Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“Meh,” she said as nonchalantly as possible.
Dune tickled her until she cried for mercy. Then, he kissed her, like he hadn’t seen her in days, not hours. “God, I can’t get enough of you.”
“Same,” she said as she gazed into his eyes. “How was work?”
“Boring. Come on, let’s walk and talk.”
Caroline grabbed her things and Dune locked up. They held hands as they made their way into town.
“So, work was boring?”
Dune nodded. “You weren’t there, and the day seemed to drag on. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough today. And then when I got home, my mom wanted to chat my ear off.”
“Must be a ‘mom’ day.”
“Every day is a ‘mom’ day with her. Chatty Cathy needs to be her new name.”
Caroline laughed and kissed his bicep, earning a smile from him. They walked by the Sea Shanty, which was surprisingly quiet, and then by Diego’s. The streets were bustling with people. Some window-shopped, some ate ice cream, and others gathered on the corner in groups deciding where they were going to go next before walking to their destinations.
Outside of Cobblestone’s, the line stretched around the corner and up the alleyway. It was unlikely these people would get in or they’d end up waiting an hour or two for a table. Reservations were hard to come by during the summer and most places had a waitlist.
Dune held the door for Caroline. Inside, he gave the host his name, and then they followed him to a table in the bar. Dune helped Caroline into her seat and then cursed under his breath.
“Not a fan of high tops?”
“No, I’m not. They’re uncomfortable and after being on my feet all day, I like to relax.”
She reached for his hand. “We don’t have to go dancing tonight.”
“You want to.”
“I also want to do what you want. If you’re tired, we can go back to the cottage, put a movie on and relax. We can go dancing next weekend.”
Dune kissed her hand. “How about we go for a little bit and then we’ll head back to your place. I told the guys I’d be there, and I don’t want them blowing up my phone because we didn’t show up.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
After they placed their order, Dune slid out of his seat and moved it near Caroline. “There, this is better. I like being close to you.”
“I like it too.”
He leaned in and kissed her, not caring who saw. Caroline didn’t care either. She liked being with Dune but had a feeling he was going to be the first man she ever fell in love with while also being the first man to break her heart . . . if she didn’t break his first.
dune
Dune kissed Caroline on her cheek and then quietly slipped out of bed. He dressed in the bathroom and then he was out the door, the sky showing a sliver of morning. He drove to his favorite beach and trudged through the cold sand, praying he didn’t step on something sharp.
At the water’s edge, he breathed in the salt air and relaxed. It had been weeks since he had practiced his breathing techniques and yoga, ever since he met Caroline. It wasn’t her fault he stopped his morning ritual. That was all him. Since meeting her, he’d changed, and he wasn’t sure if it was for the better or not.
Until Caroline, he hadn’t dated anyone seriously. Not ever. He was the one-week kind of guy, which was why he pursued tourists or never said no when they’d ask him out. They were the commitment free, no strings attached, kind of relationships that worked well for him. Sometimes, the women would return the next year, but it was rare. And if they did, they usually had a boyfriend and Dune would be off the hook from having to rekindle anything.
Dune closed his eyes and started his routine. He worked through each pose, holding them longer each time to help ease the stress he felt. The stress he put himself under. He knew better than to get involved with anyone, the way he was with Caroline. The job offer alone was completely out of character for him. He couldn’t even remember why he offered it to her in the first place, other than he didn’t want her to leave Seaport. No other visitor to the island had ever affected him this way, so why her?
He sighed, opened his eyes, and stood. Dune glanced at the surfers who waited for the perfect wave to come. Today was one of those mornings where they’d wait forever. The calm water was not what surfers wanted. He took his shirt off and dove into the water. Thanks to the warm days, the water temperature felt perfect. Dune dove again and swam out a bit before turning over to float on his back. He stared at the sky. It had turned from black to dark blue as the sun rose in the east. Here, Dune felt in his element. It was the place he went to think, and he had a lot of thinking to do.