WHEN THE TIDE TURNS

ing through the linen

eneath the blanket. For a moment, she just watched him sleep. His brow was

ulder and slipped

e brewed coffee and stared out the window toward the cliffs.

lan no lo

a close-up of Marc's hands cradling driftwood, drawn from memory. She loved his hands. Not

his wrist with her pe

?" Marc's voice was behind h

way, shirtless, hair mussed, his

he said

ulling a chair beside hers. He gl

ed. "You

ething smug righ

g I noticed about you. Not just what they look like, but h

n. "And what about you? What h

elf to fit into other people's frames. That I thought I'd lost my

et hi

ked at me like I

reached for her hand, held

y walked to the nearby village, picked up fresh bread and figs, wandered th

he cliffs. Elena stood at the edge, l

say goodbye tom

er, wrapping his ar

n do

ned in

ut I want to come back. I want this to

"Then let's

I want to bring with me. It might take a month or two. But I'll com

e was the only thing in th

he said. "I can wait.

pered. "I'm not run

hey made dinner together, laughing, brushing past each other in

seduction-it was about presence. About ch

morize her in moonlight. Elena responded with the kind of confidence that onl

r, their bodies tangled in candlelight, he

ng that's made this p

e whis

s made me want to stay sti