“Leave your keys if you want. I have mine.”
“Okay.
Less than a minute later, they descended the staircase and both kicked off their shoes at the start of the path between two dunes. The sand was cool at first, having been in the shade, but quickly warmed up when they reached the open beach exposed to the sun’s rays.
They strode in silence closer to the water’s edge before heading north. Gentle waves lapped toward them, stopping short of their bare feet. Seagulls soared overhead and swooped down over the sand and surf, searching for a bit to eat. It was still a week or two before the summer season officially started, so the number of people on the beach was far less than it would be. Several strolled along the waterline while others jogged, and a scant few sat on blankets, reading or just relaxing. Up ahead, two older men surf-fished.
It was peaceful, and a part of Tess wished she could live on the Outer Banks so she could walk on the beach every day. Despite the tranquility around them, the tension emanating from Brian was palpable. As much as she wanted to ask him what was wrong, she sensed he needed to compose himself before speaking.
They walked for approximately a quarter of a mile, nodding hello to those they passed, and then he sighed heavily. “Have you ever had a near-death experience?”
Surprised by the unexpected question, Tess faltered a step before recovering. “Personally, no. I mean, there were a few times while driving when some idiot who was probably drunk or texting nearly hit me and freaked me out, but thankfully, knock on wood, I’ve never been in an accident or anything. Unless you count when the tree came down right where I’d been on the couch earlier.” She shuddered just thinking about what would’ve happened if she’d stayed up reading her book instead of going to bed.
She side-eyed him while continuing with the leisurely pace they’d set. “I take it from your question that you’ve had one?”
He didn’t respond immediately, but after a minute or so, he said, “Yeah. The other day, during the shootout.” He paused before continuing. “Uncle Dan’s a huge fan of the TV show M*A*S*H, so we grew up watching it. I’ve seen the reruns at least a hundred times each. Anyway, there’s this episode called ‘Sometimes You Hear the Bullet.’ A friend of the main character, Hawkeye, is writing a book about the war from a soldier’s point of view. The book was supposed to be titled You Never Hear the Bullet because some kid who was dying said to the guy that he never heard the bullet that hit him. Meanwhile, in the movies, they always hear the shot. But then the writer gets hit, and he tells Hawkeye that he heard the bullet. Hawkeye says, ‘Sometimes You Hear the Bullet is a better title anyway,’ or something like that, right before his friend dies.
He stopped walking and turned toward Tess, but his gaze didn’t meet hers. Instead, he stared at something over her shoulder. She glanced back, but no one or anything of interest was there that she could determine. His voice, a little louder than a whisper, caught her attention. “I heard the bullet, Tess. Jeez—I felt it as it whizzed by my ear. I can’t stop feeling it or hearing it. The damn thing is on a loop in my head. If I was standing a few inches to my left or the bastard who fired the shot had better aim, I’d be dead right now.”
He ran a hand down his face, then tilted his head back to stare at the sky, but not before the raw emotions he tried desperately to hold back flashed in his eyes. It nearly destroyed her and encouraged her to ease his pain without a second thought about the consequences.
Closing the distance between them, she cupped his jaw with both hands and gently tipped his chin down until her sympathetic gaze met his anguished one. Without a word, she rose onto her toes and brushed a soft kiss across his lips.
He stiffened but didn't pull away.
She kissed him again, patient and unhurried, giving him every opportunity to end it if that's what he wanted.
Instead, a quiet groan escaped him.
As her hands slid up his arms, she felt some of the tension leave his body. His hand slipped into her hair, cradling the back of her head as he kissed her in return. His other arm came around her waist, drawing her close until there wasn't an inch of space between them. The kiss deepened, stealing her breath and every coherent thought along with it.
When his mouth drifted from hers to her jaw and then her ear, the world around them disappeared. The beach, the waves, the possibility that someone might see them—none of it mattered. For those few precious moments, it felt as though they were the only two people in the world.
“Tess, what are you doing to me? Not a minute goes by that I don't think of you.”
His words sounded like a cross between an accusation and a confession.
As he rested his forehead against hers, they filled her with equal parts joy and fear. She wanted him more than she wanted to admit, but he'd made it clear he didn't do relationships. And deep down, she already knew that one night with Brian would never be enough.
Chapter Thirteen
“What the hell am I doing?” Brian thought, unable to stop touching and kissing Tess on a public beach in front of God knew who.
First, he'd broken the promise he'd made to himself to be friendly but keep his distance. They still had to see each other at work from time to time, and it was his responsibility to make sure she and Andy had everything they needed while they stayed in the beach house. After all, they'd only come because he'd invited them.
Then he'd given in and spent time with her instead of avoiding her. Somehow, the conversation had turned personal. He still couldn't explain why he'd told Tess about his near-death experience when he hadn't even shared it with his family or his partner. He hadn't mentioned it to the department psychologist, either, despite being required to meet with one after the shooting.
Yet there he'd been, laying bare the fear and guilt he'd carried since that day.
And what had Tess done?
She hadn't judged him or tried to fix him. She'd simply listened, offered comfort, and pulled him back from a place he'd been trapped in for days. Then she'd kissed him.
At first, he'd resisted. The last thing he wanted was to give her the impression he could offer something he wasn't prepared to give. But her quiet compassion, combined with the feelings he'd been trying to ignore since the day they'd met, had worn down every defense he'd built.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he kissed her again. Unlike the brief kiss they'd shared in the kitchen days earlier, this one refused to end. For those few precious moments, nothing existed beyond the woman in his arms.
A rogue wave swept around their feet, and the shock of the cold water made them jump apart. Tess squealed and hurried back a few steps as the water receded.