Outside, the moon was now higher in the sky, competing with the bright light of the parking lot fluorescents. Cassie didn’t say anything as she pulled Kevin toward his Lamborghini. She wasn’t ready to drive yet, and her mother might need the car tomorrow. Besides, she had so many confusing emotions to sort through. Fear, relief, betrayal. Shock.

Never before had her mother not needed her. She didn’t know what to do with that.

“I need a drink,” she declared to Kevin as soon as they were both buckled into his sports car.

“A drink?” He frowned at her, looking so delicious and normal and healthy that she wanted to throw him down and straddle him. “How about you just tell me what’s happening?”

“There’s nothing to tell. Mom’s fine. I need a drink. You can just drop me off at Barstow’s. I can take a cab back.”

“You don’t need a drink at Barstow’s,” he said calmly, starting up the engine.

His confidence infuriated her. “You don’t know what I need.”

“You need to let off some steam.” He put the car in gear and they accelerated out of the parking lot. “Am I right?”

Actually, yes, he was, but that didn’t make her feel any better. She still felt kind of crazed, unpredictable, prickly as an oncoming lightning storm. “Yeah well, you won’t have sex with me, so that’s out.”

He laughed. “No sex, no drinking, you must think I’m a real downer.”

She didn’t think that. Not at all. “Anyway, like I said, this has nothing to do with you. I can handle my own problems and my own letting off of steam. So just drop me anywhere and I’ll figure it out from there.”

He reached over and took her hand, the roughness of his palm grounding her enough so she no longer felt like she wanted to jump out of her skin. “Look, Cassie, I know you’re an independent, self-sufficient, completely smart and capable woman. But the look on your face when you walked into that waiting room nearly ripped my heart out. Is it too much to ask for you to let me hang around for a little bit? I swear I won’t ask you any questions. You can let off all the steam you want without killing off any brain cells. Think of me as a guardrail.”

“A guardrail?”

“Yes, to make sure you don’t drive off a cliff. Metaphorically.”

“I’ve been driving myself around for lots of years and never came close to driving off a cliff.”

“You mean metaphorically?”

“Any kind of cliff! And would you stop saying metaphorically? It’s very annoying.” She realized that she’d been so caught up in their ridiculous conversation that she’d lost track of where they were going. “This isn’t the road to Barstow’s.”

“Nope.”

She peered at their surroundings—darkened buildings and glimpses of moonlit ocean beyond. “This is the waterfront.”

“Yup.”

“Are we going to your place? Because there’s that whole no-sex thing, and—”

“Yeah, that would be really hard to stick to if we went to my place.” Well, at least they were in agreement about that. “No, I have something else in mind. I think you’re going to love it. Will you just give it a chance? Trust me for the next,” he checked the clock on his dashboard, “fifteen minutes?”

“I think I can handle that.” She slid her hand out from under his and fiddled with her hair. All that time she’d spent with a curling iron, trying to get pretty for the party, seemed like such a waste now. “But I really can’t imagine what you have in mind. There’s nothing out this way.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. Can it be that I know something about Jupiter Point that you don’t? Who’s playing tour guide now?” His gently teasing tone made her smile.

They passed the last loading dock, where the fishermen offloaded their catch, though all was quiet and empty this late at night. South of the waterfront, as far as she knew, there was nothing but rocky coastline. Kevin was scanning the side of the road closely, looking for some landmark. Finally he put the brakes on and steered to the shoulder.

“Before we leave this vehicle, I must extract a sacred promise from you to never reveal what I’m about to show you. As far as I know, only me and Holly know about this spot.”

“That seems unlikely,” she pointed out, even though her curiosity was going wild. “There are people who know every inch of this coastline.”

“I said, as far as I know. Please don’t burst my bubble.”

“Sorry.”

He looked at her pointedly. “Well?”

“Oh, you’re serious?” She laughed at him, then in the next moment was amazed that she still had the capacity to laugh. “I give you my sacred promise that I will never reveal what I’m about to see to anyone else ever.”

“Not even your brothers?”

“Especially my brothers.” She made a face at him. “But this better be worth all the drama.”

“The pressure’s on. Okay, let’s go.” He swung out of the car, and she followed suit. The unseasonably warm air embraced her. The scent of saltwater filled her nostrils and a light sea spray misted her face. Waves murmured and seethed against the rocks, as if they were telling a story.

A guardrail separated the road from the rocky downslope that led to the water. Kevin stepped over it onto a barely visible foot trail.

“I told you I was going to be your guardrail.” He winked as he offered his hand to help her over it. She kicked off her strappy sandals and stepped barefoot onto the path.

“I’m not sure you’re doing such a good job. I seem to be walking onto a cliff. Didn’t we start this evening on a cliff?”

“Yes, but this one has something you won’t see at the Seaview.” He led the way down the narrow trail between jagged rocks and scrub grass. The moon had risen, like a kindly lantern lighting their way. Otherwise they would have been stumbling and stubbing their toes on the winding path.

When they reached the end of the trail and stepped onto sand, Cassie’s breath caught in amazement. The moon spilled its silver light onto a tiny hidden cove, a little jewel nestled inside a protective ring of rocks. Gentle wavelets caressed the coarse sand, leaving behind creamy moonlit lines of foam.

“Wow.” She gazed in awe at the secret little spot. “How did you ever find this?”

“Pure luck.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his trousers and surveyed the cove with a satisfied grin. “And Holly’s sharp eyes. We were exploring on our bikes, and she noticed the footpath. She spotted a mouse scurrying that direction. She loves mice, by the way. She used to beg me to keep one as a pet.”

She shook her head, still marveling at their discovery. The surrounding rocks cast shadows across the sand. The soft ocean mist felt like wet kisses on her cheeks. For a moment, a sense of pure joy filled her up, like light poured straight from the moon.

In the next instant, she remembered her mother.

“Hey,” Kevin said gently, nudging her with his elbow. “I saw that.”

“What?”

“Just when you were looking happy, you got that ‘I want to hit someone’ expression again.”

“Not someone,” she corrected. “Maybe something. If there was something soft and non-breakable.”

Correction: she didn’t want to hit something, exactly. She really just wanted to scream and cry, and maybe throw things. Channel her inner toddler, that was what she wanted. Throw a tantrum that had been building for years.

“Well, then there’s only one thing to do,” said Kevin. He propped himself against a rock and untied his shoelaces. One by one, he pulled off his socks and stuffed them inside his shoes, which he wedged behind a rock.

“What are you doing?”

“Going swimming, of course.”

“Swimming?”

“Sure.” He smiled, teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “The only question is how many clothes I should wear into the water.”

Oh ho. If he was leaving that up to her… “Why would you wear any clothes in the water? They’d just get wet,” she said reasonably. Her breath quickened. This all felt like a dream, with the moon and the ocean whispering magical secrets in her ear.

“Good point. I was hoping you’d say that.” His hands went to the buckle of his leather belt. “Especially because these are my nice clothes. And I only have one set that qualifies.” He loosened the belt enough to untuck his shirt.

Her mouth went dry as she watched him undo each button. Underneath, he wore a white t-shirt that molded to the solid musculature of his chest.

“I barely recognize you without the grease stains.” She cleared her throat, her voice a little breathier than usual.

“Right? And you without your coveralls. It’s like we’re strangers. As much as I like your mechanic clothes, this works too.” He gestured at her dress. “But I guess I said that already. A few times.”

“You did.”

They smiled at each other, a vibrant tension rising between them. She imagined long strands of moonlight stretching from her to Kevin, linking them to each other, weaving them together. How was it possible that she felt so connected to this man? Especially her, someone who felt truly, solidly connected to so few people. Really, just her mother.

Who had just refused to see her.

That furious, helpless feeling churned inside her again—echoed by the restless swirl of the ocean against the rocks. They spoke to her, those waves. As if they understood exactly what was going on inside her.

On impulse, she pushed one of her shoulder straps off, then the other, then shimmied out of her dress. The camisole slip she wore underneath didn’t cover much, but hey, it was dark outside and Kevin was half-naked already, and the ocean beckoned.

Leaving her dress in a silky pile on the sand, she skipped toward the water’s edge. At the first touch of the ocean swirling around her feet and ankles, energy surged through her.

“Wooohooo!” She hopped from one foot to the other in the wet sand. A chill chased through her, even though the water was warmer than she’d expected. She plunged in further in, until she was up to her waist.

“Ice water?”

“No, it feels good. Come on! What’s the holdup, big guy? You’re the one who started this thing!” She looked teasingly over her shoulder at him. He was in the midst of pushing down his trousers, revealing powerful, flexing thigh muscles and tight black boxer briefs.

She gaped at him. She’d been aware of him physically ever since they’d met, but she’d been trying to block it out for the sake of not lusting after him. But now, with most of his clothes gone, that was flat-out impossible.

He straightened up to his full height. In nothing but his boxers and t-shirt, he walked toward her. That grin, that twinkle in his eyes, the way he moved. Oh. My. God. How was she ever going to get this image out of her mind?

To distract herself, she skidded the side of her hand across the surface, splashing a rooster tail of water at him. “I thought you didn’t want to get your clothes wet.”

“Oh right.” He ripped off his t-shirt in one quick motion and tossed it onto the sand.

She swallowed hard and took a quick step backwards. The ocean water lapped at her hips, but she was oblivious to it as she took him in. Sweet Lord in heaven, he was spectacular, especially with the moon gilding every ridge and tendon of his torso. A few scars marred his skin. Air Force wounds? Mechanic injuries?

He caught her looking. “Dirt bike,” he explained with a grin. “That old misspent youth thing. You couldn’t get me off that bike when I was a kid. Until I discovered stunt piloting.” He waded through the water toward her. “Hoo boy!” He rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms.

She laughed at his expression as the cold water hit him at the knees, then the thighs, then higher up. “I’m going in!” he shouted. “Watch out.”

He swung his arms behind him, wing-like, then launched himself into a flat dive. She shrieked as a spray of water collided with her.

He surfaced, laughing and hooting, shaking water in every direction.

“I can’t believe you did that! With no warning!”

“Warnings are for wimps.” He plowed through the water toward her. “You’re gonna get wet. There, you’ve been warned.”

“What are you doing?” She backed up again, her toes digging into the wet sand at the bottom of the little cove.

“Making things more interesting. You said you wanted to let off some steam, right? So why are you just standing there, girl?”

“Because it’s water,” she shrieked. “And I’m not insane.”

“Sure about that?” With a big grin, he closed in on her.

She ducked under his arm and splashed more water at him. “Don’t you even think about it,” she warned him.

Laughing, he wiped water out of his eyes. “Don’t you know the hardest part is when you’re half in, half out? I’m trying to help you out here. Once you dive all the way in, your body adjusts and it doesn’t feel so cold.”

“Oh really. I’m supposed to believe you?”

“Have I ever lied to you?” With a wolfish grin, he pushed through the water toward her again.

She dodged around him. “That doesn’t mean you couldn’t start.”

He turned to keep up with her. “I already told you I don’t lie when it comes to relationships.”

“You’re saying we’re in a relationship?”

“Yeah. We’re in a relationship. Might as well admit it.”

“I admit nothing.” She lifted her chin in challenge. “Except one thing. You’re right, it is better once you’ve gotten all the way in.”

With that, she turned away from him and dove into the water.

The cold water closed over her head in a rush of pure adrenaline. All worries, fears, hurt, doubt, betrayal, everything besides the absolute purity of the ocean drained out of her like a receding wave. She surfaced, shrieking and gasping. “Oh my God!”

He was right next to her, pulling her up with one hand around her wrist. “You okay?”

“Yes!” she yelled. “More than okay!” She dove into the water again, just for the sheer thrill of the sensation. “Incredible,” she spluttered when she surfaced again. “You’re a genius. This is perfect.”

He laughed, spurring her on like some kind of sea god. “It doesn’t take a genius to get wet and nearly naked with a gorgeous woman.”

Rolling her eyes, she sank into the water again and swam circles around him. She hadn’t been in the ocean since she’d gotten back to Jupiter Point, which seemed crazy when she thought about how much she used to love it. When Ben was dating Julie, she used to tag along with them to Stargazer Beach, where Julie worked as a lifeguard. But since then, she and her mom had traveled mostly through the south and southwest. The few times she’d tried swimming in the Gulf of Mexico had just made her miss the Pacific Ocean.

And now here it was, lapping at her, surging around her in happy swirls, as if welcoming her home.

She lay on her back, floating on the surface and laughing with joy. The moon, just a few shades short of full, the color of a lovingly polished coin, sailed high overhead.

“I missed this so much,” she told Kevin the next time he swam near her. He was doing the backstroke from one end of the little cove to the other. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. This is the best night I’ve had in a while.”

“It’s pretty great, isn’t it? And you know, it’s kind of a tribute to Ben and Julie. They used to take me with them to Stargazer sometimes. Julie taught me the butterfly stroke.”

“So we’re celebrating their engagement after all.”

“Yup. Here’s to Ben and Julie.” She scooped up a handful of ocean water and flung it through the air, where it caught moonlight in a shower of sparkles.

“To Ben and Julie.” Kevin followed her lead with his own “toast” of water, some of which cascaded across her stomach, making her giggle. “May they do a helluva lot better than I did at the marriage game.”

Hmm, now that was…interesting. Did she want to hear about his ex-wife and their marriage? Come to think of it, why hadn’t she? Still floating on her back, she used her hands to propel herself closer to Kevin. “You know, I’ve dated a few divorced men, and they all spent lots of time complaining about their ex-wives. I’ve never heard you do that.”

“And you never will.” He ducked his head underwater, then came up again, blinking streams of saltwater out of his eyes. “That might not be entirely true,” he admitted. “I try not to. But I’m human. I have my moments. I just try to keep them private. I figure no one wants to hear a grown man bitching about his ex. We both made mistakes. I was a total fuckup in a lot of ways. But I got Holly, so any complaints I have are fucking self-indulgent and I won’t go there. All I want is to give Holly my best, and I can’t do that if I’m badmouthing her mom.”

She swam closer to him, unable to resist the pull of attraction. The more time she spent with Kevin O’Donnell, the more her respect for him grew.

“So as a former spouse, what words of wisdom do you have for Ben and Julie?”

“Hmm.” He dipped his head underwater again, disappearing for a moment. When he surfaced, he was so close to her that she jumped. “I’d say give it time. Like maybe at least twelve years, so you know you found the right person.”

She laughed, since that exactly described Ben and Julie’s entire love story. “That’s cheating, it’s not a real answer.”

He grinned at her. “It’s all I got. Believe me, if you’re looking to me for answers about marriage, you’re in trouble.”

“I’m not looking. It’s not like I’m walking down an aisle. I leave that kind of thing to my brothers.” She made an impish face at him. “And they’re doing a fine job of it. They’ve all picked excellent partners.”

“Wait, what?” He snagged her arm and floated her even closer to him. “No marriage for you? Are you serious?”

“Well, I’m twenty-eight years old. I’ve dated plenty of guys. Slept with a certain number of them. And honestly, I can’t say that I was especially impressed.”

His eyebrows lifted. With his black hair plastered to his head, he looked like a curious sea lion. “With them or their performance?”

“Either one. With the whole thing. Starting with the first time. To be completely blunt, it sucked. Afterward, I went online and looked up a bunch of stuff about sex, trying to figure out why it didn’t feel good. I thought maybe it was because it was the first time. I was going to try again, but we ended up moving. The next time, a couple years later, was less painful, but still nothing to get excited about.”

A wave pushed her so her hip bumped against his shoulder. His eyes tracked her, alight with curiosity. “So you’re saying it’s never been good for you?”

“No, I’m not saying that. I just don’t count on the man knowing what to do. I make it good for myself. Which is pretty much what the rest of my life is like. I rely on myself. Which is why I probably won’t get married.” She scooped up a handful of water and watched the droplets catch the moonlight.

Kevin was staring at her with an odd expression, one she couldn’t read.

“What?”

“Do you have any idea how turned on I am right now?”