Perhaps she just needed to think of them differently, she considered and then raised her eyebrows when she noted that someone was on the beach in front of Jackie and Vincent’s house.
Justin, she realized. Why was he laying out a blanket? The sun was setting. Besides, she didn’t think vampires were likely to be sun worshippers so he couldn’t be interested in sunbathing. Although, she wouldn’t mind seeing that; Justin in a bathing suit, his chest bare, his muscular legs—-
Holly slowed as her wandering thoughts brought guilt crashing down over her. Married, she reminded herself. No lusting after other men . . . even if they were handsome, built, sweet as pie and amazing kissers. That last thought caused a sigh to slip between her lips. Justin was an amazing kisser. Parts of her started tingling just at the memory, parts that had no business tingling for anyone but her husband.
As distressing as it was for Holly to admit, James had never made her tingle like that. James’s kisses were more . . . well, she hated to say it, but the best description she could come up with was almost avuncular. They were affectionate and . . . tepid? She winced even as she admitted that.
But marriage wasn’t all about hot, sweaty sex, she assured herself. She and James had more than that. They had a common past, friendship, and affection. They had history . . . and the same dream for the future. That was more likely to last, she was sure. Justin was like a shooting star, burning bright before fizzing out as all such heated passion must . . . while James was like the moon, always there, giving off a soft, steady glow. She just had to keep that in the forefront of her mind while she was here, Holly determined. It would help keep her head straight and prevent her giving in to the temptation Justin was quickly becoming. Avoiding him, or at least avoiding being alone with him would help too, she decided.
“Hi.”
Holly stopped walking with surprise as that word drew her from her thoughts. While she’d been thinking, her feet had carried her across the distance between them and brought her to the edge of the blanket he sat on in the sand. So much for avoiding him, she thought with mild self--disgust. Sucking in a deep breath, she raised her shoulders determinedly, and opened her mouth, intending to respond to his greeting and then continue on to the house.
“Sit,” Justin said before she could do anything. He patted the blanket next to a covered basket that sat in front of him. “I thought it would be nice to have a picnic.”
“Oh . . . er . . .” Holly shifted and glanced from Justin to the basket and finally toward the house, her head moving slowly back and forth, before she said, “I don’t think—-”
“I need to tell you our laws and rules as part of your training,” Justin interrupted.
Holly stilled briefly, feeling somewhat trapped, but then said, “Can’t we do that in the house?”
“It’s just a picnic, Holly,” he said solemnly. “What are you afraid of?”
She suspected it wouldn’t be a good thing to tell him that she was afraid of herself and her response to him, so avoided answering the question by using truth as a shield. “After spending the first eighteen years of my life digging sand out of crevices and spots it should never be, including my food, I’m not really keen on picnics on the beach.”
Oh.” He looked stunned at this news, and then glanced at the blanket he sat on. After a moment, he grabbed the basket and stood. “Right. I should have thought.”
He looked so disappointed that Holly felt another wave of guilt roll over her. As with the flowers and last night’s meal, he’d probably gone to a lot of trouble preparing this picnic. The problem was she didn’t want him to expend effort on her. Still, she didn’t like hurting anyone’s feelings and he looked hurt just then. Mouth tightening, Holly bent and grabbed a corner of the blanket as he stepped off.
“There’s no reason you should have thought of that,” she said with a shrug as she straightened, lifting the blanket off the ground as she did.
Justin didn’t comment, merely murmuring thank you as she quickly folded the blanket and laid it over her arm. But as they started to walk back up the lawn toward the gate in the hedges, he said pensively, “It sounds like you didn’t really enjoy following your parents around on their digs.”
“There were some good points, I guess,” she said slowly.
“But?” he prompted when she fell silent.
Holly shrugged and admitted, “Well, there were a lot of things I didn’t have growing up that it would have been nice to have.”
“Like?” he asked, sounding sincerely interested.
Holly smiled crookedly and quickly listed off, “Television, wifi, cell phones, the mall . . . friends. Female friends,” she added quickly. “I mean, of course, James was my friend.”
“Of course,” he said tightly.
Sighing, she stopped walking and when he did as well, turned to face him. “The flowers were a nice thought, but—-”