Emma wasn't much for sitting in the sun and catching rays. Maybe it was because of her Irish heritage, or perhaps it was the fact she found it boring, but today she found herself quite content to lay in a lounge chair under an umbrella. It was probably because she was up with Ethan, talking and making love, until almost four in the morning.
Mandy was beside her with a book propped on her chest and her sunglasses in place as she read. Even with the shade of the umbrella, the warmth of the day, and the thuds and groans of the volleyball game going on nearby, lulled her.
She didn't recall falling asleep, but the sun was higher in the sky when she woke later. Rolling over, she turned to find Mandy with her head tipped sideways and the book she'd been reading laying by her side. An inelegant snore escaped her.
Emma stifled a laugh as she pulled herself up in the chair. Jill was still on the volleyball court, high-fiving her teammates. She didn't think she'd been asleep for long as they were the same teammates Jill was playing with before she fell asleep.
Emma turned, reached for her water bottle, and froze. Sitting beside the water bottle was a single black rose. A note rested on top of it. Emma pulled her hand back as swiftly as if a scorpion sat beside her. She continued to eye the rose, certain it would sprout legs and come after her.
She almost shrieked when a shadow fell across her, but though she suppressed the scream, she couldn't stop herself from recoiling so much she nearly fell out of the chair.
"What's wrong?" Ethan demanded as he knelt by her side.
She blinked at him as she tried to calm the erratic beat of her heart and get herself back under control. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself a little more, but her hand still shook as she pointed at the rose lying beside her chair. A line creased his forehead; he took a step back to look at the rose. Something sinister slid through his eyes, something that unnerved her almost as much as the rose did.
He bent to grab the flower then stood to survey the area. A lethal air vibrated from him as he turned in a circle.
He could kill someone, she didn't know where the thought came from, but it blazed across her mind seconds before he knelt beside her again. The threatening air surrounding him eased as he met her eyes and tenderly touched her arm.
"Are you all right?" She managed a nod in response to his question. "When was this left?"
"I don't know, I just woke up, and it was lying there."
He glanced at Mandy who still slept soundly before focusing on Jill. Pulling the note from the rose, he dropped the flower beneath his foot and stepped on it.
"Do you mind?" he asked as he held up the note.
Emma shook her head; he ripped the envelope open and removed the note. His frown intensified as he read over the words before scanning the beach again. He held the note out to her. Emma almost waved his hand away, but if it was from Tristan, she suspected he was somewhere nearby, watching them. She would not give him the satisfaction of thinking he frightened her.
She took the note from him and unfolded it. You still belong to me, you always will, T.
Emma crumpled it in her fist as volatile anger swelled up within her to replace the fright. She climbed to her feet beside Ethan and turned to survey the crowd.
"Do you see him?" he asked.
"No, but he's out there. I know he is."
Ethan wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. "Maybe we should get you out of here."
She agreed, but she found her feet frozen in the sand. "No."
Standing on tiptoe, she placed her hands on either side of his face and turned his head toward her. His eyes searched hers for a moment before his mouth descended on hers. Relief coursed through her as the feel of him burned away her dread over the realization Tristan had been so close to her again, that he was here. She hadn't escaped his persistent torment.
The world completely faded away as her mouth opened to the gentle probing of his tongue. Tristan didn't matter; nothing mattered as Ethan’s powerful arms enveloped her and he lifted her off her feet. Her body pressed flush against his as he held her. She wanted nothing more than this man and the way he could make her feel as if she were falling apart and coming together all at once.
She was breathless when he pulled away to look at her. There was something almost loving in his eyes as he searched her face before bowing his head to rest his forehead against hers. He was the most amazing man she'd ever met, and she was putting him at risk. Tristan was a ticking time bomb about to go off.
"I might be putting you in danger," she whispered.
"I can take care of myself."
"I'm not sure what he's going to do, or what he's willing to do."
"No matter what he does, I'm going to stay by you. Seriously, Emma, don't worry about me. I'm a lot stronger than I look."
"You must be as strong as a horse then."
"Stronger," he said and kissed her temple.
Though his words were supposed to reassure, she couldn't help but fear for him as her hands curled into his shirt and she dropped her head against his chest. Why did Tristan have to come back into her life just when she was moving on from his memory?
"I think I'm ready to go home," she said.
"I can help with that."
She gathered her things before kneeling at Mandy's side. Shaking her friend's shoulder, she woke her to explain what was going on before they left.
