Page 19

D ani was second guessing herself all over again.

This morning she’d stood by her decision and since Zack hadn’t been in the office, she’d headed off to his cabana to tell him. Disappointed had filled her when she discovered he wasn’t home.

After spending what seemed like every available second haunting her office, he was suddenly conspicuously absent. Had he changed his mind? Had he gotten what he wanted and left? Had he decided she was just too much trouble? Too much drama for someone as quiet and reserved as he was.

It was true, they’d been polar opposites in the past, but Dani felt she’d matured a great deal since moving to Elysium.

Or maybe life, and the events therein, had just ground her down. Either way, she wasn’t the same carefree, effusive girl she used to be. Disappointment and betrayal did that to a woman.

She had access to his phone number, of course.

It was on file since he was one of the co-owners and investors in the resort, and it was entirely possible that she’d memorized it some time ago, though she’d never admit that out loud.

And she wasn’t going to use it, because the other thing she had was pride.

She was done chasing anyone or anything which didn’t prove its merit, whether it be a man, or a job, or anything else.

If there was one thing she’d learned over the years, it was to be true to herself first. That if she didn’t believe in her own worth, then sure as hell nobody else would.

And while it might hurt at times, at least she didn’t live feeling like she was less in any way.

No matter what happened, she was good with that.

No way was she chasing a guy who didn’t show up for her. Zack knew where she was.

Dani sighed, pushing away from her desk and the pile of paperwork she'd been staring at for the last hour. Her mind was too preoccupied to focus on work. She needed a distraction, something to take her mind off Zack's sudden withdrawal and what it might mean.

Since it was almost lunch time, she grabbed her bag and headed out of her office towards the pristine shoreline of the private bay which was out of bounds to tourists because of the turtle colony that nested there.

The warm sand between her toes and the salty breeze in the air usually helped clear her head.

But today, even paradise couldn't shake the nagging doubts plaguing her thoughts.

Why did he always do this to her?

Dani's eyes instinctively scanned the resort grounds as she walked. Part of her still hoped to catch a glimpse of Zack's tall frame striding across the property. But the familiar ache of disappointment settled in her chest when she saw no sign of him.

"Get it together, girl," she muttered to herself. "You're stronger than this."

Continuing to the cove, determined to enjoy her impromptu beach break, she settled on the sand and pulled out her book so she could lose herself within the pages.

But after reading the same paragraph three times without absorbing a word, she tossed it aside and stared out at the hypnotic turquoise ocean, tracking the waves as they lapped gently against the shore.

The rhythmic sound usually soothed her, but today it only emphasized the hollow feeling in her chest.

A flutter of movement caught her eye. She turned to see a sea turtle laboriously making its way up the beach. Dani watched, transfixed, as the creature struggled against gravity and soft sand. Its determination struck a chord within her.

"At least someone knows what they want," she murmured.

The turtle's single-minded focus made Dani's own indecision feel even more pronounced. She'd spent so long building walls, protecting herself from hurt, that she'd forgotten how to let anyone in. And now that she'd finally decided to take a chance, Zack had vanished.

A vibration from her phone startled her. Heart racing, she fumbled to retrieve it from her bag. But it was just a work email, not the message she'd been hoping for. Dani let out a frustrated groan and flopped back onto the sand.

"This is ridiculous," she said aloud to the empty beach. "I'm acting like a lovesick teenager."

“Well, that makes a change,” a modulated, feminine voice commented from behind her. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten how to enjoy yourself.”

“Mia, hi,” Dani greeted her friend, happy to have someone to take her mind off her futile introspection.

“So, you want to talk about it?” Mia asked, settling herself onto the warm sand next to her.

Dani gave her the side eye. “What makes you think there’s anything to talk about?”

Mia shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. The fact you missed out on lunch with the gang. The fact you’re sitting here on the beach talking to yourself. The fact you’re not in your office, working yourself to the bone. All of which is pretty out of character. Take your pick.”

Dani sighed, absently drawing her finger through the sand. "It’s that obvious?"

"Only to those of us who know you," Mia replied gently. "So, spill. What's got you so wound up?"

For a moment, Dani considered deflecting, but the concerned look in her friend's eyes broke through her defenses. "It's Zack," she admitted reluctantly. "He came over yesterday and… explained everything. I finally decided to give him a chance, and now there’s no sign of him.”

Mia's eyebrows shot up. "Zack? As in, your ex-fuck-buddy Zack? The one who's been hanging around you like a lovesick puppy?"

"The very same," Dani confirmed, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.

"We… reconnected, then I got a little freaked out and told him I needed time, but…” Dani heaved out a sigh.

“I thought it all through and went to tell him I was ready to try again but couldn’t find him. Now I haven't seen him all day."

"Hmmm," Mia mused, her brow furrowing. "Did you try calling him?"

Dani shook her head vehemently. "No way. He didn’t officially give me his number, and I’m done chasing after men who don't appreciate me."

"Fair enough. Ahhh…" She paused and eyed Dani critically. “Can I ask - does ‘reconnecting’ mean you had sex with him?”

Dani glowered, turning her gaze back to the undulating surf. “Maybe…”

“So that’s a yes, then,” Mia surmised. “I take it he must have convinced you about the marriage thing.”

Sadie flopped back in the sand and stared up at the endless blue sky. It was so peaceful. A complete contrast of the turmoil in her mind, but it didn’t make her feel any better. Maybe talking would. God knows, she needed a second opinion. Dani fucking hated not being certain in her own thoughts.

"Yeah," Dani admitted reluctantly. "He explained everything. It’s not my story to tell, but it’s pretty damn wild." She let out a bitter laugh. "And like an idiot, I believed him."

Mia reached out and squeezed her hand. "You're not an idiot, Dani. You're human. We all want to believe the best in people, especially those we care about."

Dani turned her head to look at Mia, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But that's just it. I do care about him. I thought I was over it, over him. But seeing him again, hearing his explanation... it brought everything back, and I thought maybe there was a chance…"

"So, what are you going to do now?" Mia asked gently.

Dani shrugged, her gaze drifting back to the clear blue expanse above her. "What can I do? Surely if he wanted to be with me, he'd be… available."

"Maybe," Mia said thoughtfully. "It’s difficult to say without knowing the details, but maybe there's a reason for his absence now? I mean, I don’t know Zack well, but why would he go to all the bother of trying to win you back if he didn’t mean it?"

“To get in my pants?” Dani asked, humorlessly, pushing herself to sit again.

“Hmm… I don’t know. Seems like a lot of trouble to go to just for a quick lay. Especially when he could find someone with a lot less effort at Iniquity, if that’s all he wanted. And you did say you told him you needed time. Perhaps he’s just giving that to you.”

The truth of Mia’s words brought Dani up short. What she and Zack had shared in the privacy of her cabana was a far cry from the complexities of the intricate rope kink Zack preferred. And the resort was the perfect place to practice such a thing. He hadn’t wanted to leave, either.

However she looked at it, Dani couldn’t deny Mia had a point.

But where did that leave her?