Page 213 of Sorrow & Strangers

“Go.”

Rafe searches my face before hurrying to his room to change, and I go back to my room. I climb into bed beside a snoring Alice and stare at the ceiling. My mind is busy, driven by the memories of all that has happened this weekend, and after hours of desperately hoping sleep would claim me, I finally give up and climb out of bed.

Padding back into the living room, I am drawn to the wall of windows overlooking the beach. It is so quiet and calm as the sun starts to rise, but then I see him. He walks somberly along the sand, still dressed in his suit from last night, and just the sight of him slams through all my barriers, flooding me with sadness, hurt, desire, and anger.

I watch him until he’s out of view, desperately holding on to the anger. He tried to manipulate me. I was honest with him. He knows where I stand, where I am emotionally, and he still demanded more from me than I’m ready to give. I don’t know if I will ever be able to give him the level of commitment he wants. Not after Connor.

With a deep sigh, I settle onto the couch with the shells we collected that first day, making bracelets and trying not to allow the memories to consume me. Once the sun has fully risen, I set the coffee to brew and head for the shower, hoping the hot water will help clear my mind and reset my mood so I can get through the day. As I wash, a dull ache between my legs draws my attention. Gently, I brush my fingers over my clit, frowning when I feel a small, hard ball. It throbs sharply as I apply pressure, and I grasp it between my fingers and pull, gasping when it tugs in a deliciously painful way.

I finish my shower and turn off the water before stepping out. Going straight to the mirror, I get into a wildly indecent position to look between my legs, gaping when I see the small metal ball above my clit. The fucker pierced me. I growl in both annoyance and frustration. Why would he do this?

Now that I have discovered my new piece of jewelry, I am hyperaware of it and how it rubs against my panties as I pour myself a cup of coffee. I manage to let Alice sleep for another thirty minutes while I fester, but I can’t stand the silence that leaves me with way too much time to think.

“Al, come with me to the beach?” I say, bursting into my bedroom.

“Huh?” Alice says, still mostly asleep.

“The beach. Let’s get good loungers! Come on. This is our last morning here.”

Alice groans. “Did you sleep at all?” she asks, but she does sit up, trying to focus.

“Come on! We need to go,” I say. I’ve been stuck with my thoughts for too long and I need to just go somewhere and distract myself.

Alice blinks her eyes open, groaning when she sees I’m already dressed for the beach in a gold bikini. She grumbles but climbs out of bed to get dressed. Not even twenty minutes later, we’re stepping onto the sand, though I’m practically dragging Alice. We choose our loungers, and she flops onto hers. She’s barely flat before she’s asleep again.

There goes my distraction.

I lie back on my lounger, annoyed at my lack of a phone. It would be nice to just scroll through socials and get lost in someone else’s drama, but then I remember the book I brought. I pull it out of my bag and start reading, letting myself get lost in another realm. When Alice wakes an hour later, I’ve managed to immerse myself deep enough into the story that I’ve only thought of the stranger every three minutes.

“We should go for breakfast and check on Rafe. Make sure he’s still alive and not in a sex coma,” Alice says through a big yawn.

I lower my book to answer her, but instead, my eyes lock with the ­stranger’s. He is just down the beach, seeming just as surprised to see me as I am to see him. He looks tired, no doubt a mirror to me. His gaze is so intense that my stomach twists, and he watches me for a long moment, deciding what he wants to do next. He starts toward me, and I sit up a little, watching as he approaches me. I push my sunglasses to the top of my head as he towers over me.

He holds his hand out to me silently. My anger swells again as I look at his hand, wondering what stipulations come with this minor contract. He doesn’t move. He just waits, and I glance at Alice, who is watching us carefully. She arches a brow at me, silently asking me if I want her to stay. I shake my head and look back up at the stranger.

Why have I missed him?

Alice quietly leaves, and I wait until she’s out of earshot before I speak.

“Does this mean I can’t hold anyone else’s hand ever again?” I ask sharply.

His shoulders tense. “Princess,” he warns, and I glare at him before placing my hand in his. He helps me up and then leads me down the beach to a more secluded area, and for some reason I don’t really understand, I follow behind him.

When we’re alone, he turns to face me. “I know,” he says, not even waiting for me to yell at him. “I am possessive and extremely jealous when it comes to you.”

“You’re also an asshole,” I say, not shrinking under his gaze. “To imply that you would have been happy to hang out with me this weekend. That we . . .” I shake my head. “Only because you’re unable to deny me. That was cruel.”

He holds my gaze, searching, regret flashing in his eyes. “I am unable to deny you. I am desperate for everything that has to do with you. But you’re right. The blame is mine, not yours,” he says, cupping my cheek.

“It’s not about blame,” I say with a frown, not used to him being reasonable.

“No?” He strokes my cheek with his thumb.

“It’s about accepting the fact that we both wanted it and not saying that you only did what you did because I wanted it. That it was one-sided,” I say, but I’m not done. “It’s about accepting the fact that you are asking me to commit to a faceless male. It’s about the fact that my fiancé isn’t even dead six months.”

He winces with every point I throw at him, but I don’t back down.

“When it comes to you I know I can be unreasonable,” he grates out.