“Unnecessary,” I contend as I stroke the back of her hand. “We’ll pack our bags—“
“I own one—“
“Which I’ll buy to replace the god-awful one you have. We can walk Barney in the mornings—“
“Mornings?”
I splash her, and she laughs in protest.
“Early afternoon,” I concede when her laughter dies. “Though you won’t be playing any late gigs, so you won’t need to sleep in.”
“I see. And what will I be doing?”
“Swimming. Reading. Me.”
Her dark eyes search mine. “It’s one thing to fantasize about it, another thing to do it.”
I have a ton of work to do to win back her trust. I dug myself a deeper hole than I knew, but she’s worth it. She’s worth everything.
“I’m taking you on a date,” I decide. “Dinner tomorrow. I might not find a taco truck, but it’ll be the next best thing. I’ll answer anything you ask me. We can talk about the future. And I want you to move back in with me,” I go on as her brows pull together. “I’ll line up additional security. I hate knowing you’re on my island and under some other man’s roof.”
She trails a hand along the surface of the water, lips curving. “Maybe it’s my island now.”
Fuck. She’s a different woman than the one I fell in love with. An even stronger, more fascinating one.
“Come back to me, Raegan. Nothing is the same without you.”
It’s a minute, an eternity, as I wait her out.
“We can try.”
The knot in my chest loosens a degree. But when she starts toward the shore, I catch her hand.
“I need to go back to the hotel tonight,” she says.
“Not yet. One more time.”
Raegan’s the one to run her fingers through my wet hair and rub her swollen lips on mine.
This time when I drag her against me, I’m not thinking of yesterday.
I’m thinking of tomorrow.