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After lunch, he helped Caroline clean up and dispose of the trash. He lingered a bit, and then finally took her behind the tree where his other employees couldn’t see them and kissed her.
“I miss not having you at work with me,” he said in between kisses. “And damn you look so cute in this dress. Like you belong in the French Riviera or something.”
Caroline wore a bright pink kaftan, gold bangles on her wrist, and a pair of white Converse. This was her summer go-to outfit, the one she wore when she had nowhere to be, but would be ready if something came up unexpectedly.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” she told him as she took his hat off and ran her fingers through his hair. She loved the way his silky strands felt on her fingers. Honestly, there wasn’t much she didn’t love about him. He made her feel important and loved, even though they were far from being in love. Well, she was definitely heading in that direction. Caroline wasn’t sure if Dune was, and part of her was okay with that. She could deal with her heartbreak when she left. She wouldn’t be able to deal with his.
“I’m going to run home, grab some clothes, and then I’ll head to the cottage. Do you want to have dinner out?”
Caroline nodded. “I’d like to go back to Cobblestone’s.”
Dune agreed. “I could definitely go for some lobster. Hey before I forget, are you up for doing some evening tours? We have some coming up and I thought they might interest you.”
“I’d love too.”
He kissed her again. “Thank you. I’ll be to the cottage by six-thirty and then we’ll walk down to Cobblestone’s. You might want to make a reservation.”
“They don’t take them during the summer. I already checked.”
Dune chuckled and gave her the smirk she was beginning to love so much. “Go in and tell them Dune Carter needs a reservation for two at seven-thirty.”
“Your name carries so much weight,” she said teasingly.
He laughed again. “As it should.” Another kiss, this time longer and filled with promise of more to come. “Ugh, okay. I gotta run. I’ll see you later.”
“See you,” she said as she watched him run toward the dock. Caroline stayed there, watching her friends work, and then smiled when she heard the faint sound of Dune’s voice echo in the harbor. On this tour, they were going whale watching. She wanted to run down the dock and hop on the boat because this was her favorite tour, seeing the whales and dolphins.
Caroline grabbed her bag and headed toward Cobblestone’s. The line to get in, or put your name on the waitlist, stretched down the block. She got in line, pulled a book out of her bag, and began reading. Every few minutes, she took a couple steps forward until it was her turn.
“Hi,” Caroline said as she got to the counter. She hadn’t realized how small the entry space was until the restaurant was crowded. The tight quarters and the fact that people were within inches from her gave her anxiety.
“We’re booked for the night,” the hostess told her before Caroline could even ask her question.
“Dune Carter would like a table for two at seven-thirty.” She waited and watched the recognition on the hostess’s face. Frantic fingers typed on the keyboard, and then frustration. Caroline felt bad, thinking that they were taking a table from someone.
“We can seat Dune at seven-forty-five.”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
Caroline made her way home after a quick stop for her favorite coffee drink. When she got to the cottage, she changed into her swimsuit, grabbed her book, and headed to her backyard. She loved that her temporary home was right on the water, and from here, she’d be able to see Dune on his return trip.
She moved her chair to the water and sat down. Waves came ashore, sometimes heavy depending on the boat traffic. The water was enough to cool her. She closed her eyes and relaxed a moment, letting the sun shine on her before she focused on reading. Only, each time she heard a boat coming, she put her book down to see if it was Dune or one of Blue Lobster’s other boats. Caroline noticed that since her arrival, the water traffic had grown.
Dune told her about the many cruise ships that would be coming into port over the summer, bringing a ton of tourists to town who would book excursions. Most wanted to whale watch or go snorkeling, which was Speed’s specialty. Caroline had a hard time imagining a cruise ship and was excited to see one up close.
After a couple of hours of sitting out, Caroline made her way back into the cottage. She showered, shaved, and gave herself a quick pedicure, which she was long overdue for. Thankfully, she had packed an assortment of polishes and opted for a soft pink, which actually stood out against her tanned skin. She went through her closet and picked an outfit for the night, and decided to go with flats versus the heels she wore last weekend. Caroline would never tell Dune, but her feet hurt after a night of walking on the cobblestone roads followed by dancing. Of course, he took all the pain away when they boarded his boat. He did things to her body no other man had ever done. She could easily say Dune Carter ruined her for other men.
