something else—she was always in his peripheral vision.
It was kind of cute. Creepy and scary but also sort of cute.
I sighed and stretched my arms up, arching my back. I was a little wobbly and already getting tired. I needed to do some damn cardio. Cassie was the runner—I was the sleeper. But heck, if she could change, then maybe I could too.