I groaned and flipped over onto my back, staring at the ceiling. It was going to be a long night. Biting my lower lip, I slid my hand down my stomach, my fingertips toying with the lace trim of my panties. Maybe this would help me get to sleep. Raising my knees up to get more comfortable, I traced a line down my center, reveling in the silky whisper of my panties pressing against my folds. I lifted my hips to slip my underwear off when I heard a soft tapping sound.

I froze and turned toward the window, straining my ears, my hips still raised in the air. The hum of the air conditioner kicking in startled me, and I rolled my eyes at my own paranoia, my body relaxing back against the bed. I hooked my thumb under the material at my hip and tugged. The tapping sounded again, louder this time.

Definitely coming from my window.

Easing from under my covers, I grabbed the metal baseball bat I kept under the bed and moved closer to the window. Carefully lifting one of the slats of the wooden blinds up, I peered out onto the front porch, squinting into the faint light emitted from the streetlight. A large, shadowy shape was just visible, and I jumped back, shoving my fist into my mouth to smother my shriek.

“I know you’re awake in there. Might as well come out and talk to me.” West’s voice floated to me from the other side of the window.

I sagged in relief and twisted the blinds so I could see out. West lounged against the wall, one leg bent at the knee with his foot against the house. I opened my window a couple of inches.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed.

He shrugged, the muscles in his arm contracting with the movement. “Couldn’t sleep. Thought you might want to go for a walk.”

I looked back at my clock. “At midnight-thirty?”

“Midnight-thirty?” he repeated, amused.

“Twelve-thirty. Whatever. It’s late!”

“So?”

“So…” I sputtered, unable to come up with a good response.

“The beach is deserted and beautiful this time of night. Come walk with me.”

“I thought we had a date for Saturday?”

He laughed. “Does that mean you’re off-limits until then?”

I opened my mouth and then closed it again. Well, no, not exactly. I let the silence drag out for a long minute before a grin teased the corner of my mouth. “Give me a minute to change.”

Closing the blinds again, I quickly added gym shorts, a bra, and a lightweight, long sleeved Vanderbilt shirt to the tank and panties ensemble I had been sleeping in. Stepping into a pair of flip flops, I slipped out the front door and closed it behind me.

West was still dressed in the same clothes he wore earlier — jeans and a tee. I walked over to him, hands on my hips. “How’d you know I would still be awake?” I cocked my head to one side and regarded him.

He smiled. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I hoped the feeling would be mutual.”

“I was asleep until you knocked and woke me up,” I lied, unwilling to feed his ego.

“No, you weren’t. I could hear you moving around from out here.” He raised his eyebrows, daring me to lie again.

I was glad the streetlight didn’t provide much illumination so he couldn’t see the blush staining my cheeks. Dear God, he could hear me getting ready to get myself off? Thank goodness I hadn’t been five minutes further into it.

Ignoring his comment, I started down the steps. “Where are we going?”

He followed me and pointed to his beat-up truck parked on the street. I hadn’t even heard his engine when he’d pulled up. “Back by my house. The beach is perfect right now.”

“I didn’t hear your truck,” I said as I hopped in the passenger side.

He climbed in and looked at me, the dome light between us lighting up his face. He held the steering wheel with his hand but made no move to start the car. His thumb tapped against the steering wheel and turned back toward the windshield. “I’ve been out here awhile,” he admitted.

“Creeper, much?”

His cheeks reddened, and seeing him embarrassed made my lips stretch into a huge smile. He faced me again and pinned me with a more serious look than I was expecting. My smile faded. He reached his hand out and captured a lock of my hair, running his fingers down it until his hand dropped back to his lap. “There’s just something about you,” he said. His lips lifted and then he started the truck, and the moment was broken.

We didn’t speak on the ride back to his place. Once he parked between the stilts holding his and Wyatt’s house up, he came around to my side and opened my door, taking my hand and helping me down.

Without releasing my hand, he tugged me around the house and stopped by the stairs leading to the small deck off his room. I narrowed my eyes at him. “I didn’t come over here to—”

Squatting, he tugged my flip flops off before kicking off his own shoes and continuing to walk down to the beach. “To what?” he called back over his shoulder.

Biting back a sharp retort, I shook my head and trailed after him. When I started walking along the hard, packed sand midway between the foamy licks of the ocean and the soft, sinking sand near the dunes, he snagged my hand again, redirecting me closer to the water. I resisted, trying to maintain my current path. He was undeterred, his grip solid, and I had no choice but to follow him, losing our silent battle of wills.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I told you, we’re going to get you over this fear of yours. Starting with a walk in ankle-deep water. Ankle deep, Sadie. You can handle it.”

I tried to free my hand from his grasp. It didn’t work. “I can’t see though. It’s dark. What if there’s something there?”

“What if there is?”

“You’re wearing jeans,” I pointed out, trying a different tactic.

“And they can get wet.”

I looked at him helplessly, and he stared back at me, a mischievous grin softening his features. He pulled me closer to where the waves began lapping at our feet as they rushed up to reclaim the beach for themselves. I squealed and jumped when a larger wave splashed over my ankles.

West laughed and kept walking, keeping my hand tight in his. “You’re enjoying this too much,” I said, grumbling.

“Walking in the moonlight on an empty beach with a beautiful girl? Yeah, I am.”

His words melted my lingering resistance. I probably would have followed him anywhere at that moment.

He started rubbing his thumb against the sensitive skin above my wrist as we walked, and I didn’t even notice the tickle of the waves against my ankles for several minutes.

I didn’t notice much of anything except for the nerve endings prickling up and down my arm in response to his slow caresses.

I relaxed by degrees, listening to the soft slurping sound of the wet sand trying to trap our feet with every step and the lullaby of the waves rushing up the shore and then retreating. My arm rubbed against West’s as we meandered up the beach. The silence between us felt comfortable, and my mind wasn’t racing with ways to fill it. I let the calm seep through me. Trusting West to lead me, I tilted my head back to gaze up at the stars. You could see so many from here, away from the city lights.

It was beautiful.

When I looked over at West, his eyes were locked on the curve of my neck, and I stumbled. His

hand tightened around mine until I regained my footing. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I got you.”

I bit my lip. I liked the sound of that far too much.

Six steps later, my foot landed on something slimy. I squealed and started hopping on my tiptoes, whimpering.

West raised his eyebrows and continued his steady pace up the beach, pulling me with him. “You gonna live over there?”

My fear mixed with irritation. Who knew what my foot had come in contact with? I turned back to investigate, but West just kept tugging me forward.

“You’re fine. Get over it. Keep walking.” I could hear the laughter in his voice, and I glared at him.

I kept up with him, but now I was on hyperalert, trying to peer through the sudsy water in the dark at the sand where my feet were about to step each time.

West jiggled my arm. “Stop that. Just walk.”

“But what if—?”

“What if what? You step on something? Then you step on something.”

“But what if it… hurts me?” My voice cracked on the last words, and I realized how stupid I sounded, but I couldn’t help it.

“Then I’ll save you from whatever evil ocean crap might wash up on the exact speck of beach you plant your perfect, dainty foot on.”

“It’s not funny.” I half-whimpered, half-laughed.

“Yeah.” He glanced at me. “It kinda is.”

Just then my other foot landed on something decidedly squishy. Slimy was one thing, but squishy? Oh, hell no.

I squeaked and ran a few steps like a chicken on a hot plate until our arms were stretched to their max between us and then I stopped, yanking my hand from his. “I think that’s enough for tonight.” Yeah, I was trembling like a baby, but I was done.

West stopped next to me, nonplussed. “So, now what? You just going to stand here all night? The tide’s coming in.”

I started to hightail it higher up the beach, but West caught me by the wrist before I could get more than three steps away. Sighing, he said. “Are you really that scared?”

Hot, embarrassed tears pricked the backs of my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of West. Willpower alone held them back as I nodded.

Turning his back to me, he faced the water, his shoulders drooping with resignation. “Well, I promised.” He crouched down and patted the top of his back. “Come on.”