recalling how much of an ass he had been to her earlier that morning, and how beautiful she was when she gazed off into the distance, deep in thought, thinking no one was looking. But he was. There was a spark about her. And that’s what he was attracted to. Her spirit. Her wit. Her mouth. God, her mouth…
Every time he closed his eyes, her brilliant eyes flashed through his mind, the blue unlike any he had ever seen. He felt a warmth spread through his entire body at the simple thought of being in her presence.
But there was something else about her, too. She was a mystery…a mystery of which he wanted to get to the bottom. He couldn’t believe his luck when she finally told him her real name, but was what she said true? Could her life be in danger if anyone found out who she was or that she was living in that house? Based on her behavior, he had a feeling it was. He wanted to know why she was running. What happened in her past to damage her so badly that she cowered in fear of anyone touching her?
He wanted to go back over there to talk to her. To assure her that he would help her. To let her know that she would be safe. But she said she wanted to be alone and to stay away from her. Could that be true? From the looks of it, she had been alone for a long time.
Cam couldn’t take it anymore. If he couldn’t go talk to her, he needed someone he could talk to. Walking briskly out of his Victorian-style house just a few blocks from the downtown Fernandina Beach section of Amelia Island, he hopped in his Lexus and drove to Benny’s place on the south side of the island, hoping that Elsie was home from work. While he enjoyed Benny’s company, he really wanted to talk to his girlfriend to get her take on the mysterious woman who seemed to have captivated him almost instantly.
“Cam!” Elsie said upon opening the door and seeing him standing in the hallway. “Everything okay?” she asked, noticing the frantic look in his eyes.
He took a deep breath. “I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to talk to you.” He pushed past her into the ocean-front penthouse condo.
“Ya know, Benny and I could have been getting it on,” she joked sarcastically, following Cam down the short corridor leading to the spacious living area.
“Were you?” he asked, glancing around the penthouse for any trace of Benny.
“Actually, he’s not home from work yet.” She walked into the gourmet kitchen and opened the wine chiller. “Wine?” she asked, observing Cam’s demeanor as he paced in front of the large floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. The ocean ten stories below was turning a pinkish hue from the sun setting behind the tall condo building.
He immediately stopped. “Yes. I need something tonight.”
“I figured as much. You almost look like you’ve seen a ghost. But not quite,” she observed, pouring two glasses of Pinot Noir.
“You’d make a great therapist, ya know that, Else?”
She laughed, walking around the kitchen island toward Cam and handing him the glass of wine. “I’m a bartender. I’m everyone’s favorite therapist.” She sat down on the luxurious oversized leather couch and indicated for Cam to have a seat, as well. “So, tell me about Tomorrow.”
Exhaling loudly, his gaze met Elsie’s. “She told me her real name.”
“Seriously?”
He nodded slowly, taking a sip of his wine. “There’s something about her, Else. Yes, at first I wanted to strangle that boyfriend of yours for bringing a girl that looked just like her back into my life. But the few times I’ve spoken with her today, they are nothing alike. Now, when I look at her, I don’t even see Olivia anymore.”
His voice had a dream-like quality to it and Elsie couldn’t help but smile in response. “You like her, don’t you?”
“I do, but there’s something about her. She’s mysterious and I want to figure out what she’s running from.”
Elsie sighed, the entire situation feeling like the past was about to
Every time he closed his eyes, her brilliant eyes flashed through his mind, the blue unlike any he had ever seen. He felt a warmth spread through his entire body at the simple thought of being in her presence.
But there was something else about her, too. She was a mystery…a mystery of which he wanted to get to the bottom. He couldn’t believe his luck when she finally told him her real name, but was what she said true? Could her life be in danger if anyone found out who she was or that she was living in that house? Based on her behavior, he had a feeling it was. He wanted to know why she was running. What happened in her past to damage her so badly that she cowered in fear of anyone touching her?
He wanted to go back over there to talk to her. To assure her that he would help her. To let her know that she would be safe. But she said she wanted to be alone and to stay away from her. Could that be true? From the looks of it, she had been alone for a long time.
Cam couldn’t take it anymore. If he couldn’t go talk to her, he needed someone he could talk to. Walking briskly out of his Victorian-style house just a few blocks from the downtown Fernandina Beach section of Amelia Island, he hopped in his Lexus and drove to Benny’s place on the south side of the island, hoping that Elsie was home from work. While he enjoyed Benny’s company, he really wanted to talk to his girlfriend to get her take on the mysterious woman who seemed to have captivated him almost instantly.
“Cam!” Elsie said upon opening the door and seeing him standing in the hallway. “Everything okay?” she asked, noticing the frantic look in his eyes.
He took a deep breath. “I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to talk to you.” He pushed past her into the ocean-front penthouse condo.
“Ya know, Benny and I could have been getting it on,” she joked sarcastically, following Cam down the short corridor leading to the spacious living area.
“Were you?” he asked, glancing around the penthouse for any trace of Benny.
“Actually, he’s not home from work yet.” She walked into the gourmet kitchen and opened the wine chiller. “Wine?” she asked, observing Cam’s demeanor as he paced in front of the large floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. The ocean ten stories below was turning a pinkish hue from the sun setting behind the tall condo building.
He immediately stopped. “Yes. I need something tonight.”
“I figured as much. You almost look like you’ve seen a ghost. But not quite,” she observed, pouring two glasses of Pinot Noir.
“You’d make a great therapist, ya know that, Else?”
She laughed, walking around the kitchen island toward Cam and handing him the glass of wine. “I’m a bartender. I’m everyone’s favorite therapist.” She sat down on the luxurious oversized leather couch and indicated for Cam to have a seat, as well. “So, tell me about Tomorrow.”
Exhaling loudly, his gaze met Elsie’s. “She told me her real name.”
“Seriously?”
He nodded slowly, taking a sip of his wine. “There’s something about her, Else. Yes, at first I wanted to strangle that boyfriend of yours for bringing a girl that looked just like her back into my life. But the few times I’ve spoken with her today, they are nothing alike. Now, when I look at her, I don’t even see Olivia anymore.”
His voice had a dream-like quality to it and Elsie couldn’t help but smile in response. “You like her, don’t you?”
“I do, but there’s something about her. She’s mysterious and I want to figure out what she’s running from.”
Elsie sighed, the entire situation feeling like the past was about to
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