In the Dead of the Night by Terry Spear Read Free Book Online Page A

“Noth…nothing.”
    Dale headed for the kitchen.
    She wrung her hands, not even noticing until Allan separated them and held them in his own.
    “You seemed to remember something.”
    “The air conditioner came on. That’s all. It just made me feel funny all of a sudden.”
    Dale crossed the living room and handed her a glass of water.
    “Thanks.” She sipped it while the two men watched her. She took a deep breath. “I don’t know. It was…it was nothing.”
    Allan patted her leg. “I think you need to return to bed. You turned as white as the sand on the beach. I thought you were going to pass out.”
    “No.” She handed her glass to Dale. “Thanks, Dale.” She grabbed Allan’s shoulder and helped herself up. “I want to see the ocean. I hate the thought that I’ve only seen the water in photos and never…well, I mean I don’t remember seeing them in real life.”
    “Jenny, really… ”
    She strode toward the door, biting her lip. She wasn’t letting any mugger stop her from enjoying her honeymoon.
    Allan scooped up their towels and reached for her hand. She slipped her fingers through his and smiled. He turned back to Dale. “We’ll be at the beach for a short while.”
    “Got you.” Dale pulled his cell phone off his belt and punched buttons.
    With his arm protectively around Jenny’s waist, Allan led her out of the condo down a carpeted hallway where pictures of sailboats skimming across the aqua ocean hung on display. The hall ended in a flight of stairs. When they reached the bottom of the three-story building, he pushed the door open with a squeak.
    She squ inted in the brilliant sunshine reflecting off the snow-white sand beach. They stepped outside of the air conditioned building, and she breathed in the fresh, warm sea air.
    “I guess it was your terrific idea to come here.” She sighed deeply as they walked along the sidewalk to the beach. Hibiscus crouched at the feet of towering royal palms, their green fan-like fronds, shading the walkway. “It’s just lovely.”
    She squeezed his hand when she spied a sailboat, its colorful striped blue and green sails full of the wind as it scooted along the top of the water.
    They trudged through the hot white sand, the granules feeling like powdered sugar it was so soft.
    He hadn’t said a word in response to her comment, and she glanced at him. He seemed deep in thought, his forehead creased. Was he worried about her condition still? Or that someone would attack her again? She loved how concerned he seemed for her welfare, though she truly didn’t want him to waste his time worrying about her constantly.
    She studied the beach. Swimmers half a mile down frolicked in the small waves. The same in the other direction. Their area of beach was virtually empty except for a couple walking along the shore. They held hands, smiled, and shared a private conversation. They were maybe in their mid-forties and seemed very much in love. Jenny smiled, hoping she and Allan would return twenty years from now and still look like newlyweds.
    When Allan and Jenny reached the blue loungers beneath blue and white striped umbrellas set out for the condo guests, he spread the towels out. She unzipped her shorts, catching his eye. If she’d had a little music, she would have felt like an exotic dancer the way he watched every move she made.
    How many times had she already peeled her clothes off in front of him before this? Yet, he acted like he’d never seen her do it before. Would he always be that enraptured with her?
    Though she felt slightly self-conscious, she hoped he’d still find her attractive years from now as she handed him the lotion. “I know it’s kind of past the burning hour, but I love the smell of coconut butter, don’t you?”
    He glanced at the condo sitting several hundred yards from the ocean. Was he worried the guys watched them?
    She smiled. “Let them eat their hearts out. Next time they’ll bring their wives.”
    “I’m worried