Chapter 1

Renee

The world seemed to fall silent, the only sound the distant crash of waves behind us. His lips were warm, insistent, tasting faintly of salt and the sweetness that had been on his food. Beneath that there was something deeper, something that unraveled the tight knots I’d been holding inside for far too long. My hands gripped at his shoulders instinctively as heat flooded through me, burning away every coherent thought. The mostly finished meal forgotten. I didn't hear it fall, so I guessed he grabbed it and set it aside.

Then, we were both moving like a floodgate had been broken. The kiss deepened, turning wild and desperate before I even realized how far we were spiraling. Dominic’s hands slid down my back, pulling me tightly against him, and I let him. My fingers curled into his wet hair, drawing him closer, and my body practically melted under his touch. Every brush of his lips, every hungry sweep of his tongue made my head spin, made my pulse race.

He turned us to stretch out on the lounger, deepening the kiss still, trailing his hands with such exquisite gentleness and promise that I shivered. Fear and excitement twisted through me.

I didn’t want to stop. Goddess help me, I didn’t want to stop. In my past life, I didn't have much of a sex drive with Tyler. It always felt like just something I had to do, but this… This was explosive and wild. I loved it. I wanted more of it. I wanted more. I dug my nails into his shoulders, wondering if I could rip right through his wet suit.

His mouth trailed along my jaw, down my throat, and I gasped, gripping his shoulders as his hands found my hips, holding me like he was afraid I might vanish.

It was dangerous. Stupid. But it felt so good.

He rolled over me, pressing me into the lounger. My heels sinking into the knitted fabric of the lounger as he groaned into my mouth and rolled his hips against mine like he might claim me right there, beneath the open sky, barely hidden from whoever might walk by. My breath came in sharp bursts, and I felt him tense. His restraint slipping away like sand. My sense going just as fast.

Then voices carried down from the nearby walking paths, faint but enough to snap both of us back into reality. Footsteps. Laughter. Kids. Getting closer.

Dominic stilled, his chest heaving as he held himself over me, caging me with his arms. I swallowed hard, my face flushed and burning. He didn’t move for a long second, then finally exhaled and straightened. Laughing to himself and shaking his head.

"Fuck…"

"I… Well…Dominic…"

“We… should stop,” he said, voice rough. His thumb brushed over my swollen lower lip, lingering there for a moment before he pulled back fully. “For now.”

For now? The promise in his eyes said that he'd be picking up sooner rather than later. I shivered at the thought and nodded, breathless, not trusting myself to speak. My whole body shook slightly as I shifted my weight, trying to remember how to sit up. He lifted me up and set my bowl in my hands as a pair of children rushed past us, screaming that they wanted to eat close to the sand.

Dominic offered a strained smile. “Have dinner with me?”

I blinked up at him, startled. “Dinner?”

“Just dinner,” he said, though he didn't sound convinced of that. “We’ll talk. There’s… a lot we should talk about.”

I hesitated for a moment longer, still trying to catch my breath and suppress the heat radiating through me, but eventually nodded. “Alright. Dinner.”

He exhaled, looking briefly relieved. “Good.” He smiled. "I hear… Mountainhowl seafood is the best on the continent."

My eyes widened. "I don't think… I've ever had much seafood."

He smiled. "Well, it'll be a new experience for both of us, won't it?"

I nodded, finishing eating. Dominic took our bowls and bade me goodbye as his watch chimed. We parted at the main walking path, my heart pounding as I thought back to what had just happened. I couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to have only been in my bathing suit rather than the romper cover up I was wearing.

My skin still buzzed from where his hands had touched me, and I didn’t even want to think about how easily I would’ve let him go further if we hadn’t been interrupted. But before I could get much further, I nearly collided with Arielle. She had an open robe that looked more like a net as it hung from her shoulders. My jaw dropped seeing her in the bright coral bead bikini, covering nothing as she stood there in her sandals. She lowered her sunglasses with a cocked eyebrow, looking past me as a wicked grin spread across her face.

“Well, well,” she said, drawing out the words in a teasing sing-song. “You’ve been busy.”

I froze, my face turning hotter than the sun beating down on us. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Arielle’s grin widened as she slid her sunglasses back up.

“You really are going to have to work on your poker face. Wait until he's fingering you at the dinner table."

I gaped at her. “What--- he wouldn't --- you---"

She turned and laughed, sauntering away revealing that it was a thong bikini of all things.

"Come on then, dear. Let's find you something he can get off easily for dinner."

"Arielle!" I cried, not wanting to follow her, yet my feet followed all the same.

Hours later, I stood in front of the mirror for the fourth time, sighing as I studied my reflection. This was ridiculous.

First, I’d picked a pale blue dress: too formal. Then a white sundress: too casual? Then black: too somber. Arielle was lounging nearby, shaking her head.

"Just wear the dress I bought you."

"But--"

"You're at a beach resort, dear. A little skin is normal." A little, maybe, but it wasn't a little. At least not for me. "And don't even think about wearing that one piece. It does no scream date night."

I huffed and stomped into the bathroom to change. She'd… force a bikini top and separate bottoms on me. Not a thong or anything overly revealing, but I had never worn anything like it. And the soft rose-colored wrap dress had a deep plunge that wouldn't hide the fact that the only bra I was wearing was a bikini top.

I smoothed my hands down the fabric and forced a breath through my chest. My nerves were shot. This wasn’t even technically a date, but my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

Arielle looked up, smirked and tossed me a tube of lipgloss.

"Have fund. He's here."

A knock came at the door, and I practically jumped out of my skin. Arielle shook her head, picking up her glass and sipping.

“Well,” she said, “get going, dear."

I shot her a glare, but my face was already heating as I headed for the door. I hesitated at the wrap hanging from the hook and a bawled up towel sailed through the air, nailing me right in the hand.

"Don't even think about it."

I scowled at her over my shoulder and opened the door. Dominic stood waiting on the front step, dressed in a simple white button-down rolled at the sleeves and linen slacks. The salt air tugged gently at his hair, and the moment our eyes met, the tension twisted tighter inside me.

“You look beautiful,” he said softly, almost cautiously.

“Thank you.” My voice came out more breathless than I wanted. “You look… nice too.”

He smiled at that, the corners of his eyes crinkling faintly. “Shall we?”

I nodded, letting him guide me away from the door. The walk to the restaurant wasn’t long, but my nerves only seemed to intensify as we went. I kept waiting for him to bring it up, the mess waiting for us in Brightclaw, or even the kiss from earlier, but he didn’t. Instead, he led me to a small, elegant restaurant right on the beach. The windows were wide open, letting the ocean breeze drift through, carrying the soft scent of salt and flowers. Lanterns glowed gently along the patio where we were seated, the sound of the waves whispering in the background.

For a few moments, neither of us spoke. The server came, and we ordered drinks, but even then, the conversation didn’t quite start. I found myself glancing at him, trying to read his expression.

Finally, Dominic broke the silence. “I didn’t want to talk tonight about Vivian. Or Tyler. Or the lawsuit.” His voice was quiet but firm.

I nodded my head, worrying my lip. "Okay…"

He reached across the table, threading out fingers together.

“I want to talk about you.”

My shoulders relaxed slightly. “Me?”

“Yes.” His gaze softened. “Your life. Your plans. What you want for yourself. Outside of all this… madness.”

I stared at him for a moment, surprised and relieved.

"Only… if we talk about you, too."

He smiled. "Deal."