Seaside Heartbeats_A Sweet Romance

by Stacy Claflin

  Brayden let out a long breath, and Lana moved her hands down to his back. It was so firm she had a hard time positioning her fingers to give a proper massage. Finally, she gave up and just ran her hands up and down his back. She could feel him relax at her touch. Her heart raced faster, making her worry she would have an SVT episode right there on the beach.

  Lana moved next to him and sat. He had his eyes closed, his face looked more relaxed than it had all day. One eye peeked open and then the corners of his mouth twitched. "I suppose it's too much to ask for that to last forever."

  She laughed. "I'm not sure my hands are up to it."

  He took her hands and held them in his, bringing them up to his chest. She could feel his heart beating and her pulse picked up even more. She leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulders. Watching the waves lulled her heart back into a normal pattern despite leaning against the best looking man alive. Lana could feel his heartbeat slowing as well.

  She could have stayed there forever, but eventually, he let go of her hands and checked his cell phone. "I'm going to have to take you back to your house soon."

  "Two hours have passed by already?"

  "More than an hour, but it's going to take a little time to walk back and then get to my place."

  "I hope you're feeling better now."

  "Much." Brayden smiled and then scooted away from her, leaving marks in the sand. He smoothed them out and then pressed his first finger into the sand, moving it around in a circular shape. He stopped at a point and mirrored the other side.

  Lana held her breath and then released. "A heart."

  "I think you're stealing mine." He looked shy, almost boyish.

  Her heart swelled. She stared into his eyes, unable to find her voice. His eyes were a lighter shade of hazel…lighter than she could recall seeing them before, in fact.

  Still unable to speak, she put her own finger to the sand and drew a heart inside of his.

  Brayden took her hand and pushed his fingers against hers in the air. She moved her fingers around his, their hands choreographing the perfect dance.

  He leaned over the two hearts and his lips brushed against hers. She closed her eyes, and he pressed his lips upon hers with a gentle force. Lana leaned forward, kissing him back.

  Brayden pulled back and smiled. "I've wanted to do that for a long time."

  Heat rushed through her. "And I've wanted you to since the moment I saw you."

  Fifteen

  Brayden stood on his deck, sipping coffee as he watched the waves splash from a distance. The last three days had dragged on forever. It felt like a month since he'd last seen Lana…not that he'd stopped thinking about their kiss for a moment.

  He had the thieves to thank for that. If his emotions hadn't been so raw—he'd felt so violated having his previously-safe home broken into—he wouldn't have opened up to Lana like that. It already felt like his feelings for her had grown too fast, but at least now he knew she felt the same way.

  Lana's kindness had helped wipe away his raw, angry emotions with every touch of her hand, soothing not only his tense muscles but his feelings, too. Drawing the heart had been a risk, but the look on her face had been worth it. Then when she drew a smaller heart inside of his, everything inside of him had exploded into a beautiful fireworks show.

  Kissing her soft lips had been the most natural thing in the world. He wanted more of her, and couldn't wait to pick her up and head back to the museum. They had barely seen any of it that day, having spent most of their time in the library. He hadn't been able to bring himself to suggest looking elsewhere for the clues she was so eager to find. There were three other levels to check out.

  Though Brayden had been there countless times, he'd never once thought to look for clues on old man Kittle's disappearance. He had always assumed the unsolved mystery would always remain part of Kittle Fall's heritage. The light in Lana's eyes at solving it made him wonder if they could actually change that.

  History couldn't be fixed, but they could bring justice by exposing the truth—whatever that may be. Her excitement made Brayden want to solve the mystery. It was the perfect way to spend more time getting to know her, and he wanted to know everything about her. What were dreams and fears? He couldn't wait to learn more, and he would spend every minute with her making her feel like the most special woman alive, because that's what she was.

  Brayden's heart felt five times its normal size, and he wanted to lean over the railing and shout that he loved Lana Summers. That he had her heart, too. Everyone needed to know that the most beautiful and wonderful woman was falling for him as much as he was her.

  He sipped his cup, discovering that he had already emptied it. It was time to get ready, anyway. He'd spent long enough thinking about her, it was time to actually see her. Smell the fruity scent of her shampoo. Feel her smooth skin, and this time, his own skin wouldn't feel like an icicle against hers.

  Nearly skipping, he went inside, closing and locking the sliding door behind him. He double-checked the alarm to make sure it was still set. He'd been checking it obsessively, but that would hopefully soon stop. No one would be able to get in unnoticed again. And if anyone tried, that would very likely be the last time they ever attempted a break-in again.

  He went into his room and spent too long picking out his clothes. They were all nice, and for the most part, in the same color family, making it easy for him choose things that looked nice and went together. But today he wanted to look nicer than normal—he wanted to knock Lana's socks off.

  Brayden ran his thumb along his shirts until he came to one that was a trifle snugger than the rest. It was something he'd ordered online from Asia not realizing their sizing ran a bit smaller than he was used to. Though he hadn't been working out as much lately—that had to change right away—he still looked buff.

  He took off his robe and shirt, and went to the mirror and flexed. Brayden still had it, and really, no one else would know he'd lost a little muscle tone since Dallas. He grabbed the smallish shirt and the other clothes he needed and headed for the bathroom. Before going in, he looked toward the front door to make sure the locks were all in place.

  Everything looked as it should. Brayden just hated how skittish he felt. All the more reason to get back into the habit of working out. He had no excuse, really. The hospital provided a workout room, and there was also one near the garage in the building here.

  He got ready as quickly as he could, eager to see Lana again. Three days was too long. In addition to working out, he needed to make a little time for her the other days of the week. Sure, he was busy and tired, but they both had to eat, right? That was as good of an excuse as any.

  His hair kept sticking out in funny directions. He used gel and hair spray to no avail. After a dozen tries, he gave up and stuck his head in the sink, running warm water over his scalp. After towel-drying, he gelled and brushed it, and then he took the rarely-used hair dryer and tried that. It looked better, but not how he liked it.

  Why was his hair giving him so much trouble today? Sighing, he ran more gel through it and called it good. Or at least good enough. If he kept this up, he would never see Lana.

  Brayden noticed his pulse was quicker than normal. Was it nerves that made everything so difficult? Usually, he got ready with no problem. That had to be it. He was already anxious about looking perfect for her.

  He was as ready as he was going to be. The car was in perfect shape. He'd cleared out his junk and then had it detailed while he worked the day before. It even smelled better, not that he'd noticed it rank before.

  Luckily the drive to her beach house was short—only a few minutes—so he didn't have much time for his already-fried nerves to get any worse. He checked the mirror before getting out of the car and walked up the short walkway to the front door. His heart pounded loudly. Brayden was sure everyone in the neighborhood could hear it, no sensitive equipment needed.

  He took a deep breath and then rang the doorbell. Imme
diately, he heard shrieking and the pounding of running feet. Someone yelled for the kids to calm down. The sounds made him feel more at ease. Growing up, his house had been like that, times three, with six kids running around.

  Dwight answered the door. "Hey there, Brayden. Come on in."

  Brayden came in, giving the boys high-fives as they ran circles around the bottom level. "How are you, sir?"

  He shook Brayden's hand. "I'm good, and you?"

  He'd be a lot better once he could see Lana. "Well, thank you."

  "Make yourself comfortable. I'm not sure what the girls are doing upstairs, but I'm sure they won't be long."

  Brayden made his way to the living room, but turned around to look at Dwight's drawings. "What's this?"

  "It's a mansion. One of my colleagues had a family emergency, so I'm taking over."

  "You're supposed to be on vacation," his wife said, coming into the room. She smiled at Brayden.

  "Can't leave a client hanging." He gave Susan a kiss. "But I'm spending as much time with the family as before. Am I not?"

  "Yes, but no one else is working."

  "Cora has. She's been on the phone several times a day."

  Susan laughed. "It's not the same, but I love you for your dedication." She squeezed his arm and then went into the kitchen. "Do you want anything, Brayden?"

  "I could use some water, actually." His throat was dry.

  "Coming right up." She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and got water from the fridge and then dropped in some ice and something else.

  "Thank you," Brayden said, taking it. He looked in to see a sprig of mint. "You didn't have to."

  "No, but it makes a glass of water more enjoyable. How's life at the hospital?"

  He drank half the glass before answering. "Busy as always. Can't complain—it's job security."

  She looked over at her husband. "I know how that goes. Boys, stop running. Someone's going to lose an eye."

  Brayden laughed. "My mom used to say that all the time, but all of us still have our eyes and other appendages."

  "Shh," Susan said. "Don't tell them that."

  Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Brayden turned around and held his breath. Lana walked down, and she couldn't have been more beautiful. She wore a sequined aqua tank top with bright white shorts and jeweled sandals. She looked like she'd gotten tanner, her skin contrasting perfectly with the blonde hair cascading over her shoulders.

  She smiled wide, making eye contact with Brayden. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

  "Not at all." He walked toward her and they met at the bottom of the staircase. She wrapped her arms around him and he hugged her tight in return. She smelled like a tropical flower. He breathed in the sweet scent. "Are you ready to go?"

  Lana stood back and looked him over, her gaze slowing at his arms, and then she looked into his eyes. "Can't wait." She grabbed her purse from a coffee table and waved to her family. "See you guys later."

  Nolan and Ryder attacked her with hugs and growls, and then turned to Brayden, giving him the same treatment. He bent down and hugged them. "You boys be good and listen to your parents."

  "We will," they said in unison.

  Brayden could tell from their devious grins that they had no intentions. How many times had he and his brothers made that same expression? He ruffled their hair at the same time and the stood, taking Lana's hand.

  They walked to his car. Brayden wished that he'd parked farther away so more people could see them together. When he unlocked it with the remote, Lana let out a breath. "That's your car?"

  He nodded, opening the door for her.

  She stood staring. "I've always wanted a Mercedes."

  "Don't your parents have one? I'd think with your dad being an architect, you'd—"

  "No. They're into practical cars. Volvo's all around. Nothing but the safest for daddy's little girls."

  "Can't blame him for that, I suppose."

  She wrinkled her nose. Brayden nearly melted into a puddle on the sidewalk. Lana was adorable when she did that. "I'm tired of safe," she said. "Can't wait to climb in here. Oh, leather." She sat down, closing her eyes.

  He closed the door and walked around to the driver's side and started the car. Lana sat with her eyes closed. "This is perfection. It smells and feels wonderful." With her eyes still closed, she ran her hands over the seat.

  Brayden put his hand in her path, and her hand met his. She opened her eyes and smiled. "But you know what? You're even better than this car." Lana ran her fingers over his hand and up his arm to his elbow and back down again.

  Bumps formed along his skin. "Still want to go to the museum?"

  She leaned against his shoulder. "As long as you're there, I'd go anywhere."

  Sixteen

  Lana looked at the rows of books in the museum's library, but she couldn't focus. Not with Brayden so close… and that shirt. What was he trying to do to her? It practically showed off every ripple of his muscles. She wanted to sit him down and massage his back again.

  She wasn't one of those girls who drooled over guys, but Brayden had awoken something in her that she never knew existed. Suddenly, she understood why the other girls in school fussed over cute guys. But Lana didn't care about anyone else. She only wanted to look at Brayden.

  Turning, she met his gaze. While she'd been trying not to look at him, he'd been watching her. He didn't look away and neither did she.

  Finally, he asked, "Have you found anything?"

  Lana loved his voice when it was so deep. Her heart swelled so big that she was certain it would burst right out of her chest. She wanted to run over to him and recreate their kiss on the beach. It had been perfect, so much so that she hadn't been able to get it out of her mind. Even when she slept, she relived it. When her dad rattled on about the plans for the new mansion he was working on, her mind was back at the beach.

  Everything had been perfect. She wanted to remember every little detail for the rest of forever.

  "I take that as a no?" Brayden asked.

  Lana moved across the room so quickly she almost didn't know what she was doing. She put her palms on his oh-so-smooth face and brought his mouth down, kissing it. The smell of his cologne overtook her senses as she kissed his sweet lips. He wrapped his arms around her, running his fingertips down her back. One hand pressed against her shoulder blades while the other slid to the small of her back.

  Breathing hard, she pressed against him. He bumped into the shelf behind him so hard that a couple books fell from the shelf. His hand went up to the back of her head, and his fingers ran through the length of her hair. She loved the feel of it, not caring how much it messed up her hair. Poor Cora had spent an hour on it, and less than a half an hour later, it was messed up already.

  Conversation sounded outside the door in the hallway. Lana stood back, pulse on fire. She stared at Brayden, who looked equally out of sorts.

  A family with three kids came in. "Boring," declared the tallest. "Let's find something more interesting than books." She turned around, followed by the youngest. The parents and middle child looked around the room.

  Lana took a deep breath trying to regain her composure. It was probably a good thing the family had come in. With her feelings as strong as they were, she wasn't sure she could keep control of herself around Brayden much longer. She hadn't had years of experience to reign control over the love and desire running through her.

  The family left, and Brayden said, "We should pick these books up."

  Lana's face flushed with heat. "Sorry about that."

  "Don't apologize." He picked up a couple books and looked at the spines before putting them back.

  She picked one up. It was entitled Retrievers: Man's Best Friend. Lana blew some dust off the top and then reached over to put it back. Just as she did, a yellow piece of paper fell to the ground.

  Brayden gave her a curious look. She looked at the title again, and nearly smacked her forehead. "Retrievers. Golden retrievers." />
  "That was clever." He picked up the paper and unfolded it. In faded ink, there was a letter addressed to Billy Kittle dated about one hundred and sixty years earlier.

  Lana moved closer to Brayden and read the note. It discussed rumors of a grouping of caves in nearby woods that was said to hold more gold than anyone had ever dreamed of, much less seen. All that was needed was someone with the right equipment. The writer obviously thought Billy was the man for the job, and discussed splitting the profits if he brought along his strong sons to help with the labor.

  Brayden and Lana exchanged a curious look. Brayden flipped the page over. It was signed Thomas Williams, and below the signature was a drawn map along with a date to meet there a month later than the letter had been written.

  "We should take this," Lana whispered.

  "That would be theft." Brayden pulled out his phone. "But taking pictures isn't."

  "Good thinking." Lana pulled out her phone, too. "We'll both get them, just in case."

  They snapped pictures of both sides before folding the paper back up and sliding into the section of the book discussing golden retrievers. They put the remaining books away and hurried out of the museum.

  Once back inside Brayden's car, Lana asked, "What now?"

  "Are you up for an adventure?" His eyes glowed with excitement. "I'd love to be the one who solves old man Kittle's death."

  "And I've always loved cold case files. Maybe we could even be interviewed by one of those reality shows."

  "Let's grab some lunch and start planning."

  Lana's face fell. "We're not going to go today?"

  He looked her over. "Neither of us are dressed for a day in the woods. Besides, if we're going to do this right, we need to be prepared."

  "Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't want to talk about this where anyone could overhear us, though."

  "We'll get some food to go and then we can eat at a beach that's probably empty."