the beach. Some swam in the surf. Far enough away to not be of any real concern. Odds were, anyone who could afford to be here wanted their privacy just as much as we did.
Together, we headed for the shoreline, edging closer and closer to the waves. The sun beat down and the water was warm, lapping at our toes. With Patrick beside me and the bodyguards no doubt nearby, I was safe as could be. But the more I tried not to think about last night, the more it intruded on my mind. Bad memories had a habit of doing that.
And all the while, Patrick keep sneaking glances at me, his frown back in place.
“I’m okay,” I said.
Nothing from him.
“Just a little restless.”
“You want to run?” he asked.
“No.” I laughed. Then I frowned. “Actually, I want to scream.”
His eyes widened for a moment. “If you want to scream, then you should.”
“Really?” I smiled. The more I thought about it, the better the idea seemed. “That wouldn’t bother you?”
“No.” The man was serious. He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets and stared out at the water, all serene. “Go for it.”
The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was true. A knot of tension had taken up residence inside my chest. This big, dark mass. I clenched my fists, took a deep breath, opened my mouth wide, and let it out. All of the terror and rage. I screamed “fuck” with my whole heart until my throat started to hurt. Then I screamed it some more just because. Talk about being rowdy neighbors.
Patrick turned and waved at the people down the other end of the beach, letting them know everything was okay. Because we sure had their attention now.
When I finally stopped, it was with a grin on my face.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He smiled cautiously back at me.
“I’m not broken. This didn’t break me, Paddy,” I said. “You don’t have to worry.”
“I know. You’re strong.” He sighed. “I think I’m more afraid you’re going to decide you’re sick of my shit, of the shit that happens around me, and leave.”
Huh.
“Which is selfish of me.” His jaw shifted. “If you want out, then all of the money is yours. You have to know that. What you’ve done is . . . you’ve been great. What I’m trying to say is, it’s your choice what happens next.”
“Did you actually just admit to liking having me around?” I asked.
“Thought you figured that out days ago.” He turned back to the water. “Truth is, you’d be better off without me.”
“I disagree,” I said. “Not saying life as your significant other hasn’t had its challenges. Many of them unexpected. But, Paddy, I’m happy where I am.”
The frown intensified.
“Time to cool off,” I said, giving his flat stomach a light push.
“What?”
“We’re going in.” I pushed him again and he stumbled back a step. Waves rushed in, drenching the bottom of our jeans. It was cold, but not unpleasant given the heat of the day. Seagulls cried overhead and the water and sky shone a perfect blue. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin was like waking from a bad dream. He raised his chin, looking down the length of his aristocratic nose at me. “You know how to swim, right?”
“Of course I know how to swim.” He placed his hands over mine, anchoring them to his chest, walking backward into the water the whole time. That he went where I led, or pushed to be exact, was an utter delight. How he was willing to go with my crazy and just wander into the ocean with me. There hadn’t been a lot of room for silly harmless fun like this in my life. Not for a long time. The water was a long way from summer warm, yet neither of us seemed to care. “But are you forgetting the part where we’re fully dressed here, Norah?”
“Like that stopped us yesterday.”
He gave me a reluctant smile. One of my favorites.
“I see this as like a spiritual cleansing,” I informed him.
“That so?”
The water now came up to my thighs. My pants were soaked, with the white shirt soon to follow. Lucky I was wearing a simple cotton bra and not one of the lacy things. “A symbolic turning of our backs on the plastic and insincere aspects of society. We’re embracing nature in all its glory.”
He laughed all soft and low.
A sound guaranteed to make my knees weak. “You mock the depth