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When the kitchen was tidy, he laid a hand on her arm. “Come with me for a ride.”
She jerked away. “Not today. Matt and I should stick together, as a family.”
“I’m okay, Sis, really,” Matthew said. “In fact, if you don’t mind, I’d like to take a nap. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Folding her arms behind her back, she leaned against the counter. She chewed her lip as she looked through the window.
Sean walked over and cupped her hips. Fuck, those curves felt right under his palms. Ignoring how rigid her body turned at his touch, he gripped her chin and turned her face to him. “Come on, kitten. It’ll do you good.”
“He’s right, Sis,” Matthew said. “You can do with getting out of this apartment for a while.”
She gave Sean a hard look. “Fine.” Lowering her voice, she added through thin lips, “We have to talk anyway.” She pushed him away and stepped sideways, putting distance between them. “I’ll have to change.”
After excusing himself, Matthew went to his room, and Sean waited in the lounge. Five minutes later, Asia stepped from her bedroom wearing jeans and a leather jacket over a T-shirt. She checked on Matthew before leading Sean downstairs. He gave her the helmet and started the bike. When she threw a leg over the backseat, he hopped on. As he pulled off, she wrapped her arms around his waist, folding her hands lightly over his stomach. His muscles rippled under her touch. Once that touch had been trustful and affectionate. Now she touched him as little as necessary. Even so, the warmth seeping from her palms through the fabric of his T-shirt made him feel a little less cold inside.
He turned south and drove them to a secluded beach he’d discovered while fishing with Jerry.
Once he’d parked, he offered her a hand to help her off the back. “Careful. The exhaust pipe is hot.”
She dropped his hand the moment she was on her feet. “Where are we going?”
Unclasping the clip under her chin, he removed the helmet and secured it on the handlebar before holding out his palm. “Will you trust me? Just this once?”
She hesitated for a couple of beats. Finally, she put her hand in his. The tightness of his chest eased marginally as he led her over the beach to a small cluster of dunes topped with grass. Supporting her weight when her sneakers sank into the sand, he guided her up the highest dune. At the top, it formed a crater of fine, white sand. They went down the crater and climbed up the other side. From there, they had a view of the ocean and the harbor in the distance. Too far out for the holidaymakers, it was a quiet spot. He pulled her down on the sand and settled behind her so that her back rested against his chest. To shield her from the breeze blowing from the sea, he wrapped his arms around her.
“Sean.” Her back went ramrod stiff. “What are you doing?”
“Relax. I’m only making sure you’re not cold.”
Little by little, as the seconds ticked by, the tension eased from her body.
When her muscles had gone slack, he rested his chin on the crown of her head. “I’m sorry about Emily. She was a good woman.”
She drew a pattern in the sand with her finger. “She went peacefully.”
“How did it happen?”
“Why do you want to know? Are you really interested?”
“Yes,” he said honestly.
“I found her at the kitchen table. She had a smile on her face.” She stopped making pictures. “I miss her. So much.”
He hugged her softly. “I know.”
Digging her fingers into the sand, she stared into the distance. “It’s a beautiful spot.”
“I thought you might like it.”
After a couple of beats, she asked, “Why did you bring me here?”
It wasn’t the moment, but she’d been right when she’d said they needed to talk. They’d left too many things unsaid. “Because you need this.” He added in a gentle tone, “Because I care.”
“Stop.” She sat up, creating space between them. “You don’t care. You feel guilty. If you want my absolution to clear your conscience so you can go on your merry way and get on with your life, you’re wasting your time.”
Gripping her arms, he turned her around. “Do not tell me how I feel. Don’t you dare tell me my feelings are lies.”
“Go home,” she grit out. “Better, yet, go to hell.”
That was it. He’d had enough. What was it going to take for her to listen? Tightening his hold on her arms, he gnashed his teeth to prevent himself from doing something foolish, something like shaking her.
Or kissing her.
His gaze homed in on her face. An angry flush colored her cheeks. Her plump, pink lips were slightly parted. Yanking her closer, he crushed their mouths together. The kiss was savage, her taste exploding on his tongue. It was an angry, punishing kiss, and she retaliated by spearing her fingers through his hair and pulling hard to keep him in place.
