Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“I do. I know everything, remember?” he said quietly as he studied her. Her hands dropped and he righted her.
She nodded, but it was more of a head lean than anything. Dune held onto her as they made their way down the street and away from the nightlife. Caroline sagged against him and hummed a song he was unfamiliar with.
When they came to her cottage, she fumbled with the key, until he put his hand over hers and helped her open the door.
As soon as they stepped in, a gust of wind came through the open slider and caught him off guard. He rushed to close it and cursed under his breath.
“Hey, I want that open,” Caroline protested with a drunken whine.
“It’s not safe right now,” he told her. It was, but not when you’re drunk and unable to defend yourself. He often slept with his slider open, or out on the boat, because he loved the way the breeze from the water made him feel.
“Oh.”
Caroline stood on unsteady feet in the middle of the room. Dune went to her and put his hands on her waist. She was beautiful, with her tanned skin and rosy cheeks. She had a smattering of freckles across her nose, and her long hair was in a loose braid. Caroline looked at him with her mossy green eyes and smiled. There was something different about her, something that made her stand out from the other tourists who visited Seaport. Maybe it was the two sides of Caroline he’d witnessed so far—the one with designer labels who kept to herself all day, and the woman in front of him now with a sense of mischievousness in her eyes. Dune was determined to get to know both of them.
“Are you really here for three months?” His voice came out in a whisper.
“Yep, until the end of summer.” She matched his tone.
Dune pushed a lock of hair away from her cheek and leaned in. He was attracted to her—that’s all he needed.
“I’m not going to sleep with you,” she said as she wobbled. His grip tightened.
“I’m not going to sleep with you either. I’m not even going to try to kiss you. You reek of rum and it’s sort of a turn off right now.” Dune chuckled as she blanched. She tried to pull herself out of arms, but she stumbled, and he held onto her until she regained her balance.
“Well at least I don’t have blue balls!”
Me neither. At least not yet, I don’t.
Dune chuckled. “It’s a nickname. I can show them to you if you’d like.”
Caroline laughed and stepped back. “Hard pass, buster.”
“Buster? That’s a new one.”
She shook her head slowly. “I think you should go just in case.”
“In case of what?”
“In case I forget that I don’t want to sleep with you.”
Dune walked toward her and kissed her cheek. “Lock the door after me, Caroline. There’s a lot worse out there than me.” He went to the door and twisted the lock. At least the knob would be secure. “See you tomorrow.”
“You won’t.”
Again, he laughed. “Yeah, I will. Have a good night, Care Bear.”
caroline
Caroline woke and instantly reached for her head. She groaned and felt her stomach roll. In one swift motion, she threw her blankets back and ran through the cottage until she reached the bathroom. She fell to her knees, ready to expel whatever upset her stomach, but nothing came. After waiting a few more minutes for the nausea to pass, she sat against the wall and pulled her knees to her chest.
Memories from the night before flooded her mind. Pina Coladas, lots of singing—mostly of songs she’d never heard before—flirting, happy yelling, and stumbling. “Oh, God,” she said to the empty bathroom as she recalled stumbling out of the Sea Shanty.
And then life really slapped her in the face when the very handsome, rugged, Captain Blue Balls walked her home. Caroline stood and sprinted back to the bedroom to find the other side of her bed empty.
“Where is he?” she muttered. Surely, she would’ve seen him in the living room or kitchen in her haste to get back to her bedroom. Slowly, she went to the living room—empty, and then the kitchen—not there either. No sign of him.
She was certain he came home with her last night.
Did they—?
Caroline looked down at her clothes. She wore a matching set of pajamas: shorts and a tank top. Had he changed her out of her outfit? Or had she? Caroline couldn’t remember. Did they have sex?
“Oh, God.” Her hand covered her face in horror. “What have I done?”
She looked around the kitchen. Nothing seemed out of place and when she’d ran into the bathroom, the seat and the lid were down. There was no evidence of him being in there. Caroline went into the living room but nothing screamed male intruder. His shoes weren’t by the door, and the door was locked.