Page 11 of Lacey's Fight

Decompress?

Was that a euphemism for what he thought it was?

“I thought maybe since you saved my life today, you’d let me take you out for a really late dinner?”

“Dinner? Just dinner?”

There was no blush, no embarrassment, no hesitation. She knew she wasn’t doing anything wrong in embracing her sexuality. In a way it was refreshing. A woman had every bit as much right to have sex with whomever, whenever she wanted. In another way it made him want to throw up.

Sex.

He didn’t do sex.

Ever.

“If that’s all that happens absolutely, if something more comes of the night, I wouldn’t say no.” Her smile was an intoxicating mix of sexy siren and sweet sunflower. It was hard to resist, and yet, the idea of having sex with anyone—even this gorgeous woman—left him feeling ice cold.

It would be a betrayal.

A betrayal of the only woman he would ever love.

The woman he had failed.

That his body stirred at the idea of being in bed with this confusing conundrum of a woman made him feel like he had failed Jemima all over again.

“I don’t sleep with women I don’t know,” he sneered, regretting his harsh tone the second the words came out of his mouth.

For a moment it was like the lights went out inside Lacey’s soul.

The bright, bubbly, confident, vibrant woman who had thrown herself into the ocean in the middle of a storm to try to rescue a young woman with no thought for her own safety, who had come out here specifically to thank him disappeared.

Just like that.

Gone.

Desolation replaced that light.

A darkness that rivaled the one that lived inside him.

Then like she flicked a switch, her smile was back in place, the lights back on, although he felt a distance between them that hadn’t been there before. Which was stupid since what he’d said was true. They didn’t know each other.

“No worries. Sorry to have bothered you. I hope you know how grateful I am for what you did today. Job or not, you saved my life, and more importantly, you saved Carmela’s life. You made a difference in the universe today.” Standing on tiptoes, she touched a kiss to his cheek then turned and walked away.

Leaving him staring after her because, yep, he watched her leave.

There was an ache in his chest as he did.

Lacey Smith was nothing to him, and yet somehow, he felt that tonight he had failed her, he just had no idea how.

CHAPTER THREE

August 2nd

11:49 P.M.

She felt cold tonight.

It had nothing to do with her dip in the ocean earlier. By the time they’d reached the shore Lacey had warmed up enough to ditch the blankets and tea and find some dry clothes to put on.

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