Chapter One #2
“That wasn’t a complaint.”
“Then we’re having a productive first minute. Turn around.”
Shane glanced past me at the strip of bright water visible between the buildings. “I’m going for a swim.”
“You’re going back inside while I check the route and your place.”
“The water’s right there.”
“So is the public boardwalk.”
“I’m not planning to visit the boardwalk.”
“You don’t have to. One person recognizes you, three phones go up, and everyone who came to Sunbreak Harbor hoping to see Shane Hart starts following the pictures. This stretch narrows beside the beach stairs. A crowd here puts children, older guests, inn staff, and you in one bad bottleneck.”
Shane stopped smiling and turned toward a family approaching behind him. Two little girls dragged a pink inflatable flamingo while their father wrestled with a folding wagon.
I shifted aside to leave them room without giving Shane space to continue toward the beach.
He moved with me before I asked.
The family passed. One of the girls looked up at Shane, frowned as if trying to place him, then continued toward the water.
Shane waited until they were clear. “You think that happens before I reach the beach?”
“I don’t test crowd behavior beside narrow stairs.”
He lifted the towel and rubbed it across the back of his neck. His forearm flexed, and sweat tracked down his chest before the towel caught it.
My pulse kicked once at my throat.
“All right,” Shane said. “I’ll go back while you check everything.”
“Thank you for cooperating.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I’m acknowledging useful behavior. Don’t make it weird.”
“That depends on how often you thank me.”
Shane smiled, slower this time, then turned toward his rental without making me chase him. He matched my pace as I guided us away from the busier center route.
“Did Tracy hire you this morning?” he asked.
“She hired SBS before today. My responsibility started when the company accepted the detail.”
“So you were guarding me before I knew you existed.”
“I was reading your threat file before you knew I existed.”
“That sounds intimate.”
“It’s paperwork.”
“You say that as though paperwork can’t be intimate.”
“Not the kind I complete.”
He waited one beat too long before looking away. Desire pulsed low beneath my waistband.
I pressed the call control on my earpiece. “Rafi, I have the client. We’re returning to Cottage Twelve.”
“The route remains clear,” Rafi said.
Shane angled his head toward my earpiece. “Does he hear everything?”
“He hears us only when I transmit.”
“That answer created several new questions.”
“You can save them for inside.”
Tracy stepped onto the patio as we approached. She wore cream trousers and a sleeveless navy blouse, with her phone in one hand. She stopped directly in front of Shane.
“I thought you were changing for lunch.”
“I changed into swimwear.”
“You forgot the part where you asked security.”
“I didn’t know Cassidy was already security.”
Tracy turned to me. “Did he argue?”
“He asked questions.”
“I was negotiating,” Shane said.
“You went back inside. That isn’t the same thing.”
He opened the patio door for me. “You’re going to be very strict about language, aren’t you?”
“Only when words mean different things.”
Shane looked at my mouth for a beat, then met my eyes. “I’m beginning to see the appeal.”
A flush spread beneath my skin that had nothing to do with the weather.
I entered the cottage.
The main room opened into a small kitchen and sitting area with pale furniture, woven rugs, and glass doors facing the patio.
A white T-shirt lay over the back of a chair.
Sunglasses rested beside a half-empty bottle of water on the counter.
The space smelled faintly of clean cotton and citrus instead of celebrity excess.
I checked the front door, windows, patio latch, and sightlines while Shane followed at a reasonable distance. Tracy stayed near the kitchen, answering messages.
“The patio door stays locked unless we’ve cleared the route,” I said. “The curtains close after dark. You don’t post from the property, invite unapproved visitors, or go to the beach alone.”
Shane leaned one hip against the counter. The shift pulled his board shorts lower on one side and defined the muscles above his waistband.
“Can I breathe without clearance?” he asked.
“You’ve been doing it successfully. I see no reason to interfere.”
Shane laughed, and faint lines appeared beside his eyes. “You don’t look impressed.”
“You and I just met.”
“That’s usually enough time.”
I tested the patio latch. It caught, but the frame shifted under pressure.
“Carlos, I need this repaired today.”
“Maintenance can be here within an hour,” Carlos said from the doorway.
“Please keep the work order limited to the cottage number and the repair.”
“I’ll handle it myself.”
“I appreciate that.”
Shane straightened. “Carlos, I’m sorry this created extra work.”
“It’s no trouble, Mr. Hart.”
“It is, but I appreciate you saying that.”
Carlos nodded before leaving.
Tracy held out her phone. “You need to read the message that came with the image.”
Shane clenched his jaw before he took it.