Part 28 (1/2)

Blake groaned and rolled his eyes. I laughed and nuzzled into his shoulder, bashful and entirely too wound up to be presentable.

”I need a minute,” I whispered.

”No kidding. I'm so hard it hurts.”

”Mmm, I know the cure for that.” I slid up against him, his erection straining against his jeans at my hip.

”You're seriously not helping. I can't have her catch us out here.”

I took a breath and a reluctant step back. The ocean waves crashed closer to the retaining wall as the tide came in. Alli and Heath walked hand in hand back toward the house. I was so happy that she was coming back. We could do this more often, all of us together. Maybe.

”Where did you two wander off to?” Catherine asked when we got back to the house.

”They were making out in the gazebo,” Heath blurted.

Blake punched him in the shoulder. Heath retaliated until they were laughing and grappling on the floor of the deck like wild animals.

”Boys! Boys! My lord, seriously. Greg, come control these boys!” Catherine flushed, a mix of laughter and embarra.s.sment flas.h.i.+ng across her features.

Alli, Fiona, and I were doubled over with laughter as the two continued their wrestling match a safer distance from where we sat. Greg emerged with a giant pot of water and dumped it on them.

They cursed and finally separated. When Blake returned, he had a silly grin on his face. He leaned in to give me a hug, making his best effort to get me wet too.

”Blake, stop it,” I giggled.

”Just trying to share the wealth.”

My phone rang. I pushed him away playfully and fished it out of my purse. I froze. It was Daniel. I looked around, half expecting to see Connor, but we were completely secluded. He was probably calling to b.i.t.c.h at me about the interview, but it was the last thing I wanted to think about.

I ignored the call and tried to think about how I was going to handle this s.h.i.+ft between Blake and me. We were falling hard and fast into our old ways, the normal rhythm of our relations.h.i.+p. I was at his parents' house, for heaven's sake, having a great night with his amazing family. This was way too far outside the scope of acceptable behavior according to Daniel.

He called again, and I turned my phone off. I didn't care. I had so much love around me right now. Between Blake and me, Heath and Alli, among his warm and caring family, how could I let Daniel's evil penetrate something that felt so right, so good? I pushed him out of my mind, unwilling to let him ruin the best day I'd had since I said goodbye to Blake. I didn't want to think about that part of my life, at least not yet.

We spent the rest of the evening talking and listening to Blake's family tell embarra.s.sing stories about each other. We laughed and drank and enjoyed the beautiful night. Blake never left my side, holding my hand on his lap possessively, as if he were afraid to let me go even for a second. I didn't mind, because I felt the same way.

A little tipsy, I said my goodbyes to everyone. Alli, Fiona, and I proclaimed that we loved each other no less than a dozen times. Heath bore witness, affirming the statement with us each time in his ever-patient sobriety. Catherine held me in a firm hug that seemed to last forever. I hugged her back. Hugs were good. Blake finally coaxed us apart. We stepped outside, and I stumbled a bit toward the car.

We got in and I snuggled up to Blake, kissing his neck and biting his earlobe. ”I want you.”

”You're drunk, but I will absolutely take advantage of you. These are extenuating circ.u.mstances.”

I giggled. ”Good. You should pull over somewhere and do me in the car.”

”Wow, baby. Keep talking like that and I just might. First, let's put your seat belt on, okay?” Blake pulled out of the drive. ”Then take your panties off.”

I smirked and slid them down my legs, giddy for whatever plan Blake was cooking up.

I looked up from my seat belt endeavors just in time to notice a black sedan parked across the street. I twisted in my seat. The lights turned on and the car began to follow as we meandered back toward the main roads. My gaze fixed on the side view mirror. I blinked and tried to shake the buzz. I wasn't imagining this. The car kept following us, a safe distance behind.

”You okay? You haven't been this quiet all night.”

My heart raced as the cold reality of the situation became clear. My indiscretions with Blake were officially on the radar. Between that and trying to manipulate my way through the interview, Daniel would be furious. I powered on my phone. Daniel had called twice more, never leaving a voice mail.

The complacency I'd felt earlier had expired. All my fears could be realized, all because I couldn't stay away. I panicked, my body shaking uncontrollably. Everything was cras.h.i.+ng down now.

”What's wrong? Do you want me to pull over?”

”No!” I shouted. ”Drive, let's get out of here.” Heaven help me, what have I done?

Blake's hand tightened over the steering wheel and he reached over to hold my hand in his other. ”Okay, here's the deal. You need to talk to me right now, or I'm heading back to the house.” He stopped at a stop sign.

”Just drive. It's not safe. They're following us. Go!” This would be the worst buzz kill ever, especially if we ended up dead.

He frowned and kept going. He checked his mirrors.

”Who exactly is following us?”

I shook my head, hugging my arms tightly around my body, as if I'd fall apart completely if I let go.

”Erica, for f.u.c.k's sake! Who?”

”Daniel.” My voice was a whisper. ”They've been watching us.”

Blake stared ahead onto the road, his expression unreadable. His speed picked up as we hit the highway. We were going well over the speed limit, zipping down side streets until we hit ours. He parked and helped me out.

Somehow we'd managed to lose Connor. Either that, or he'd simply decided to stop tailing us. Not that it really mattered now anyway. He knew I'd been with Blake.

We stepped into Blake's apartment, and he planted me on the couch and brought me water. My body had calmed down a little, but I was filled with an empty kind of despair-that dark unknown that I'd envisioned so many times if Daniel changed his mind about sparing us. I said us, because if anything happened to Blake, I wasn't sure I'd be able to go on.

While I drank, Blake made a call from the kitchen. His voice was low and the call was brief. He returned and sat across from me on the table, stroking my thigh.

”Can we talk about this now?” His voice was gentler.

I didn't know what else I had to lose by telling him. He deserved the right to protect himself now that I'd brought Daniel's focus back to him.

”Daniel killed Mark,” I said.

His expression didn't change. ”I put that one together myself, Erica.”

”You threatened him, and it burns him that you did. He's not going to let it go.” I bit my lip, staving off the tears that threatened.

”I'm not worried about Daniel.”

”Well you should be. He's going to kill you, Blake! He said I had to end it completely with you or he was going to aremove you from the equation permanently.' Now he knows, and... This is so bad. You don't understand.”

”So this is why.” His stare was penetrating, piercing my soul.

I swallowed and nodded silently.

”Why didn't you tell me?”