He ran his hand down her bare back. “So now you’ve got your confidence back, I suppose you’re going to go back to your room.”

“This is my room.”

“Ah. Right. Good.”

“And I always think confidence is a funny thing—” She slid her hand lower and heard his sharp intake of breath. “It’s fragile. I probably still have a way to go. I might want to use you for a bit longer. Your teeth are clenched. Are you okay?”

He grunted and then rolled her on her back and covered her with his body. “I have a proposal.”

“No proposal. One divorce is enough.”

“Not that kind of proposal. The kind that involves you gaining your confidence in various places along the Pacific Coast.”

She kissed her way down his chest. “What exactly are you suggesting?”

“If you want me to give you a coherent answer, you’re going to have to stop what you’re doing for a few moments.”

She lifted her head but left her hand where it was. “I’m distracting you?”

“Maybe a little.” He spoke through his teeth and she smiled.

“This is fun.”

“For you. For me it’s an exercise in self-control and sexual frustration. When we’ve delivered Kathleen and found out what she wants to do, I thought we could take a drive down Highway One. I’ll show you California. The Big Sur. Monterey. Cliffs. Redwood forest.”

Her heart flew. She felt as if she’d won the lottery. “Don’t you have to get back to work?”

“I should. And if you say no, it’s true that I’ll probably revert to my old workaholic ways.”

“That’s blackmail.”

“It’s negotiation.”

“And what excuse will you give to your boss for not going back?”

“I’ll tell him I met a girl...” He scooped her up so that she was lying on top of him, and smoothed his hands down her back. “So what do you say? Do you have to get back?”

To what? She needed to make a plan, but that could wait. It could all wait.

“Well, I feel a certain responsibility for making sure you don’t slip back into your old, serious ways—so yes.”

“You’re sure?”

“Totally.”

She’d never been more certain of a decision in her life.

22

LIZA

Sean sprinted across the sand to Liza, dripping with water from a final early morning swim. “Invigorating.” Shivering, he reached for a towel. “Despite all the exciting things that lie ahead, I confess I don’t want to leave. I’d forgotten how much I love it here. When we come we don’t use the time for relaxation. It’s always about doing jobs.”

Liza felt a twinge of guilt. “That’s my fault. I always prioritize other things over having fun. That’s going to change, I promise. Fun is going to be at the top from now on.”