“And what?”
“That’s it. You’re feeding me salted, fried tofu?”
I tap my fork on the bowl of steamed broccoli.
She shakes her head. “You might want to look into a steamer. This broccoli is crunchy.”
“It’s perfect. Had I cooked it any longer it would have been mush.”
“I like mushy veg.” She shrugs. “Maybe it’s a British thing.”
I grab the bottle of wine in one hand and our glasses in my other hand. Then I stand. “But the wine suits Her Royal Highness?”
She rolls her eyes and pushes away from the table. “The wine is perfect, just like the company.”
Don’t say that, Scarlet. Don’t ever say that.
I can’t help but relinquish a small grin. “The beach is calling.”
As she steps off the boardwalk into the sand, she stumbles a bit and laughs. “Mr. Reed, I do believe you’ve gotten me a little tipsy.”
She’s taken two sips of wine. There’s no way she’s tipsy. I set our glasses on the top of the railing and refill mine. Then I top off hers. “Here.”
She narrows her eyes as she takes the glass. “Your response to me being tipsy is another glass of wine?”
Tapping my glass against hers, I grin. “Just seeing if alcohol makes youitchy.”
Her wild curls whip in the breeze when she turns. Then she flips off her sandals and trudges toward the water, ignoring my comment. “Tell me a lie, Theo.”
The wind presses her dress to her body, revealing small curves that weren’t there a few weeks ago. She’s by far the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. My life is nothing more than bad timing separated by unimaginable moments of tragedy. I’d reconciled my pain with the promise of revenge… untilher.
She looks over her shoulder and smiles. “Did you hear me?”
I nod slowly, drawing in a breath to replenish the one she steals every time I look at her. “I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. My father trained horses. My mother worked at the university.”
“I already love this story. So you know how to ride a horse?”
“I was a jockey.”
Laughter fills the night air as she throws back her head, some of her wine sloshes out of the glass. “Aw… poor horse.”
“Yes. Poor horse. They are incredible creatures. Some are treated like royalty, others… more like slaves.”
She drops the glass in the sand, letting the earth drink the rest of it. “I’ve never ridden a horse.” Her foot rips through the water, splashing it on my legs. “Well…” pinching her lower lip, she tugs on it, meeting my gaze “…except for you.”
My dick hardens.
“But I do like to race, and I’m fast. Very fast.”
“More lies.”
She shakes her head. “Truth. Want to see? Let’s race.”
I drop the empty wine bottle and my glass next to hers in the sand. “I hope you’re right because if I catch you, it’s going to be very bad.” I don’t say that with an ounce of humor.
Her smile fades, eyes wide and glued to mine. She nods as if she understands but there’s no way she can.
“You’ll never catch me,” she whispers. “It will feel like you’re chasing a ghost.”
