Page 27 of Beneath the Dawn

She knew and intended to watch him. Different window, but it would be the same awesome view. “Oh, I know.”

After he left, she got out of bed and slid the t-shirt over her naked body. Then she hurried to the window. She would start her day in the same way she’d been doing since arriving in Wild Rose Point. Getting a scrumptious view of Dante Avera before sunrise every morning.

***

Dante sliced through the water, ignoring the temperature, which was colder than usual. But he wasn’t thinking about the water, but the woman he’d left in his bed. He just couldn’t get Marti’s scream out of his mind. This was the third time she’d done something to make him think something wasn’t right. Her scream had sealed the deal. He could tell she had actually been terrified. But of what?

In truth, it really wasn’t his business, but for a reason he would dissect later, he was making it his. If Marti was in danger, he wanted to know about it. His father had always claimed he had a sixth sense for detecting trouble, and he didn’t like how that sense was working overtime now.

He could call Kendall Stanfield, his company’s top investigator, to open an investigation. In less than forty-eight hours, he could have a detailed report available for him. However, doing that would violate Marti’s privacy. And that was the last thing he wanted.

It might even be that she wasn’t reacting to a present situation but something from her past. Something she hadn’t gotten over. That was a possibility. After all, she had gone to Portland by herself a couple of days ago and had been rather happy to go. So maybe she was just dealing with ‘always fearful’ syndrome, a response to a past incident that left a person feeling unsafe or threatened.

If that were the case, he would do whatever he could to make her feel safe and comfortable with him. After last night, he wanted to believe he had already done so. There were a lot of unknowns, and unless he outright questioned her about it, he would just have to wait and hope she would confide in him.

They had only a month to spend together. And while she was here, he would not let anyone harm a single hair on her head.

***

“Can you ride, Marti?”

Marti glanced at Dante over the rim of her coffee cup. They were sitting on his screened patio, enjoying a cup of coffee and the beautiful view of the ocean. When he had returned from his morning swim, he had enticed her to take a shower with him. Of course, the shower had taken longer because they had ended up doing a lot of naughty things—things that required another shower.

She smiled seductively. “I think I proved just how well I can ride last night, Dante. However, if you want me to refresh your memory, let me know.”

Marti liked the way his lips curved into a smile, and that dimple appeared in his cheek. “No refresher needed. You did an awesome job. Unforgettable, in fact. However, I was referring to riding a horse.”

She took another sip of her coffee, then responded. “Sure, I can ride a horse. Why?”

“I thought maybe we could go horseback riding on the beach.”

The thought of doing that excited her. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“Great! I understand one of the ranches in town rents out several of its horses. I’ll make the arrangements. Do you have something to wear? Oh, and I forgot to ask, how did your shopping go in Portland?”

“Yes, I have something to wear, but I can always go riding naked.”

He chuckled. “I think not since we’ll be riding beyond the shores of Lasco Cove.”

“Good point. And as far as my shopping day in Portland, it was wonderful. I found a lot of nice things. That sundress from yesterday was one of them.”

“You looked good in it,” he said.

“Thank you.” There was no need to tell him that all her outfits had been purchased with him in mind.”

“Did you run into anyone you know?”

She lifted a brow. “In Portland? Why would I run into anyone?”

He chuckled. “You’d be surprised. When I spent the day in Portland last month, I happened to run into a college friend I hadn’t seen since graduation. I couldn’t believe she remembered me.”

Was he kidding? Marti couldn’t see any woman not remembering him. “Well, I wasn’t so lucky, I guess. I do know someone who lives two hours away in Sublimity, in the Cascade foothills. We worked for the same CPA firm when I lived in Charlotte. She met and married a guy from Oregon. I haven’t seen Holly since her wedding, but we do exchange Christmas cards.”

“You could have called to let her know you were in the area. A two-hour drive from Sublimity to Portland isn’t so bad. Besides, I’m sure it would have been worth it for her to see you again.”

She reached out and patted his hand. “That’s sweet of you to think so. But there’s no way I was letting Holly know I was in the area.”

“Why not?”