Page 46 of Hidden Raphael
The ocean stayed quiet and she gripped her medallion. All the questions stopped in her head for a second and she breathed.
Then she blinked and stared beyond the rock to the adjacent part of the beach. A flash of something caught her eye. She stood up and walked over. Nothing seemed out of sorts, but then something in the rocky sand caught her attention.
She brushed the sand aside and found a photograph of Eileen and Ali. The wedding picture was torn and ripped. Kimberly swallowed. Roger must have done that to this picture. Her fingers wrapped around the torn edges. The wreck would have burned this. She held it in her hand and then something nagged in her ear. She stared closer to the ground and recognized a plastic bag.
She fell to her knees and dug. She tugged the bag free, and papers and money fell onto the sand.
Had Roger tried to hide his reason for killing wealthy Ali and his new bride? Kimberly quickly threw the money back in the bag. A second later, the water splashed. She stood up and waved at Raphael.
Raphael carried something black and square in his hands, and swam back to shore. She pocketed what she'd found and walked back to the part of the beach she had left. He came out and waved the box in his hand. "Is this what you saw?"
"Yep." A smile appeared on her face. Today she might have a few answers. She then took the bag out and held it up to Raphael. "Check out what I found."
He dropped the lockbox on the beach. "Where did you find that?"
"Under a picture of Eileen and Ali." She shrugged. "I think Roger mutilated the picture on purpose."
Raphael crossed his arms and shivered. He then asked, "Where did you say Ali was from?"
She wrapped a towel around him and wiped off his face, letting him hold the picture. "Ashtibia, a small country in the Middle East. He was the fifth or sixth son in line to the throne, so it couldn't have been a revolution or anything. His brothers would be more important. Eileen had a proper British accent, as did the pilot."
Raphael took the towel from her hands and wiped his hair. He must be satisfied with her answer. She tilted her head and tried to understand what Raphael hid. He opened the bag she handed him and flipped through. "Between what we have, we might piece together what happened."
"Great." Maybe he was just as curious as she was. "Change so we can head back to the house and read this in quiet."
"The ghosts spooking you?" He tapped her shoulder, then swiveled to peel off his wet suit.
She brushed at the wet handprint and turned around. He was half naked again. Her mouth fell open, but at least he couldn't see. "Not the ghosts. The cold. It creates drafts in your castle, which is perfect for the hotel guests at Halloween. But I grew up in Florida then spent the past few years in the South Pacific. It was always warm."
"Nice life, Kimberly. The bite in the air helps me breathe."
His nakedness sent a thrill through her that was warmer than her memories. "Better to be peaceful on the inside than worry about the cold. I have to see my mom and tell her I love her."
"You make no sense."
She almost turned around, but caught sight of his plaid boxers. Had he been completely naked a moment ago?
"I just want to get back inside." She couldn't make her thoughts go beyond how close he was. Was she red? She tried to slow down the racing in her blood. "Are you almost done?"
"I'm throwing my jeans on now."
No, she did not need a play-by-play. She tugged her ear and licked her lips. His muscles were powerful, and if tangled up with hers she’d experience far more in bed than she ever had. What was she thinking?
"You can turn back around," he called out, and she followed his order. His wicked grin gave him away. "Like what you saw?"
No use lying. "You're the hottest guy on the island."
"Stiff competition." He smiled, then schooled his expression. "Sorry, Kimberly. I'm bad news. You're ready to go back home."
She put her hand on her hip and refused to listen to reason. "I'll decide for myself what's good or bad for me. I hate being patronized."
He tied the bag of equipment. "It's not patronizing, Kimberly. It's a warning."
His eyes shimmered and she pressed her palm to his shoulder. "Stop it. Don't think for me. And don't warn me when that warning is meant for your ears. If you want to convince yourself not to dream of me, then keep it to yourself."
"Let's go before I do something I'll regret."
Her other hand went to his chest, and she leaned against him. "If that's what gets you through the day."
Raphael’s green eyes narrowed. Awareness of him grew all around her, and everything else but him faded away. She closed her eyes, inhaled his salty skin, and lifted her mouth.
The sound of the box hitting the sand echoed in her ear, but she didn’t react. She hadn't seen him pick it up. Then his mouth brushed against hers in a kiss, and she wrapped her arms around him.
Raphael Murphy was a man she'd dream about for the rest of her life. She melted as he deepened the kiss.
If this was a mistake, it was hers to make. His kiss sent a flame through her that couldn't be contained. She lost all thoughts and let his heat course through her.
