The worst one felt like this moment. It was the one that haunted me the most.
It always started the same way with a trip to the beach. A beach house I used to go to with Parker. The dream never detoured. It started when I pulled my duffle bag from the trunk and jogged up the stairs of the house. There was a note wedged into the screen door. I read the scrawling handwriting and smiled.
It’s open.
She signed it with a X. I tucked the note in my pocket and opened the door.
“Kennedy?” I called for her. I walked into the kitchen. There was music playing. I spotted a bottle of Pichon on the countertop and two glasses already poured.
“Kennedy? I made it. Sorry I’m a little late.” I took a sip of one glass and carried it with me while I explored the house she had chosen for our getaway. The door to the balcony was cracked. I could hear the waves rolling on the shore. In the distance there was a boat engine humming. The curtains rustled in the breeze. The sun was a deep amber hue. I strolled into the next room. With every step I began to relax a little more. Sink into the weekend ahead of us. We’d savor every second together. We always did. It was what made us so great together. Neither of us took time for granted.
The master bedroom was swallowed up by a huge king-sized bed. There were white sheets and at least ten pillows across the headboard. God damn, that bed was going to get a lot of use this weekend.
“Kennedy?” Why was she being so elusive? We didn’t have to play games any longer.
I glanced across the room. Steam billowed from the bathroom. I grinned. Finally, I’d found my girl.
I pulled the door open. She was wrapped in a towel. Her skin glistened from the shower water. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip when she saw me. Holy hell, how did I get so fucking lucky?
“Hi.” The steam swirled around her. I knew how warm her skin would be before I touched it. She loved hot showers.
I let go of the duffle bag. It hit the floor with a thud. I deposited the glass of wine by the sink. Her lips looked edible. Fucking kissable.
“Hello.”
Her fingers drifted toward the top edge of the towel. I saw the mischievous look on her face. She tugged gently on the tuck she had made against her chest. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
The towel dropped to the floor.
I admired her curves. The deep tan lines painted on her body from hours in the sun. Those unforgettable long legs.
Our eyes met. I moved toward her, brushing strands of wet hair from her cheek. She reached for my neck, digging her fingers into my skin. The pressure of her nails drew a growl from my throat. I cupped her jaw ready to take her right then and there. I wanted her mouth first before I devoured the rest of her body.
“What took you so long?” she whispered.
“Traffic,” I answered. “Traffic and weather.” I winked.
“So easily distracted,” she purred, tipping upward on her toes to reach me. Her wet body slid into place. I traced the small of her back with my palm, gripping a handful of ass with its decent along her body.
Our breath collided as I leaned in for a kiss. The kind that would blister and sear her lips into mine. The wine was heavy on my tongue. The soft scents from the shower clung to her skin.
“Kennedy?” A wave of confusion hit me. Hard.
My hands felt numb. I wiggled my fingers. Why couldn’t I feel her?
I squeezed and balled my fists, but my hands were empty. The bathroom was cold as if the steam had never existed. I swung open the door to the bedroom, but the bed had been replaced by a piano. The chill spread over my arms as I stepped toward it. There was note folded on the music easel. The keys were chipped and dirty.
“This is a bad joke, babe.” I tried to sound light-hearted as I opened the paper. “I’m not really in the mood for hide-n-seek.” There were no words on the page. It was blank. “Kennedy?” I spun around the room, searching for the door to the outside. The balcony with the gorgeous view of the sunset. But when I opened it, it was raining. Thunder crackled overhead.
I passed through and slammed my hands on the railing. There was storm raging on the ocean. I peered over the boardwalk and made out the silhouette of a sailboat. Damn it. Was she on the ship? If I could run to the small strip of beach, I could catch her in time. Why she chose now to sail I didn’t know, but I had to pull her back. I had to get her off the sailboat. I defied heroics and leapt over the second story deck. There was a loud crunch and excruciating pain that sprung from my ankle to my knee. I doubled over, grabbing the side of my foot.
Then I awakened. My eyes would blink open. I would gasp for air. That damn dream would stay with me until it haunted me again.
I shook my head. That was a dream. I had to face what was in front of me now.
How was I going to get her back? Where did I start in a city this size? Which enemy did I go after first?
I didn’t want to do it. But what choice did I have?