Page 55 of By The Book
The boat slowed and Claire looked around to find they’d come to an isolated stretch of the uninhabited island.
“Just remember,” Marsali said, her voice low because the men were heading down the stairs toward them, “we’re here for you.”
Claire felt Denz’s gaze on her and looked his way. He’d removed his shirt, and his broad chest and muscled abs were marred only by the scars on his shoulder. The bruising had faded since their first meeting, but the bullet-sized scar was a huge reminder of why Claire couldn’t allow herself to plan beyond the moment.
She’d decided she would never again be with someone who got shot at for a living. And for all his kindness and good looks and chemistry, Denz didn’t even allow his father to be contacted unless he was critical—dying.
And if that wasn’t a red flag for a big ol’ never again, she didn’t know what was.
Chapter 22
Denz stared at Claire floating in the water and wondered how she’d gotten under his skin so easily. The time they’d spent together had been fun, and he’d found himself picturing them as more. Like they were a real couple who lived locally, just going about their daily lives. Holding hands as they went to dinner or walked on the boardwalk by the pier.
He moved into the water and headed her way. Swimming arm over arm without a twinge of pain.
He hated the news he had to share with her, because it would wipe the smile from her beautiful face, but he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer.
He made it to where she was and wrapped his arm around her waist, floating her toward him. “Hey, you.”
Her back met his chest and he dropped a kiss to her salty shoulder in the shallow water.
“Hey.”
“Having fun?”
She turned to face him, her arms pushing against him so that she wasn’t so close.
“Yeah.”
“Claire? You okay?”
“I’m fine. You?”
Okay, something was definitely wrong. “You don’t want me to touch you?”
“No, it’s not… It’s just Tommy is here and everyone is watching us. I feel like we’re under a microscope.”
He supposed that was a consideration. “Were the girls grilling you on our relationship?”
“And then some. It’s…awkward.”
He knew the anger he felt wasn’t justified, but he wanted her not to care that he was who he was, or what her friends thought. “You know, we could always do long-distance.”
She blinked her spiky wet eyelashes at his statement. “What?”
“When I get reassigned. I get days off. You could fly out and visit me, or we could meet up somewhere halfway.”
“Denz… I have a child. I’ll have a job—I’m selling my house and moving. I can’t…”
“Yeah. Yeah, of course. It was just a thought because you said… Forget I mentioned it.”
“I’m glad you did, it’s just that I can’t.”
“I know. I’m going in.”
“Denz—”
He swam toward the shore and made his way to the towel spread out on the hot sand. They’d anchored the boat a ways out, and right now Carter took Tommy out on the Jet Ski, Marsali and Oliver swam, and the others walked the island, shell hunting.
