Page 63 of Unstable

“Our first real photo together,” he amended. As a general rule of thumb, it wasn’t something he kept track of. He didn’t care about pictures—normally. But everything about Irina was different. His mind drew back to the photo Vivi had taken, to the look in Irina’s eyes. He wanted a lifetime of moments just like those.

“Here.” He took the phone from her fingers, made sure the flash was turned on, then held it out in front of them. He kissed her temple just as he snapped the photo, then passed the phone back to her.

She smiled when she saw it, then tucked her phone away again. “Thank you.”

He dipped his head and spoke next to her ear so she could hear him over the breeze. “Was the beach everything you thought it would be?”

She tipped her head up to him. “It’s so much better than I dreamed.”

“It’s a helluva view.”

“It is,” she agreed as she turned in his arms. “But that’s not what made it great.”

Her eyes dropped to his lips, and he moved in closer. “Yeah?”

She nodded. “It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

He studied her face. From the very beginning, she had intrigued him. She was headstrong and exasperating, smart and incredible. They had had their difficulties, and just like any other couple, he was sure there would be more rough patches ahead. But there was no one he’d rather be with than Irina. He slid his hand around the back of her neck. “I really like you.”

Long lashes swept down over her eyes as she blinked up at him. “I really like you, too.”

He slanted his mouth over hers, claiming, possessing. His mind and heart finally seemed to be on the same page, and he had no intention of slowing down or pulling back now. From here on out, it was full steam ahead. He wanted her, and she wanted him; that was all that mattered. They would work out all the other details later.

Several long minutes later, they broke the kiss, and he took her hand. “We should get back so we can pack.”

They turned to leave, and he was momentarily brought up short by the darkness. “Strange.”

Both lights at the entrance of the pier were off, and they moved by the light of the thin crescent moon. A prickling sensation raced up the back of his neck, and he paused at the end of the pier, looking around for the source of discomfort. Something glinted in the sand at his feet, and he released Irina’s hand so he could stoop down for a closer look.

Pulling out his phone, he used the flashlight function to light the area. Fragments of opaque white glass stuck up from the sand, and he lifted his gaze to the lamp attached to the pier. Standing, he stretched his phone upward to get a closer look. The base of the bulb was still screwed into the fixture, but the glass had been shattered.

“Probably some kids,” Irina commented, picking up on what he was doing.

“Maybe,” he said softly as he crossed to the other side. A rock lay next to the broken glass of the second bulb, and his gut clenched with dread. He stowed his phone in his back pocket and laced his fingers through hers. “Come on.”

Irina was probably right. More than likely, it was a harmless prank by some kids. His head swiveled left and right the whole way back to the house, unable to kick the unease swirling in his stomach. He held the gate for her as they stepped onto the patio and handed over the key. “I’ll get the stuff put away, then I’ll be in.”

He should have handled the pool stuff earlier, but he and Irina had fallen into bed after lunch and hadn’t resurfaced until dinnertime. The storage shed was in the corner of the yard, so he could keep an eye on her while he got the stuff put away.

“TV and chill?” She tossed him a teasing smile, and he hardened.

“Definitely.”

He grabbed their towels, all the while watching as she moved toward the door. He breathed a soft sigh of relief as she unlocked it and stepped inside, then closed the door behind her. Moving quickly, he grabbed the folding chairs and umbrella and stowed them in the shed. He snapped the combination lock into place, and a whisper of sound had his ears perking up. He turned a second too late, and pain exploded across his scalp as the object connected with his skull.

He tried to yell out as he fell, but his mouth refused to work. His last thought was of Irina, vulnerable and unprotected, before everything went black.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-ONE

Irina headed inside, a huge smile on her face that she just couldn’t shake—and she didn’t want to. Things between her and Roman were better than ever, and she could no longer ignore the fact that she was falling for him.

She was still worried about what would happen once they got home, though. They were legally married, but he could decide at any time that she wasn’t good enough or that he didn’t want to be part of her lifestyle. Everything in her life had finally begun to fall into place, and she felt like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. She loved her career, but she was starting to love Roman just as much. She couldn’t imagine life without him. Nothing ever went this well for her, and she didn’t want to have to choose between the two.

She’d thought more than once about abandoning the spotlight, maybe transitioning to voice coach or songwriter. Her contract stated she would have to complete next year’s tour, but after that… Who knew what would happen by then? Like Roman said, they would see what happened and reevaluate when the time came. As long as he was with her, she could figure out the rest later.

She closed the door behind her but left it unlocked for Roman to come in once he was done. They had left the lamp on before they went for their walk, and she allowed the soft yellow light to guide her down the hall to the bedroom. She tossed her sweater on the bed, and the sound of the sliding door opening and then closing drifted toward her. A smile curled her lips as she headed back out to find Roman.