Page 51 of Whispers of Redemption

“No. There isn’t.” He said the words with such intensity that she turned around to look at him and found him gazing at her in a way that sent flutters through her stomach and left her unable to speak. They stood there, eyes locked. Then slowly, he took a step closer to her. She knew what he was going to do. And she wanted him to do it. She was now only vaguely aware of the whisper of the waves, the soft breeze blowing over her skin. But she was very aware of him. The heat of his body drew her in like a compass to true north, and her skin tingled in anticipation. She tipped her head up, angling her face to his, and closed her eyes, waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

She opened her eyes to find herself standing there alone.

She spun in a circle, searching, and saw Wade running across the sand back toward the restaurant. “What the—” Then she heard what he must have, the sound of voices raised in a heated argument.

Cassie raced after him, coming up short behind him when he stopped at the far side of the restaurant. In the gathering dusk, she could see three people, two men and a woman in the midst of an altercation. One man had the other pressed up against the side of the building, a forearm pressed tight across his throat, pinning him there. As Cassie and Wade walked closer, Cassie realized that it was Brett being held against the wall. And the man holding him there was Zack Barrett! A woman stood watching, slightly behind Zack, hands on her hips.

“What’s going on here?” Wade asked, coming up beside them.

Zack did not loosen his grip on Brett, but turned his head sharply to see Wade and Cassie standing there. A look of shock crossed his features, but he recovered his composure quickly.

“He insulted my girlfriend,” Zack said.

Cassie was surprised. This did not seem at all like the mild-mannered Zack she was used to. He sounded incredibly angry, violent.

“Okay,” Wade soothed, moving in closer. “I get that you’re upset, Zack. But you need to let go of him.”

Brett’s face was deep red as he struggled against Zack’s arm. Brett and Zack’s gazes were locked, like they were each trying to stare each other down.

“I want to make certain that he understands how important she is to me,” Zack said, emphasizing each word carefully. “And I will not tolerate this kind of behavior.”

Cassie looked at the woman who was the source of the confrontation. She was tall and attractive. But there was a rough edge to her. And something familiar. Cassie abruptly realized she looked like the woman who Zack had gotten into the car with the day she’d followed him. She must have felt Cassie’s eyes on her and glanced over, meeting her gaze. The rough edge Cassie had observed appeared to melt away, and her face took on an almost embarrassed expression. “I told Zack it wasn’t worth it, she said. “There’s no need to be jealous or anything.” She gave a nervous-sounding laugh.

“Take it easy, Zack,” Wade continued in his soothing tone, he was now standing right beside the two men.

At first, it didn’t look as if Zack would move. But slowly, almost reluctantly, he released Brett, who sagged against the side of the building, rubbing at his neck and gulping in air.

“Are you all right, Brett?” Wade asked.

“What do you care?” Brett asked with a sneer. Wade didn’t take the bait. “Would you like to press charges against Zack?”

Brett’s dark eyes glinted in the fading light. “I don’t know, maybe...” he drawled.

Zack was still staring at him, his expression murderous.

Wade sighed. “Yes or no, Brett?”

“I guess...no,” Brett said, looking sullen.

“Why don’t you both go on home then,” Wade said, his face swiveling between the two of them.

“Yeah, sure.” Brett peeled himself off the wall of the building and sauntered off into the night.

“You good?” Wade asked Zack.

“Fine,” Zack spat out. “C’mon,” he said to the woman, and together they strode off toward the parking lot.

“Well, that was interesting,” Cassie commented. “You definitely know how to show a girl a good time.”

Wade was looking thoughtfully after the two men. Then he seemed to shake off the tension from the moment and looked down at her, flashing his heart-stopping smile in her direction. “Glad to know it. I do aim to please.” Then his face grew serious. “Hey, I’m sorry this kind of...um...spoiled the moment.”

“Oh, no worries,” she said, feeling embarrassed. She looked quickly away, trying not to imagine what she must’ve looked like standing there on the beach, lips pursed, waiting like a fool for a kiss that was never coming. “Actually, I’m kind of tired. And I’ve still got some studying to do tonight. Maybe you should just take me home.”

He looked disappointed but crooked his arm, and smiled down at her. She smiled back and slipped her hand through it, resisting the urge to trace over the hard curve of his muscle beneath her fingertips. Together, they walked slowly back to his car.

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