“You want a muffin?” The B&B had a breakfast spread, but they had woken up before the sun had risen and her appetite had still been sleeping.
Right now his suggestion had a loud rumble coming from said stomach. “Sure, that would be great. Anything besides blueberry, please.”
The sound of the crashing waves had her turning her attention away from Adrian’s retreating form and looking back at the water.
“Business or pleasure?”
The voice was behind her and she looked over her shoulder, seeing a thirty-something man wearing dark aviator glasses and a worn brown leather jacket. “Excuse me?”
“You.” He lifted a cigarette to his lips and brought his lighter up to the end, inhaling deeply as the tip glowed a bright orange. “Come here for business or pleasure?” He inhaled again, holding in the smoke for several long seconds before exhaling in her direction. The stench from the smoke had her nose wrinkling in distaste.
Right away warning bells went off. She hadn’t lasted this long away from Cameron with giving away precious information to strangers, especially when those strangers looked like ex-cons. “Just visiting.” She might be wary, but she also didn’t want to draw anymore unwanted attention to herself by being a bitch, so she smiled at him before turning her attention forward again.
“Yeah, me, too. Just passing through. The scenery was too good to pass up, though.” The way he said the latter had the hair on the back of her neck rising.
“Yeah.” Hurry up, Adrian.
“Know any good places to stay overnight? Maybe a good bed and breakfast?”
She shifted in her seat, growing more and more uneasy with each passing second. Had Cameron found her? Was he having her followed?
“Me and my old lady are looking for a quiet place to lay low for a while. Just got hitched and are on our way north.”
She turned around then, taking in his appearance again. Maybe she was just being paranoid? “Your wife?”
Flicking the ash from his cigarette, he took his sunglasses off and stared at her with black eyes. He lifted up his left hand, showing her a thin gold band around his ring finger. “Yeah, she saw a T-shirt stand down the boardwalk and wanted to get a few souvenirs.”
“Oh.” She cleared her throat and brought her cup to her lips, taking a long drink of her now-lukewarm coffee. “Well, I can’t really help you out, but when my boyfriend gets back I’ll be sure to ask him if he can recommend a place.” When he didn’t say anything she looked over her shoulder, seeing him watch her with an emotionless expression, his cigarette hanging from his lips.
When he grinned after several long, uncomfortable minutes, her palms became clammy. Ever since she had started seeing Adrian, the fear of Cameron had grown. It was bad enough that he threatened her life, but the thought that he could hurt Adrian, too, made it that much worse. Claiming him as her boyfriend. to this stranger, a man that had warning flags rising, was a stupid, stupid move on her part.
“I’d appreciate it, thanks.” Hands scuffed up and fingers with grimy fingernails lifted up and pulled his cigarette out of his mouth and snubbed it out.
“They had cinnamon, sweetheart. I hope that’s okay.” When she heard Adrian’s voice she immediately felt at ease. He walked out of the coffee shop and her attention was right on him, watching his big body move like a lethal weapon. When he was seated in front of her he slid her muffin across to her.
“Thank you. This guy wants a recommendation on what’s a good place to spend the night. I told him I didn’t know but maybe you did.” Please don’t recommend where we are. This guy most likely was completely innocent, but she didn’t take anything at face value. She always had to be on alert.
“Guy?” The confused look on his face had her looking over her shoulder. An empty table and chair greeted her, and the only lingering thing that solidified his presence was the smell of cigarette smoke and his snubbed-out butt.
Brea couldn’t stop herself from standing and looking down the boardwalk. There was no sign of him in either direction, and panic started to swell inside of her.
“What’s wrong?” Adrian was right beside her, his hands on her shoulders, turning her toward him and looking down at her with concern. “What is it, baby?”
Lips suddenly dry, she looked left then right again. “Nothing. It’s nothing.” It had to be nothing, because if she let herself even entertain the idea that she was being followed, that Cameron had found her, she might as well flee right now. The feel of Adrian’s fingers flexing on her flesh drew her back to the present. No, she was fine. They were fine. Her overactive imagination and fear were trying to drive a bigger wedge in her life and she wouldn’t allow it. The man hadn’t seemed overly suspicious, aside from his rough exterior. If Cameron knew where she was there was no doubt in her mind that he would have already gotten to her.