Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Rayne
The air punches out of my lungs.
I came here to walk. To stop obsessing over him, and stay focused on two priorities: the festival this weekend and my campaign. A full plate. No room for anything else, least of all a man campaigning against me.
And yet, when I saw him slicing clean through the water, I didn’t leave. I waited. Unsure of what I’d say… or what I’d do.
Then he returned, rising out of the water like a fine, thick Adonis.
The whole thing happening in slow motion, or so it seemed.
His skin glistened under the moonlit sky, droplets running down his body.
I couldn’t breathe for a moment. Then all I wanted was to go to him.
Throw my arms around his neck… feel him…
kiss him… tell him I could be discreet too.
But if I cross that line, there’ll be no turning back. I have to think. Be smart. This is my career. My integrity. My life.
“I’m conflicted,” I admit to a question he hadn’t asked. “That water you just swam in, and this sand you’re dripping on, are exactly what I’m fighting to protect, while you and Diablo are out to destroy it.”
He stills, thoughtful, not saying anything for several beats. Like me, DK doesn’t act on impulse. That would be easier. We’d both say “fuck it” and be on each other in seconds. But that’s not us. There’s too much at stake.
“I understand that,” he finally says. His voice is calm. It’s his eyes that shift with anxiety. DK’s controlled, but not emotionless. “I don’t see it the way you do. The conflict, I mean.”
“How do you see it?”
“You have your perspective on expansion, and Diablo has his. It’s true they aren’t aligned, but Gabriel knows his plan won’t pass as is. The goal is to temper it—eco-conscious partners, phased growth. Closer to the middle.”
“Right.” I scoff, not buying that Diablo has radically changed his tune. “That’s the message you’re here to sell. He hired you for your credentials and track record. The man who rebuilt trust in Maryland. Better packaging is your speciality.”
“Is that what you think of me?” His voice is tight, his jaw set like stone. “That I lie to people? Tell them one thing and do another?”
That is often politics, but no, I don’t believe he’s dishonest. I believe what he told my father about being his own man. “I’m not questioning your character,” I say.
“It sure sounds like it.”
“I’m not, DK. But I know Diablo’s stance on this. You’ve worked with him for a week. I’ve been fighting him for almost four years.”
“I don’t discount that you know him better than I do.
But let me be clear, I can’t be used or coerced.
That’s not who I am. If a candidate and I are fundamentally opposed, I walk.
I won’t push anything I don’t believe in.
Even if we come at it differently, Luna, I support growth that protects the waterfront and doesn’t crush local businesses. ”
“But the difference is what matters,” I insist, fighting myself more than him.
He sees through it. Of course he does. He reads people. And he knows me. Even in that short time we spent together, he gets who I am.
“This isn’t really a policy debate.” His eyes lock on mine. “This is you trying to give yourself permission to deny what’s between us. An excuse to stay away.”
“Shouldn’t I?” My voice raises in frustration.
“That’s your call. What I can tell you is that I have a job to do, and I take that commitment seriously. But…” He pauses, his gaze intent. “I’d be lying if I said my heart was fully in it. Two things can be true. I can work for Diablo… and still want you to succeed.”
“How’s that even possible?”
“One is just the job,” he says, moving closer. “The other is… you.”
My breath catches in my throat. The air is densely humid, my need relentless. Every boundary I built fractures under the weight of this moment.
Practical and careful be damned. I’m not just a candidate. I’m a woman with needs. With desires. With a body that remembers him.
I could list all the reasons why this is crazy. Or…
My phone hits the sand. Flip-flops gone a second later as my hands tangle in his damp hair.
I kiss him—hard, hungry, unstoppable.
The point of no return.
He fists the hem of my cover, tugging it up to cup my ass and draw me flush against him. Every hard inch beneath his trunks presses into me, and I grind my hips, aching for that friction.
Desperate moans pour out of me. Our kiss spins wilder. His mouth is as demanding as it was that night. Just as skilled. Dominance that doesn’t diminish. He meets me. Matches me.
I’m vaguely aware of the rippling water, then him murmuring my name.
“Luna.” His mouth brushes mine between words. “I want you so bad. But the sounds you’re making for me belong in private.” His forehead presses to mine. “I would never let you be embarrassed by anything we do together.”
Even now—in this heated moment—he’s thinking about my dignity. About us.
One witness. One photo. One headline.
Candidate Sleeping With The Opposition.
My campaign would be scorched. His credibility shredded.
DK smooths down my cover-up. His hands are steady, even as his breathing isn’t.
He pulls his shirt on and slips his glasses back into position. Our appearance is restored, but the hunger that hadn’t been satisfied still burns.
“I’m not sorry I kissed you,” he says. “Just that I did it here.”
“We both did.” I lick my lips, tasting him. “I’m responsible for my own actions.”
He picks up my flip-flops and phone, dusting off the sand before handing them to me. His eyes search mine. “Are you regretting it?”
“No.” My answer is immediate. “But it can’t happen like that again.”
He nods. “Tell me what you want, Luna.”
“I don’t know.” The adrenaline drains, leaving me raw and honest. “Our sexual chemistry is insane.” My damp bikini bottoms testify to that.
“The night we shared was unforgettable. Am I caught up in the memory of that? Is this situation amplifying everything? Maybe I just need to get you out of my system. Or… maybe there’s something more here.
” I exhale. “That’s not very clear. Sorry. ”
“Don’t apologize.” His smile is soft with understanding. “I wanted the truth. I respect it.”
“What do you want, DK?”
“You.” The vein in his neck pulses. He’s so contained in public.
But alone, this emotional, passionate version of him is the one I can’t resist. “I started developing feelings that first night. That was new for me—connecting with someone that fast. That intensely. It wasn’t just sex, Luna.
Sharing that energy made the connection stronger.
When I saw you again, none of it had diluted.
If anything, every time I see you, my feelings get stronger.
I don’t know what to call it. I just know it’s real. ”
Not a love bomb. Just honesty. We’re giving each other that.
“Keeping this secret on top of everything else won’t be easy,” I caution.
“I doubt easy is how you decide if something’s worth doing.”
A smile curves my mouth. “You’re right. But we have to be careful.”
“I can do that. Whatever it takes to be with you.”
The rush that sweeps through me is dizzying. “We can’t meet here,” I say. “Not in Bayside.”
“Agreed. Neo rents out a lake house in Grove Cove. Two hours away. Private. Secluded. We could go there. Get to know each other without the noise. Without any eyes. Figure this out.”
“Okay,” I agree, allowing myself to admit how much I want that.
“I’ll make the arrangements.”
I nod, then look up at him. “If we’re doing this, the campaign is separate. We don’t discuss anything that could compromise election integrity. And I don’t want you going soft on me. I sure as hell won’t.”
“I wouldn’t want you to. And I’d never insult you by doing less than my best either. You’re a worthy opponent, Rayne. That’s business.” His fingers trace the curve of my cheek. “This, Luna, is personal.”
My heart and coochie clench in equal measure.
We exchange numbers, and he makes me promise to text when I get home. Then we share one last kiss. Restrained, still hot. Something to hold us over.
As I walk toward the dunes, my heart continues its ridiculous flipping. But for the first time since DK came back into my life, I don’t feel unsteady.
I feel anchored.
Decisive.
I’m not choosing between him or my campaign.
I’m choosing me.
And I want both.