Page 58 of The Sandbar saga

Chapter 21

Katie was on a downwardspiral since the night six months ago when he'd put a stop to her acting on her feelings toward him. Race slipped his arms into a Henley shirt and pulled up the sleeves, yawning again. He'd stayed up until three o'clock in the morning, waiting for her to come home.

Sitting on the bed, he put on his shoes. He had no idea where she'd gone or who she was with for all those hours. It had taken everything out of him to stay in the bedroom and not demand to know what the hell was going on with her.

His lack of sleep played havoc on his mind.

She refused to answer any questions regarding her feelings. Yet, they could sit and talk about her adventures in real estate school—which she passed her licensing exam and was now helping her clients sell and buy within Clatsop County, the news going around Sherwood Community on which neighbors updated their porch or parked a motorhome in their driveway, and what she wanted to have for dinner as if they were the best of friends and nothing had happened between them.

He'd kept a professional distance, and yet, she was miserable.

He walked into the bathroom, slapped cologne on his jaw, and ran his hands through his hair. Barely looking sane, he'd need to make an appointment to have his hair cut before his patients started questioning his ability to help them while his life was falling apart.

Putting his phone in his pocket, he walked out of the room and almost ran into Katie. Her soft squeak of surprise put more tension throughout him.

She wore a bikini. Her skin oiled and gleaming as if to make sure he noticed.

He had.

Sniffing, she grabbed onto his forearms and propelled herself to her toes and put her face against the front of his neck. "God, you smell good."

His cock hardened. The echo of drums played in his ears before he realized his blood pulsed with the need to have her in his arms.

She inhaled deeply before dropping back on her heels. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere." His gaze dropped to her breasts. "Are you going swimming?"

"Just laying by the pool for an hour before I have to meet a client and show them a building down by the wharf."

"Which one?"

She walked ahead of him to the kitchen. "Mm, it used to be Joe's Crab Shack. It's in that little plaza where the road splits in two."

Her ass, only covered by a thin strip of material, swayed with each step. He rubbed his chest. It was hard to breathe, looking at his view.

Everything about her life appeared to be on an upswing if he didn't know her. He did know her. He knew her better than he knew himself.

In the short time she'd hung up her real estate license, she'd sold three houses. He couldn't be prouder of her. She kept the line between her career and personal life separate. Something he was failing to do lately.

She grabbed a towel off the counter and walked toward the sliding glass doors. He poured coffee into a mug, picked up his sunglasses, and followed her.

Taking the lounger next to her, he sat sideways, preferring to face her.

Katie leaned back, closed her eyes, and propped one leg up. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, making her breasts strain against the material of her bikini top.

He put his sunglasses on and cradled his mug with both hands. "Are you staying home tonight?"

"Hm..." She caressed her flat stomach. "I don't know yet."

It was odd that she stopped going out with the two women who worked at the realtor's office and instead preferred to hang out with that Pete guy and his buddies who hung out behind the bar on the deck over the water downtown. It was how she handled being underaged and still able to hang around legal adults who drank.

He'd thought stopping her parties at the house would discourage the boys from hanging around her, but all he'd done was force her to find another place to hang out.

"Are you going out?" She kept her eyes closed.

"Maybe." He had no plans, but he needed to keep himself busy. There were a few people he knew, including Sharon, who'd turned into more of a convenience when he wanted sex than anything else, who was going over to Long Beach later. Getting away and relaxing could help him get some much-needed sleep tonight.

She looked at him. "Don't."