Page 31

Surprisingly despite the cold, we're not the only ones wandering around on the sand.

I release Vi's hand and drape my arm over her shoulders, tugging her close and matching her stride. "Gotta keep my girl warm."

I chuckle as she rolls her eyes, but a smile tilts her lips up, and I see a flash of her teeth. Baby steps, I remind myself. "I loved coming down here as a kid. My dad worked on the island, and once I was old enough, he'd bring me with him and let me spend the day at the beach so long as I checked in every once in a while."

"Brave thing for a parent to do."

"It was. But I hung with a pretty good crowd of friends, so we sunned and surfed and just chilled to music. Typical good-kid stuff."

She cocks her head to one side to look up at me. "What about the typical bad-kid stuff?"

I chuckle again as our feet hit the sand. We don't remove our shoes since it's cold and we're both in boots. "A bit of that came later," I admit. "Kelsey found out and gave me such a hard way to go about it that I didn't want to disappoint her."

"She was very lucky to have you, Sully. I hope you know that."

As always, my body tenses when mourning hits, but the feel of Violet's arm sliding around my waist chases it away. I stop and use my hold on her shoulders to turn her against me. "Hug it out?" I whisper.

She seems to know I need the hug like I need my next breath, and one step allows her to wrap her other arm around my waist. We stand there like that, hugging beneath the moonlight and letting the waves carry away all the bad things in our pasts. At least for a little while.

I could stay like that all night, but the temp is dropping and the wind picking up. I have to take care of my girl.

I kiss the top of her head and inhale the scent of her, something soft and sweet with a hint of coconut. Strands of her hair get caught in the whiskers on my chin, and I release her enough to gently untangle us. "We'd better keep moving if you want to stay warm."

She looks up at me like she wants to kiss me. Or for me to kiss her. And God knows I want to do just that.

But no matter how much I ache to give her a real kiss very unlike the one I've already given her, I don't want to do anything to rush her. I've pushed her boundaries enough. I even got my date. The last thing I want is to scare her until she goes back to keeping me at arm's length.

Neither of us move, and as the wind blows her long hair into her face, I gently push it back, cradling her in such a way that it doesn't whip into her eyes. Her beautiful, wary-but-trusting gaze stares back at me as she sinks her teeth into her lower lip and releases a disbelieving huff.

"Now you're shy?" she asks.

"I don't want you shutting down on me," I murmur. "But if there's something you want, sunshine, maybe you should take the initiative."

Her nostrils flare as she inhales. I feel her grip at my waist tighten, and her unpolished nails sink into the material of my clothes and coat. I brush my thumbs slowly over her soft cheeks, back and forth, until her lashes lower and her gaze seems to lock onto my mouth.

Patience is a virtue, I remind myself. I'm the turtle who will not push Violet to⁠—

She lifts to her toes and presses her lips to mine. The kiss is a bit awkward and clumsy, and when I feel her body sinking into the shifting sand beneath us, I dip my head lower to give her better access before sliding one hand from her face to her waist to support and hold her against me.

Her arms move, sliding up my chest to twine around my neck, and we stay there a long while, kissing beneath the moonlight.

Until I feel her shiver from cold and force myself to end our evening. "One year from today, we're coming back here to do this again," I murmur, pressing a last kiss to her lips. For now, anyway.

Violet dips her head as though she can't quite look at me, and I brush my lips against her forehead. "Come on. Let's get you home before you freeze. You have an early day tomorrow."

We don't speak as we walk back to the parking lot of the hotel. I hold her hand the entire time. Open her door. Be a gentlemen. Show her the respect and treatment she deserves.

So many guys think women should cater to them, but what they don't understand is that it works both ways. Treat a woman well, and be treated well. Sure, there are exceptions, but for the most part, the sentiment holds true.

I climb in beside her and crank the heat to warm her up. She's still quiet, nibbling on her lower lip like she's pondering trade secrets. I grasp her hand and lift it to my lips, brushing a kiss over her soft skin before I get us going.

The drive back to her parents' house doesn't take long, and I mourn the lack of traffic for a change because it would've given me more time with her. I don't want the night to end, but I'm smart enough to force myself back to turtle-mode when I want to go Formula 1.

I roll into her driveway, and the house is dark. Jasmine's car is gone. "Where's Jas?"

"Probably with her boyfriend. She stays over sometimes."

I tuck that info back, just because it means Vi is here alone. I don't like it, but I can't comment on that fact because I know my girl will take offense and think I believe she isn't capable or strong or some such nonsense when that's not it at all.