Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 101254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“I never thought I could fall in love. It seems like every woman I’ve ever been interested in was focused solely on my money. But you’re not like that, are you?”
I shake my head, still trembling.
Still trembling at his thumb on my lip.
“I could fall in love with you so easily. With that beautiful, haunted soul that I see behind those deep brown eyes.”
I swallow audibly.
Kiss me.
The words again.
And this time—
“Kiss me,” I say softly. “Please. Kiss me, Ben.”
He leans into me, and I close my eyes—
But his lips land on my cheek. He pulls back as I open my eyes.
I raise my eyebrows at him.
“It’s not the right time.” He looks skyward, at the sparkling stars. “I wish it were. I want to feel those lips against my own more than I want to see the next sunrise. But it’s not the right time, and you and I both know that.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ben
I take her hands.
They feel so perfect in mine.
I had to gather all of my willpower not to kiss her when she asked me to.
The words that came from my mouth surprised even me.
So much else going on…so why am I thinking about kissing Tessa Logan?
But when I look into her eyes, I know why.
Because she’s beautiful.
And broken.
And for the first time in my life, I want to put someone’s needs before my own.
The thought frightens me but also invigorates me.
She could be the one.
I’ll have to move slowly, and I’m not used to moving slowly.
But slowly is the way I’ll move now, because it’s what she needs, and I’ve got other things that need to be dealt with in my own life.
The past coming back to haunt me.
The past that I thought was gone forever.
Dirk Conrad…
And whoever that asshole bartender is…
I need to make sure he never goes near Tessa.
“Tessa?” I say.
“Yes.” She looks down at the sand. “I’m so sorry.”
“For what?”
“For begging you to kiss me. That’s not who I am, Ben.”
I smile. “I wasn’t offended.”
“I didn’t think you were. It’s just…” She bites her plump lower lip. “You’re right. It’s not the right time.”
“Tessa, I want to kiss you more than I want my next breath of air. I don’t think that’s any secret at this point.”
She looks down again, and even though I can’t see the blush on her cheeks in the darkness, I know it’s there.
“We’ve got another big day tomorrow,” I say. “Please let me see you back to your suite.”
She nods then, her hands still in mine. We turn around, walk along the shoreline until we get to the point where she and I both left our shoes.
The beach is dark now except for the resort’s security lighting.
The bar is empty, and that bartender—I don’t even know his name—should be off the island of Jamaica by now.
At the very least, off this private resort.
Tessa stares toward the bar. “There was this bartender tonight…”
“There were a lot of bartenders tonight,” I say.
“But there was one…” She rubs her upper arms as if to ease a chill. “He seemed familiar to me… Not in a good way.”
I turn to her, gently hold her by both of her upper arms.
Surprisingly, she doesn’t pull away.
“Tell me something, Tessa. Did you think you knew him?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t have any recollection of him, but he seemed familiar.”
“Was it the one with the light brown hair? Same color as his eyes? Large nose?”
She widens her eyes. “How did you know?”
“Just a hunch.”
She meets my gaze, and her eyes look different. Not haunted as they usually are. No. This time, I see fear but also indignation.
“Do you know who he is?” she asks.
“I don’t, but he won’t be bothering you again.”
She wrinkles her forehead. “It’s not that he was bothering me.”
“It’s all right. I’ve had him fired.”
She gasps. “Ben, why?”
“I had my reasons.”
She breaks from my hold and turns away. “Not because of me, I hope. I would hate to be responsible for someone losing his job.”
“No, Tessa. It had nothing to do with you. I didn’t even know you knew the man until just now.”
She calms down. “Okay. In all honesty, I’m glad he’s gone.”
“But you have no recall?”
She trembles slightly. “No. But I just had a feeling I knew him at one time, and it wasn’t anything good.”
Something about that bartender. Some connection to Tessa and to Dirk Conrad.
I’m not liking any of this.
I take her hand once more, and after we’ve both brushed the sand off our ankles and feet and put our shoes on, I lead her back into the resort hotel and see her to her room, which is right across the hall from mine.
Her lips are trembling slightly, and they’re so full and so pink.
How I ache to kiss them.
But I hold myself in check.
I believe, at this point, she would accept my kiss.