Chapter 266

“How did you like the new self-defense class Jayden suggested?” Victor asked as he drove us to the beach in his black pickup. We had Amy and Mr. Gray's things in the back, so they wouldn’t need to bring much with them tomorrow.

It was Victor’s idea to keep anybody watching the hospital from knowing the Grays were leaving town. Jayden was picking up Mr. Gray and then meeting Moose, Bert, Amy, and Justin at Alex’s.

The group would then travel in a van marked as a laundry service to the beach house. They should be safe there, but I wanted to ensure they had everything they needed before Victor and I returned to the city.

“It’s a good class,” I replied and ran a hand over Victor’s hard bicep. “I learned a few new moves, but the instructor wasn’t nearly as hot as you.”

Victor gave me a grin. “After we get the house ready, let’s walk on the beach and have a romantic dinner like we did the last time we were at the beach house.”

“And then?” I asked with a seductive look.

Victor’s gaze was smoldering. “Then, we will relive some other fond memories.”

“Just no boat rides,” I said, and we laughed.

The trip to the beach house was uneventful. I kept watching the traffic behind us and was reasonably sure nobody was following us.

Before leaving Victor’s apartment that morning, we made sure the truck had no tracker attached to it, and we traveled in the opposite direction from the beach before backtracking to the highway that would take us to Hallston Beach.

We arrived at the Beach House in the early afternoon. It was warm enough to make me sweat as we unloaded the pickup. After we carried the boxes into the house, we took cold drinks onto the living room deck to watch the ocean.

The sunlight sparkled off the tops of the waves and warmed my skin as I drank an icy cold sweet tea. The beach house was a magical place that both relaxed and invigorated me.

But a few seconds later, a male voice behind me made me leap to my feet. I spun around to see a strange man big enough to be Moose’s brother standing a few feet away.

I took an offensive stance, but Victor stepped in front of me before the man spoke.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you, Miss Wilson,” he said. “I’m Leo, Mr. Klein.” He shook Victor’s hand. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Daisy, this is the bodyguard I hired for Elliot and Amy,” Victor said. “Leo is a friend of Jayden’s. He’s ex-military, and he has worked in security for the last ten years.”

“Your friends will be safe with me,” Leo said.

As I looked into Leo’s hazel eyes, I saw competence, honesty, and loyalty. Amy and Mr. Gray would be fine with this man in charge of their safety.

“I believe they will be,” I said with a smile.

“I’m here to recon of the area,” Leo explained. “I don’t want any surprises when my charges get here.”

“Can I show you the house?” I asked.

“I would rather explore on my own, inside and outside the house,” Leo responded. “I’ll make mental notes as I go.”

Victor nodded. He was confident in Leo’s abilities too.

“We’ve got things to do, too,” Victor said. “Let me know if you need me for anything.”

Leo began to explore the main floor as Victor and I began to put away the Gray’s things we brought in his pickup.

After an hour, the three of us returned to the deck with a cold tea. Most of the work was done except for stocking the kitchen.

I knew what the Grays liked to eat and had given Victor a long list of groceries that I assumed we had to go to the local supermarket to buy. That was proved wrong when someone rang the doorbell.

“I’ll answer it,” Leo offered.

I heard the sounds of more boxes being brought into the house and Leo telling the delivery man that he would be staying at the beach house for an indefinite length of time.

“I’m glad he thought to tell them that,” Victor whispered. “Nobody knows who he is.”

After the delivery man left, I went to the kitchen to make sure the order was complete.

I was astonished by the amount of groceries and dry goods to be put away. But I wanted everything to be perfect for Amy and Mr. Gray when they arrived tomorrow.

Leo helped us. He said he needed to know where everything was anyhow. Between the three of us, we had the kitchen stocked and tidy before long.

“I’m going to roam around outside for a few minutes before I leave,” Leo said. “I haven’t checked the garage or the fence and gate.”

“Thanks for taking the job,” Victor said. “ I know I can count on you to keep our friends safe.”

Leo shook Victor’s hand again. “I’ll see you both in the morning. I want to be here before the van arrives.”

After Leo was gone, Victor took my hand, and we walked on the beach. A soft breeze wafted over our skin as the blue waves washed over our feet.

We didn’t speak for a long time. The moment was perfect, with only the sounds of the ocean clearing our minds.

Finally, Victor spoke. “Shall we walk down the jetty, my love?”

“Let’s,” I agreed.

As we walked out to the end of the jetty, I remembered the day Victor gifted me with the moonstone pendant in this very spot. Its powers of bravery and confidence helped me through some scary times.

I touched the pendant that I always wore and squeezed his hand. The beach reminded me how lucky I am to have Victor as my mate.

At the end of the jetty, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me in a way that told me he felt lucky to have me, too.

His lips were warm and firm, and they tasted of the salt air. I could have stood in that spot and kissed him forever.

Our romantic moment ended when we heard a small boat cruising past us, and a man and a woman called our names.

We turned to see Cathy and Arthur Hall cruising over the waves near us. They waved happily on their way to their island.

After waving to our friends, Victor and I watched until the boat shrunk into a tiny dot on the horizon.

“I’m glad they fixed their home,” I said. “They love their little house on their private island.”

“Do you want to visit them sometime?” Victor asked. We could rent a helicopter to take us.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Our luck wasn’t the greatest when we wandered away from the beach house the last time.”

My stomach growled. We hadn’t eaten since stopping for fast food on our way to the beach.

“Let's head back to the house and get ready for dinner,” Victor suggested. “I’m as hungry as you are.”

He kissed my cheek and nuzzled my neck in a way that told me he was hungry for more than food. I shivered with anticipation.

After returning to the beach house, I went upstairs to the master bath to shower and change into a comfortable cotton sheath dress and then freshen my hair and makeup.

Then I went downstairs to find Victor.

He was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. I took his arm, and he escorted me to the dining room.

“What a wonderful surprise!” I gushed as I looked over the dining room table. “I thought we would be having fast food again.”

“Not tonight.” Victor pulled out my chair and motioned for me to sit.

“You remembered all my favorites,” I said. My mouth watered as he served me several dishes from the catered dinner.

“The restaurant owners that catered this meal are related to the Halls,” Victor said as he served me steak tartare. “We can trust them not to mention us to anyone.”

After the delicious meal was eaten, Victor gave me a sensual look. “Shall we go upstairs, my love?”

“What about dessert?” I teased.

The incredible memories of the first time we made love had flooded my mind since we arrived. Every time I thought of this place, details of that evening returned in all of its erotic perfection.

Victor laughed before going to the kitchen and retrieving something in a paper bag.

“We’ll take dessert upstairs with us,” he said in his husky-sexy voice. “It’s a special dessert. I can’t wait to taste it.”

“Oh, wow,” I gasped as my body began to tingle. I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but I knew I would enjoy it.