Her feeling exactly. “Ignore it. Let them call back.” Then she had a thought. “Were you expecting a call?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he muttered, his lips buried in the hollow of her throat.
The phone rang again.
“Who…”
“The doctor’s office at the ski resort in Maine where Beth had her accident. They said they’d call me back. Forget it.”
It was what she wanted to do, dammit. But she pushed herself away from him and hurried across the room before she changed her mind. “It’s three hours later in Maine than we are here. You may not be able to get in touch with them.” She pressed the access button on his phone and took it to him. “Talk to them. Make sure you get everything out of them that you need so they won’t call back.” She headed for the door. “I’m going outside to cool off.”
“Not too much.”
She grinned at him. “No way.” She followed up with a mock Schwarzenegger imitation. “I’ll be back.”
“You’d better.” Joe was already talking on the phone as the door closed behind her.
She drew a deep breath of the cool, salt-laden air as she paused on the walk outside the motel room. She was shaking, she realized. Trembling and hot and ready. Calm down. It was only a postponement. She was acting like a teenager whose eagerness was as explosive and uncontrolled as a lightning bolt. Just take a break, then go back to him. That was the way it always was with them. Separation and reunion but always ending together.
She moved toward the deck chairs on the verandah overlooking the ocean. It appeared to be unoccupied. No surprise. The wind was too strong and cool for it to be inviting, in spite of the view. Just as well. She didn’t feel like being sociable, and she needed that coolness at the moment.
She dropped down in the blue-and-white lounge chair and gazed down at the beach. Beach …
Run.
The security man cursing as he stumbled down the dune after her.
The memory of the dream was suddenly there before Eve.
Had Beth gotten away from him that night?
And why in hell was Eve so sure that dream was more than a wisp of fantasy?
“Where’s Quinn?”
Eve stiffened and turned to see Kendra standing a few yards away. She was dressed in slacks and a navy Windbreaker, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She dropped down in the chair next to Eve. “I’m surprised he lets you out of his sight.”
“What?” Eve frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re two mature people, and we’ve been together a long time.”
Kendra raised her brows but didn’t comment.
“Why are you out here?” Eve asked. “I thought you were going to call your mother, then go to bed.”
“I’m restless.”
“Playing your guitar didn’t help?”
Kendra shook her head. “Not tonight. I finally gave it up and came out here. I always have to get used to new places before I can sleep. I get bombarded.”
“Bombarded?”
“Sensory overload. My mind is always automatically trying to absorb, isolate, and identify. After I settle into a place, I can usually accept and block the parts I don’t need from the mix.” She looked at the sea. “But there’s so much life out there that it’s hard to do. Listen…”
Eve tilted her head, concentrating. “Seagulls, the surf … That’s all I hear. Is there something else?”
Kendra nodded. “There are two dolphins jumping and playing just offshore, and the fish … so many fish … And I was watching the crabs in the sand there on the beach. A little distance down the way, there’s a hot dog stand and the smells of the sausage dogs and onions are wonderful. Do you want me to go on?”
“Good God, I had no idea,” Eve said, staring at her. “I can see how distracting that would be.” She had another thought. “Joe said that right after your operation, you traveled all over the world like a gypsy. If you’re that sensitive, going from place to place must have been a nightmare.”
She shook her head. “It was magnificent. It was the first time I was able to combine all my senses. I loved every minute of it. I felt drunk on life.” She made a face. “But I liked it too much. I was dizzy, and I lost my balance quite a bit. You tend to do that when every moment is a new adventure. I stretched my boundaries way beyond the rules. I’m lucky to still be alive and out of jail.”