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“What do you suggest?”

“In a low tide, we can walk pretty far out.”

“It’s not a low tide, Athena.” Monti kissed her cheek. “But where do you want to walk to?”

“Anywhere so long as I’m with you.”

There was honesty there, but something underlying it—or perhaps underlying only Monti’s hearing of it—turned it against truth and into something akin to fake. She wished she could point her finger at exactly what was wrong. But Athena seemed so happy and relaxed. This was what they’d worked at for months now, and if she had to stay in this moment, if she had to ignore her instincts because Athena had finally found her peace, then Monti would do that.

It was her job after all, wasn’t it?

Help her clients find what they were looking for, work through their problems, make headway and steps forward—that was what she was paid to do. And that was exactly what she’d agreed to when she had taken the job with Athena. Tracking her hands down Athena’s arms, Monti laced their fingers.

“Come on. Let’s go inside.”

She helped Athena walk through the surf and back to the house. Instead of going inside, however, Athena stopped them on the deck by sitting in the lounge chairs that were there. It was close enough. Monti sat next to her, lifting Athena’s feet into her lap and massaging them. Athena moaned, tossing her head back into the chair and rolling her shoulders as her eyes fluttered shut.

“This is perfect,” Athena murmured.

Monti smiled. “Perfect isn’t real.”

“Sure it is.” Athena looked Monti directly in the eye. “Perfection is whatever we make it. If I want this to be perfect, then it’s perfect.”

“Do you try that in the courtroom?”

Athena snorted, then she giggled, no doubt in response to her unintentional reaction. “No.”

“You should.” Monti got hold of Athena’s hand and brought her fingers up to kiss her knuckles again. “I bet the judges would eat that up.”

“Oh my God.”

“What?” Monti winked. “I think it’d be sexy to see you argue in court.”

Athena laughed, the sound low in her throat. “Well, you’re welcome to come to my next open trial if you want to. Until then, you’ll have to make do with your imagination.”

“Then I’ll let my imagination go wild.” Another wink and Monti settled into the day. This was something she could handle. That feeling from before? Like everything was going to shatter around her? That she needed to run full force from, all the way back to Seattle. She just had fourteen days to survive and then she could.

twenty-six

Athena had watched the beach fastidiously since Monti had left for a run over an hour ago. The sun had set on their first day there, and Athena couldn’t be happier. She couldn’t be more satisfied. Her entire life up until that point had been filled with the tension of keeping everything hidden and under wraps, but with Monti, she had none of that.

The door snicked open, and Monti stepped inside. Her cheeks were flushed from the exercise, her hair no longer slicked back in the ponytail she’d left with. Flyaway hairs sprung out by her ears and temples, and she tried in vain to put them back before giving up and grinning at Athena.

“Good run?” Athena asked. Her stomach clenched at the sight of Monti, the curve of her lips, the way her body swayed as she walked closer.

“Best in weeks.” Monti walked straight to her, cupping her cheek and pulling her in for a deep kiss.

Athena gasped. She fell into the embrace, allowing herself to be swept away in it. She wrapped her hands around Monti’s back, her skin slick with sweat and small granules of sand that were rough against her skin. Humming, Athena parted her lips and slid her tongue against Monti’s. She’d been wanting this all day.

They’d been so close all day, talking, laughing, enjoying each other’s company. But this time, Monti didn’t pull back in a rush. Instead, she got on her knees, parting Athena’s so she could be nestled right between them. Athena moved in, trailing her fingers up and down Monti’s shoulders and back. She didn’t want to let go.

Something about this moment was so pure. Athena pulled the tight elastic holding Monti’s hair up. Her sweat-dampened hair fell around her shoulders, and immediately, Athena tangled her fingers in it. Monti was so real. She was someone who was built of hopes and dreams instead of nightmares and fears.

Sucking Monti’s lower lip into her mouth, Athena moaned. She wanted all of Monti tonight. She wanted their bodies entangled and full of pleasure. She wanted Monti inside her, against her. Athena dove in to deepen the kiss, trying to work her way through exactly how to ask that, how to tell Monti that she was wanted.

“Why don’t…” Monti said, her lips against Athena’s as she smiled “…I go upstairs and take a shower, clean up a bit, and you can choose if you want to join me or wait until I’m done.”

“That’s a tough decision.”