Chapter Sixteen
t he hostess sat us on the deck overlooking the harbor.
It’s the wrong side of the island to watch the sunset, but the clouds in the sky were lit up pink and orange against the blue backdrop of the water.
As stunning as that view was, I couldn’t take my eyes off Grace.
She opted for the steak over the seafood and dug into it like she was back from deployment and eating actual food again.
I didn’t know watching someone eat could be so entertaining.
“What?” she asked once she swallowed another bite of juicy red steak.
“I was just thinking I should have ordered the steak,” I quipped. My salmon sat mostly untouched on my plate.
“Want a bite?” She held up her fork with a piece of the rib cap on it. The best part.
“Yes,” I said with conviction before I even thought the word. I leaned forward and ate the piece directly off her fork. It was lightly salted and buttery and it melted in my mouth when I bit into it. I definitely should have ordered the steak.
Her eyes were wide and her lips slightly parted as she watched me chew my bite. Maybe they slipped some aphrodisiac into the garlic butter that was melting on top when they brought it out.
“I was thinking perhaps a walk on the beach after we eat,” she blurted. I didn’t know if she wanted to distract herself or get me alone. I knew which one I preferred.
“The beach sounds nice,” I said, leaning back in my chair. I still hadn’t touched my salmon. After that steak, I wasn’t sure I could enjoy it.
Her cheeks turned pink at the look I gave her. I crossed my arms and watched as she traced the path of them from one shoulder to the other. It wasn’t the first time I caught her looking, and I was more than happy to provide her a show.
“How’s your dinner?” The waitress came up and asked, interrupting whatever was happening between us.
“What are your dessert options?” Grace asked, turning her head to the waitress and breaking eye contact with me.
“Sorry, we don’t have a dessert menu. There are several bakeries and ice cream shops on the island, though.” The waitress’ words were kind enough, but something in her tone had Grace shrinking in on herself.
“Oh. Ok. Thank you,” she said.
“I think we’re done here. Can we get the check?” I interjected. I wanted Grace’s light back. We are going to find dessert.
“Certainly.” The waitress practically purred when she spoke to me. I didn’t bother looking at her and kept my eyes on Grace instead.
She was quiet as we walked out of the restaurant. I racked my brain trying to remember the name of a place Duke used to talk about. Something about a burned-down church and a lighthouse.
“I might know of a place we can go walk with some nice desserts. Let me see if Duke can get us in,” I said when we got to the car.
“Oh, we don’t need dessert.”
“Yes, we do,” I growled out as I pulled out my phone to get the address to the resort I was thinking of.
My phone pinged with directions as soon as we got in the car and an unhelpful offer to show up and crash our date so he could finally meet Grace. I pulled out and followed the map to Sea Pines Resort.
The moon had fully risen by the time we got to the nearly deserted beach. Its white glow reflected off the ripples in the water. I was never so glad that the resort town catered to a slower, quieter, older demographic.
Grace shivered from the breeze off the ocean, and I used that as an excuse to pull her in tight. My arm fit perfectly around her and as she leaned into me, it was like a puzzle piece clicking into place.
She belonged right here, right next to me, always.
“Apparently, there is this old burned-down church around here and a dessert place that serves the stickiest cream-filled pastries. Duke swears they are the best he has ever had. I think it’s probably a skewed childhood memory, but do you want to find out?
” I asked after a few minutes of walking under the stars at the beach.
“Yes,” she said, “I think I would like that.” It was a start, at least.
“Duke was right,” she said around a bite of cream-filled dough. “These are sticky and delicious.” The light had come back into her eyes. I hoped with enough time whatever voice in her head told her to be ashamed was silenced.
“I won’t tell him that,” I laughed around the other half of the dessert. It was massive. “He’s got a big enough head as it is.”
I watched as she licked the sugary syrup that coated the pastry off her hand. My eyes traced the path of her tongue up each finger. I wanted to lean forward to chase her tongue back into her mouth. I wanted to taste the sugar on it, to taste her.
She groaned at the flavor of her last bite and the sound was like an arrow digging deep into me. I wanted to hear that sound again.
“That was so good,” she said when her hands were clean.
“Yeah,” I said with a bit of a growl.
She stiffened at that and I mentally kicked myself for letting it out. Too much. Except her eyes weren’t on me, they were aimed over my shoulder. I didn’t move to look, though I wanted to.
“Talk to me,” I said instead. “What do you see?” I coached her like I did my men so many times. She moved her eyes back to mine briefly and then looked over my shoulder again.
“I think I just saw George, but I’m not sure. I can’t see him now,” she said in a low voice as she turned into me.
“Anything else?” I asked, my spine stiffening and my mind working through the exit plan I didn’t consciously make.
“No, he was with someone I’ve never seen before.” She reached her hand down to mine and threaded her fingers through it. I squeezed her hand and brought her in closer.
“Well, seems like this would be a good time to head back,” I said as I steered her in the opposite direction she had been looking.
I scanned the area, looking for anything unusual, and found nothing amiss around us. Still, I opted to take us the more direct route through the armed guards that patrolled this resort. Just in case.
“I’m sorry. I think I’m just being paranoid,” she said and tried to extract her hand from mine. Not happening. I gripped hers tighter and held onto her, desperate to feel her and know she was right here with me. I could protect her. I would protect her. No matter what.
“Paranoid is good,” I reminded her. “You were paying attention to your surroundings, saw something amiss, and alerted me to it right away. You did what I taught you to do.” I pushed as much of a pride I felt in her into my voice, my words. She shouldn’t doubt herself.
“Yeah,” she said. Her voice was a little stronger. “I did.”