Page 10 of June 7

Grabbing the flipper, she returned to the grill and flipped the burgers. As she closed the lid, she caught sight of someone moving through the slats in the privacy fence on the other side of the duplex.

Even though she owned the house, she had a property manager deal with renting out the other side of the duplex for her. Mrs. Frank, the last renter, had lived there since Daisy bought the place when she was eighteen. Unfortunately, Mrs. Frank's daughter got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and could no longer live by herself. She understood Mrs. Frank was needed somewhere else.

All she knew about her new neighbor was that he was single, could afford the rent, and had signed a six-month lease.

Setting the flipper down on the small patio table, she brushed her hands on the back of her shorts and walked over to the privacy fence. Not wanting to intrude, she knocked on the wood.

"Hey, neighbor," she shouted over the hum of the ocean. "My name's Daisy Hill."

The man stepped out from behind the fence. Daisy's mouth opened in surprise at the familiar, sexy chest in front of her.

"Bane?" She exhaled in relief. "You're my new neighbor?"

It was the biker from next door at the pool. The one who didn't like anyone parking in front of the building.

He dipped his chin and frowned. Having him next door brought a lot of questions to the forefront.

"Well, welcome to Seaglass Cove...if you're new here." She laughed. "Or maybe you moved from nearby. Our encounter outside the pool wasn't exactly an exchange of info, huh?"

He stared at her with the most soulful brown eyes.

She stepped back to the grill and peeked under the hood. "Is it just you who moved in, or are you married?"

The duplex was cozy. Maybe enough room for three if the third was a baby. But she was sure her property manager mentioned the new renter was single.

"No wife." He squinted, never taking his gaze off her.

Her skin tingled with that new information. He was sexy. Beyond sexy. Out of her league sexy.

The things he would do in bed were probably legendary.

He would be attracted to women who walked around in four-inch heels, black leather boots, and skimpy skirts with a crop top that showed their midriff and gave everyone a peek of their breasts every time they raised their arms.

She glanced down at her chest. Her white T-shirt had the words LIFEGUARD printed across the chest in red lettering. Her red shorts were polyester and spandex. They had an elastic waist and were made not to stretch out of shape when wet.

She couldn't remember the last time she wore heels or a dress. Even on the rare occasion she went out on a date, the men always took her somewhere that required casual clothes. Burger joints, mini golf, or the small movie theater over in Newport.

Realizing he kept staring at her, she flipped the burgers and said, "Would you like to stay for dinner? I mean, it's not like you need to stay. You can take it home and eat."

He moved closer and looked under the hood of the barbecue. "Is that an extra one?"

"Yep." She brushed off her hands. "I always cook two. That way if I want one tomorrow, it's already cooked. But I'm happy to share with you."

He grunted. She watched him for an answer but figured out that was his answer. He was a man of few words.

He wandered over to her lawn chair and sat. "I was going to run to The Hut and grab a burger."

"Oh, well, now you can save money and eat with me." She walked to the patio door. "Hang on a second, and I'll get everything to make our burgers. We can eat out here."

She pulled the covered tray out of the cabinet and put everything they'd need to dress the hamburgers. Then, she covered everything with the plastic dome. She'd learned long ago that if she kept food uncovered while outside on the patio, everything would soon have sand on it. Even a small breeze would blow sand off the roof and onto the patio.

Before going back outside, she glanced through the sliding door. Bane continued sitting on her side of the patio, staring at the water.

Her stomach clenched. There was a slight annoyance that he could sit there calmly and enjoy the view.

She lived in Seaglass Cove.

She lived on the waterfront.

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