Chapter 3
Saturday morning, Venice checked in with Brody before dawn and set out to patrol the town as usual.
But instead of heading to the far side of town, something led him to the beach.
The sun was rising, and the lighthouse was lit from the side by the morning rays, looking ethereal and impressive against the vastness of the water.
He parked in the lot by the lighthouse and marina, run by merman Cassian and his fairy mate Zia.
Climbing from the truck, he shut the door and inhaled deeply, the scents of salt and water filling his lungs.
He’d always liked the beach. It was peaceful there, with the lapping of waves on the sand and the call of gulls echoing.
He stared at the lightening sky as the sun rose, wondering what had happened overnight that had first unsettled him so much he’d been unable to sleep, and second had plagued his subconscious enough that he’d sought peace and refuge at the beach.
He replayed the odd thoughts he’d had as the night came and went.
Of his choice to fall.
The sword that had severed him from everything he’d ever known.
The betrayal that had changed everything about him.
He rolled his shoulders as his back ached sharply, the dull throb rising oddly despite the wounds being healed years ago.
And then something caught his attention.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone sitting on a rocky outcropping near the water.
Turning slowly, he walked from the lot to the beach, and the person came into view.
His breath hitched, and the ache across his back warmed and then disappeared.
The instinct to protect rose inside him as he drew close enough to see her fully.
The dark-haired beauty had her arm looped around her bent knees, her attention on the water and the rising sun.
There was something about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
He made his way across the beach, and when he was within a few yards of her, she seemed to sense him and straightened, meeting his gaze.
She was stunning.
This time, his breath didn’t just catch in his throat; it froze, and his damn heart pounded so hard he was sure it would break through his ribs and flop around on the sand.
He opened his mouth to speak, but only an undignified squeak came out.
Grimacing, he cleared his throat and said, “Hello. I’m Venice, one of the Sable Cove police officers.”
She lowered her bent knees and twisted on the rocks to face him, smiling softly but warily.
“Hi. I’m Tessa. Am I not allowed to be here or something?”
“What? No, of course you are. I just…” He wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence.
He was sure he’d come all the way to the beach that morning because of her.
But a quick inhale told him that she was human, and that meant she was the one who’d come to town yesterday and was renting the nearby cottage.
Humans didn’t necessarily understand the feeling of being called toward someone, and he was suddenly unsure of it himself.
Was he just so damn lonely that he was making something out of nothing?
“You were just what?” she prompted.
“Coming to say hello. You’re new in town?”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Small town, I guess.”
“Definitely, with very few secrets. I don’t mean to pry. I’m on patrol, and I saw you on the rocks and wanted to say hello.”
He rocked back on his heels, thinking he probably sounded like he had been dropped on his head several times.
“Sable Cove is an interesting name,” she said.
He hummed. “It’s because the water is really dark here in the harbor. It’s black like sable.”
“Oh, that’s cool. I’ve never seen a working lighthouse before. I looked out the window last night and could see the light shining over the water.”
“Have you met the lighthouse keeper? His name is Cassian. He and his mate, Zia, are really nice people. She operates a greenhouse next to the lighthouse.”
“I’ll have to introduce myself.”
There was a pause, and he wanted to say several things about how he’d been drawn to the beach because of her, and that he thought they were meant to meet, but old fears reared their ugly head, and he stopped the thoughts before he voiced them.
“Well, I’m going to get back to my rounds. If you need anything, call the main number.” He moved close enough to hand her a business card.
“Thank you, Venice. It was nice to meet you.”
“You too, Tessa.”
He smiled and walked away, his scars tightening and burning.
When he’d been near her, he’d felt normal. Without the burden of the past and worry over his future plaguing him. The moment he walked away, he felt her absence acutely.
He knew what it meant, but he didn’t trust it.
He didn’t trust himself.
How could he? He’d trusted someone’s pretty words before, and it had cost him every damn thing.
No. He was better off steering clear of Tessa.
Because he wasn’t sure he’d survive being treated as a novelty and not a man again.
Despite two stranded motorist calls, a cat in a tree, and redirecting two skateboarding youths out of an abandoned pool and toward the skatepark outside of town, Venice couldn’t stop thinking about Tessa.
Dark hair, dark eyes, perfectly kissable lips.
Holy shit, he was like a broken record.
As he drove through town, he resisted the urge to head over to the cottage to see her. What would that do except prove he was an idiot of the highest order?
He had no business getting involved with a human, no matter how much he wanted to be near her. He was clearly going insane. He’d learned his lesson years ago: humans saw fallen angels as a curiosity, as a plaything.
Clearly, he’d never gotten over that betrayal, because it was all he could think about whenever Tessa crossed his mind. Was she different?
He wasn’t sure he could take the chance.
No matter what his heart was telling him.
He stopped for an early dinner at the diner, then walked down the sidewalk to where he’d parked on the street, his shift over and the rest of the day stretching ahead of him like a lonely abyss.
Were abysses lonely?
“Oh! Well, hi there.”
He froze, his keys dangling from his fingers, his damn breath caught in his throat as his lungs burned.
Tessa.
She walked up to him, and the scent of her—which he hadn’t caught at the beach because of the heavy scents surrounding her—was like wildflowers and vanilla. Soft and utterly feminine.
Immediately, his whole body relaxed, warmth spreading from his head to his feet, and the damned peaceful feeling he’d been chasing all day slammed into him like a wave.
“Hi, Tessa. How are you?”
She smiled sheepishly and wiggled a cup in her hand. It had a clear top that revealed blue slush. “I had a hankering for blue food dye and tons of sugar. And it’s a beautiful day for a walk.”
“I like the red ones,” he said. “I haven’t had one in ages, though.”
“Oh, you should. It’s such a treat. Reminds me of my childhood.” She took a sip and smiled. “It’s like I’m seven again and getting change from my mom to get one at the corner store. It seems like a hundred years ago, though.”
He couldn’t relate as he’d never had a childhood. But he liked that she had sweet memories of hers.
Her smile faded into something more thoughtful, and he felt the urge to say something.
“I didn’t really have a childhood,” he said before he could stop himself.
Her gaze softened instantly—not pitying, just curious.
“I’m sorry,” she said gently.
He shrugged, trying for casual but failing. “It was a long time ago.”
She hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip, and then she smiled warmly. “If you want to join me, I am going to walk to the park and enjoy the sunshine. Unless you’re still on shift?”
“I’m actually finished,” he said. He was tempted to tell her he was going home. But he couldn’t deny his attraction to her, or the fact that he’d been craving being around her since they’d parted ways that morning at the beach.
Now that he was near her?
He didn’t think he’d have been able to walk away if his life had been on the line.
She wasn’t offering anything but company.
And he could be honest with himself in this one regard: he wanted to spend time with her.
“I’d like that,” he said.
Her genuine smile crinkled the corners of her eyes.
And he was smitten.