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"As soon as you are ready." Dale was grinning. "Bob and Jeremy are already there getting the yacht ready."
"So, if I had said no...?"
Dale's eyes sparkled. "Why would you say no to living, Vera?"
Unable to restrain the smirk on my face, I picked up my fork again. It was a very correct statement. I'd spent my current life, not living. It was time I knew what I'd missed.
Finishing my breakfast, I then went into my room and dressed. I chose a turquoise summer dress with a white cardigan to fight off the chill of the morning. When I came out, Dale was smiling at me like I was his birthday cake. My cheeks and chest grew a little warm. Moving closer, Dale took me in entirely, but when his eyes met mine, his smile dimmed at the presence of my contacts.
"Do you have swimmers?"
"Sort of pointless when you can't swim. Plus," my hand went to my right side, "I'm kind of disfigured."
Brows drawing down, his eyes bled to brown, pushing that indigo out to the outer edge of his iris. The thinning oxygen in the room warned of his anger, leaving me trembling in his grasp.
"You are not disfigured. Scars are our past. They show that we have one. Never feel ashamed of that scar, Vera. It's the mark of a free woman."
Eyes filling with tears, I no longer feared his anger but felt blown away by his passion. With tenderness, Dale caressed my face, his thumb brushing under my watery eyes. With a sigh, his anger dissipated. "How are the ribs? Forgive me for not asking yesterday. I was nervous about our date."
Liking the idea of him being nervous about anything, I smirked. Dale always seemed so confident and in control. "Um, good. They don't hurt at all anymore, and the bruising is only minor now." Brushing my hand over the ribs, my happiness seeped away as I remembered Malcolm and his belt buckle. The memory slivered down my spine and made me shiver. "What happens if he finds me?"
Guiding me into a hug, Dale held me with his mouth at my ear. "He won't, so don't worry about it. If he does, it doesn't matter. He can't take you, we are mates, and I will protect you. I will ensure no harm ever comes to you again, Vera."
Breathing in Dale's scent, my body relaxed in his arms. Tensing, Dale chuckled. "Vera, if you want to go sailing, you need to stop doing that. Right now, my instinct is to take you into your bedroom and mate with you. I'm fighting this as hard as I can, but I can't do that if you rub yourself on me like that."
Realizing more than my face had pressed against Dale, I stepped out of his grasp, face hot. "Sorry."
Dale was trying to resist laughing as he watched me blush. His uplifted lips pressed together, and his indigo eyes glittered. "Come on. Let's get going."
We walked out to Dale's car, still parked in front of my place from last night. Driving us east to the sea, Dale stopped at a shop when we hit the beachside town not far from the harbor. Grabbing fifty-plus sunscreen, I then browsed a selection of hats. While I made my choice, Dale disappeared to the clothing section. Selecting a broad-brimmed hat, I went to find Dale.
When I found him, Dale held a stunning olive green one-piece swimsuit. It was lace through the abdomen, so it hid my scar and bruising, while still looking feminine.
When I went to pay, Dale leveled me with a look of warning, before he handed over his credit card to the sales assistant. She was a pretty brunette with a gorgeous tan and warm chocolate eyes. There was a slightly exotic look to her, but I couldn't pick it.
"Persian." The girl smiled, flashing perfect white teeth when I asked. "My grandmother was Persian."
Assessing the girl like she was an artwork, Dale looked impressed but walked away for a moment. The girl blushed for him, but Dale didn't notice.
"Your boyfriend is gorgeous." She placed our purchases in a bag while Dale was searching through a rack of women's slip-on beach shoes. "Is it weird dating an older man?"
A bit surprised for a moment, I gawped at her. Dale only looked to be in his mid-thirties, like most of the wolves in his house except his daughters.
"I mean, how did you score such a hot sugar daddy? Did you meet him at university? Oh my god, is he your professor?"
"Um, no. He's my next-door neighbor. How young do you think I am?"
The girl looked intrigued as she tilted her head, assessing me. "Your healthy skin says late teens, maybe early twenties. Your face shape brings you a little closer to twenty. Your body is slim from diet more than exercise, but your legs show good muscle tone in the calves. I'd say you ran track at school and that's about all you do for exercise. So again, I'm leaning towards twenty.
"Nice assessment." Dale reappeared at my side, placing a pair of rubber-soled sandals down. "These two please?"
The girl smiled. "Thanks. I'm studying fitness and health at college. I'm still deciding if I want to be a personal trainer or a beautician."
"Ever considered modeling?"
"Sure, I even sent in a few headshots when I was at school, but no one seemed interested."
Taking a business card out of his wallet after she gave him back his credit card, he handed her the card. "Ask for Danielle and tell her Mr. Hearn asked you to come in."
