Chapter 22
“Never accept love advice from a seal that thinks it’s a stop sign.” ~ Dakota
Dakota
I smile at Rhett when I open my door. Yep, my door. I allowed him to meet me at my door instead of running out of the reception like a sixteen-year-old on my first date.
Of course, I also allowed him to drop me off here. And kiss me until I couldn’t breathe. But I didn’t invite him in. My heart is falling for this man, but I still control my body – barely – and I’m being cautious.
“You ready for our date?”
I lift my bag, packed with a towel and dry clothes. “At least this time you told me where we’re going.”
He smirks. “Did I?”
“Yes. We’re going swimming.”
“But where?”
“At the community pool.” Where else would we go?
“You’ll see.”
He snatches the bag from me before offering me his elbow. I thread my arm through his and he leads me to his vehicle.
“Are we not going to the community pool?” I ask once we’re driving.
“There is no community pool.”
My nose wrinkles. “There’s no swimming pool on Smuggler’s Hideaway?”
“Not what I said. I said there’s no community pool.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I don’t like it when you’re being mysterious.”
“Yes, you do.” He winks at me. “Our first stop isn’t the pool.”
“It isn’t?”
He hands me his phone. “Open the Sammy app?”
“Sammy app?”
“It’s an app to figure out where Sammy the seal is.”
“Sammy the seal!” I squeal. “I’m dying to meet him.”
“I know.” He taps his phone. “Find out where he is on the app.”
“Your phone’s locked.” I try handing it back to him.
“My passcode is 524524.”
My jaw drops. “You just gave me your passcode.”
“I’m aware since I did it.”
“But I could go into your phone and read your messages or your emails. I could get onto your social media and tell the world you identify as a purple monster.”
He chuckles. “A purple monster? I couldn’t be a normal monster?”
I slap his arm. “Don’t make fun of me.”
He pulls to the side of the road and puts the vehicle in park. “Dakota.” He palms my neck to bring me near. “If I’m with someone, I have to trust them one hundred percent. Which means giving her access to my phone and my life.”
“You trust me one hundred percent?”
“I do.”
Guilt rears its ugly head. Rhett doesn’t know all of my secrets. I didn’t tell him every last one because I’m afraid he’d run if he knew everything about me.
“But you barely know me,” I argue, since – despite the guilt clamoring around in my chest – I’m not ready to confess all to him.
“I know you’re gorgeous and wicked smart and full of optimism despite all the shit life has thrown at you. I know you’re loyal. I know enough.”
Tears well in my eyes. He didn’t say he loves me but his words mean more. Rhett sees me. The real me.
“Thank you.”
He kisses my forehead before releasing me and putting the SUV in gear. “Now, open the Sammy app and tell me where to drive.”
I suck up my tears and concentrate on the task at hand. The app is easy enough to find. The icon is of a seal holding a stop sign.
“He was last spotted on the road leading to the Hideaway Haven Resort .”
“He’ll probably still be in the area then. Sammy’s a bit lazy.”
Excitement buzzes through me as we drive toward the resort. Luckily, it isn’t far as the anticipation is killing me. Rhett slows down as we near the location where the seal was last spotted.
I notice a lump in the middle of the road. “Stop! Stop! It’s him.”
Rhett pulls to the side of the road and switches on his emergency lights. This time, I don’t wait for him to open my door. I rush out and hurry toward the gray lump in the middle of the street.
“Sammy!”
He barks in response and I kneel in front of him.
“I’m Dakota. It’s nice to meet you.”
He barks again.
Rhett kneels next to me. “Don’t get too close to him. He’s still a wild animal.”
“I know. I’ve been researching seals ever since you told me about Sammy.”
Sammy barks.
“Sorry, Sammy boy. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”
He makes a chirping noise.
“I think he likes me.”
“Of course, he does. All the animals adore you.”
I grin up at him. “I am pretty adorable.”
His gaze drops to my mouth. “Yes, you are.”
His head descends toward mine but before our lips can meet, Sammy growls. I giggle. “I don’t think Sammy approves of us kissing.”
“Sammy,” Rhett grumbles. “You can’t steal Dakota away from me.”
Sammy whistles.
“You are the funniest seal I’ve ever met. Although, I’ve never actually met another seal. My high school class went to an aquarium once, but I didn’t get to go since my foster parents couldn’t afford to pay the twenty-five-dollar entry.”
“I’ll take you to an aquarium. There’s a nice one about an hour away.”
I pat Rhett’s thigh. “It’s not your job to make up for all the things I missed growing up.”
“Don’t care. I’m taking on the job whether you want me to or not.”
“Did you hear, Sammy? Mr. High and Mighty thinks he’s my protector.” I lean close to whisper to him. “He’s also controlling.”
Sammy whistles again.
“I don’t approve of controlling men either,” I tell him.
Rhett squeezes my hand. “I’m trying not to be controlling.”
“He needs to try harder,” I tell Sammy.
“Was your late husband controlling?”
I wait for Sammy to interrupt but he appears as curious as Rhett. Darn it. I hate admitting what a fool I was. But this is Rhett – the man I’m falling for – and I’m keeping enough secrets from him.
I blow out a breath and admit the truth. “My dead husband controlled our finances. Whenever I asked questions, he told me not to worry.” And there was a lot to worry about.
“I’m sorry. I promise to try harder.”
“Thank you. And thank you for not pointing out what a fool I was.”
“You weren’t a fool. You were…Crap,” Rhett swears before jumping to his feet.
“What? What’s wrong?”
He points to a car speeding down the road. It’s aiming straight for us. My heart lodges in my throat. Oh no. They’re going to hit Sammy. Rhett waves his arms at the car.
I shoo Sammy toward the side of the road. “Move, Sammy boy. This car is going to hit you and make you into seal meat. Which I’m pretty sure is illegal to sell and doesn’t taste good anyway.”
He trills at me.
“Okay, fine. I admit seal fat is different and could be considered a delicacy. Will you please move now?”
I swear he snorts at me before scooting to the side of the road and disappearing.
Rhett tackles me and we tumble to the ground as the car flies by us.
“It didn’t even slow down,” I say as I watch its taillights disappear.
Rhett rolls over until he’s kneeling above me. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
“Me? Get hurt? You’re the one who landed on the bottom of our near miss sandwich.”
“Do not joke now. It’s not funny. Are you hurt?”
He pats my arms and legs.
“I’m not hurt, but go ahead and pat me down as much as you want. You won’t hear me complain.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Not crazy but I do want to point out that I’m not the reason we ended up on the ground this time.”
He shakes his head before getting to his feet. He offers me his hand. “Are you ready for the second portion of our date, or do you prefer to relax?”
I brush the dirt from my jeans. “It takes more than an asshole driver to traumatize me. I can’t wait to find out what you have planned for the second portion of our date.”
He herds me toward his SUV and helps me inside. I push him away. “Stop trying to make sure I’m not injured. I’m fine.”
He grunts before rounding the vehicle and climbing into the driver’s side.
“Where are we going now?”
“Swimming in the ocean.”
Excitement and fear battle for top billing in my emotions. I’m excited to swim in the ocean for the first time, but I’m a bit afraid.
“I’m not the best swimmer.”
He squeezes my thigh. “Don’t worry, Havoc. I’ll be by your side the entire time.”
“You won’t let me drown?”
“I won’t let any harm come to you ever if I can help it.”
It’s official. Excitement is the winner of the battle for my emotions. You can’t help but love a man who claims he’ll protect you forever.
Not that I love Rhett. Not yet, at least. I admit I’m falling for him. But love? I’m not certain I know how love feels. I haven’t had the best experience in the love and devotion department.
“I can protect you. I was a lifeguard in high school.”
“You were a lifeguard in high school?”
He snorts. “I didn’t have much choice.”
“Let me guess. You were watching out for your brothers.”
He sighs. “They’re the bane of my existence.”
The way he protects his brothers is a thing of beauty. I’ve never met a man who put protecting others in front of his own pleasure. It’s intoxicating.
“Thanks for going swimming with me,” I say when he parks in a small lot near the beach.
“You don’t need to thank me. You never need to thank me for giving you things you want.”
“What if what I want is to thank you?”
“My Havoc,” he mutters before kissing my nose. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
“But what a glorious death it’ll be.”
“That it will. That it will.”
I was joking, but Rhett’s voice was dead serious. The things he says has the precarious control I have over my heart wavering. I need to find some mortar and build my walls back up or I won’t be able to stop myself from falling head over heels in love with this man.