He recalled the times he’d made love to her from behind and how much they’d enjoyed it. On weekends, when he could send for her to meet him halfway between her college and his military base, he would always arrive at the hotel first and they would spend an entire weekend together in bed.

Kaegan knew he should have suspected something was up when she began canceling some of their romantic weekends, saying she was getting behind in her studies. He’d believed her and had begun feeling guilty that he was interfering with her schoolwork. He’d never suspected the real reason was because she was betraying him with another guy.

“Everything’s all here,” she said, straightening up and signing the invoice.

“Fine.” He took the paper from her, being careful not to touch her hand in the process. “Let Vashti know the delivery was made and on time.”

He headed toward the freezer and began unloading the boxes. She didn’t say anything, but he could feel her standing there and staring at him. The same way he’d stared at her. The heat of her gaze was all over him—he could feel it. He started to say something about her standing there and watching him when the doorbell sounded.

“That’s probably the Braziers. They’re the last couple Vashti expected to check in before noon.”

He wondered why she was telling him that. Why was she still there at all? He didn’t get a chance to ask her before the sound of her heels clicking on the tile floor told him she’d left.

With her departure, he drew in a deep breath, inhaling her lingering scent. He liked it, even though he wished he didn’t.

Trying to put Bryce, her scent and how good she’d looked out of his mind, he continued to stock the boxes in the freezer. But he still thought about her and couldn’t understand why he was doing so. He tried to remember the last time he’d taken a woman on a date.

A number of the women in the cove were aware he and Bryce had been sweethearts in high school and had even talked about marriage once she completed college. Many figured it would just be a matter of time before they got back together. Those women didn’t know how wrong that assumption was, but he was willing to let them think whatever they liked. He dated when he got the urge, and usually when he did there was a woman to take off the edge.

As he was finishing up, he heard the voices belonging to Bryce and two others, and decided he wanted to be gone if Bryce returned. Seeing her twice in one day was enough for him. Nearly too much. He quickly finished what he was doing and left.

* * *

“THANKS FOR HELPING out today. Anything interesting happen?”

Bryce glanced at Vashti. Had her friend known Kaegan would be making those deliveries and hadn’t told her? She would admit that Kaegan seemed as surprised to see her as she’d been at seeing him. “Anything interesting like what?”