Rafe stays by my side for the rest of the night. He's always touching me, sometimes in small ways - a light brush of his finger down my arm, or a quick sweep of my hair behind my ear - and sometimes in more possessive ways. He likes to keep his hand on my lower back, his fingers spread and his palm pressed firmly against my spine, and I find I like that, too. More than once I find myself wishing I was wearing the same dress I had on the other night, where my back was almost completely exposed, so I could feel his skin right against mine.No one comments on our sudden intimacy - not even Rafe's parents - though I catch Ashlyn watching me carefully all night. I notice a few curious glances from Orlando, too, but he doesn't say anything to me. At one point, when I sneak away to actually use the bathroom, I return to find Orlando and Rafe deep in conversation, but Orlando walks away before I return to Rafe's side.I want to hear more stories about Rafe's childhood from his family. But Ra

Even though I'm still exhausted, I'm wide awake now. I know I won't be able to sleep until I answer some of the questions I have.Unfortunately, I have no idea how to answer any of my questions about the mysterious man I saw at the party. Without a name or any other identifying information, it's impossible to research him. Instead, I start with a simple search for "Raphael Fontaine." It pulls up some things I know and some things I don't. It also brings me to his official website. Curious, I click on the link.And instantly wish I hadn't, because it just makes me heartsick with longing.The main page of his website features a number of professional photos of him, each one more stunning than the last. One of them shows off his muscled chest to perfection. The next showcases his strong, hard jawline, with that exquisite dusting of stubble. The next shows him flexing his arms, and even the artful tattoos up and down his biceps don't distract from the well-formed muscles.Finally, ther

Sometime later, Rafe pulls into the parking lot of a fancy-looking building right on the beach. My eyes skim right past the shiny sign - apparently this is the Silver Heron Club - to the view beyond."The Club owns this stretch of beach," Rafe says. "Only members have access to it, and we should have the beach to ourselves at this hour."I don't answer. I'm too busy grinning at the expanse of ocean in front of us. The sight of it still fills me with unbridled joy. And it looks absolutely glorious today under the morning sun - I see a million shades of blue and green, plus silver and gold where the light hits the water. Waves create an endless rippling pattern across the surface, stretching as far as I can see. I always imagined the ocean as a large, flat body of water, but in reality it's alive - alive and in constant motion, swelling and shivering, reflecting the sunlight back in a thousand ways, changing every minute.Isn't it marvelous, sweet one?"Edie?"His voice makes me jum

The sketchy guy looks as shifty now as he did before. Maybe the way he keeps looking up and down the beach, or the way he fidgets as he walks, curling and uncurling his fingers and rolling his shoulders forward and back. He looks nervous.Didn't Rafe say this stretch of beach was for members only? He's not exactly dressed like someone who'd be a member of some fancy private beach club for celebrities - like last time, his clothes are worn and nondescript - but then again, I probably shouldn't judge a book by its cover.When I twist back around, Rafe is still staring at the man. And looking angrier by the second."Who is that?" I ask. "Do you know him?""I'll be right back." He starts off across the sand toward the boardwalk.That didn't answer my question. Part of me is tempted to run after him, but I know this is none of my business, whatever it is.The man stops at the end of the boardwalk, waiting for Rafe. I think he looks past Rafe at me, but he doesn't acknowledge me in any

It's not until a little while later, when they've told me I'm being discharged and I'm changing back into my normal clothes behind a curtain, that I feel the need to say anything. Maybe because, for the moment anyway, I can't see his face. I can hear him pacing - he hasn't stopped fidgeting since the ultrasound.My clothes are stiff from the ocean. I pull my dress back down my body, exhaling. "What happens now?"On the other side of the curtain, the pacing stops. He's silent for so long that for a brief, terrifying moment, I'm afraid he's walked right out of the room without my noticing.Suddenly, the curtain is pushed aside. I'm fully dressed, but I still jump. Rafe looks me up and down once, his expression still blank, and I can't decide if he's waiting for me to speak."We go home," he says finally, and I remember that I asked him a question. "Now, we go home."Rafe slides his arm around my waist, placing his hand in the position it seems to like most, nestled against the small