(Complete) Michael Bassett will do anything to protect his daughter even if it means sending her away. Soon he finds his trips east mean more than just seeing his daughter, because with each one he gets closer to the mysterious woman he wants to sav...
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Mari was nervous about going to a restaurant, but she kept reminding herself that she would be with Mike. He chose a quiet dimly lit restaurant. It was romantic, but more popular with an older, elderly crowd rather than dating couples. They had a glass of wine and once again Mari made comparisons to the past. Charlie would have automatically ordered an expensive bottle to share. With their relaxed conversation, she felt comfortable with the man she had only known for five months. Just the fact she was sitting in public was a miracle compared to the girl she was in the hood.
When they left the restaurant, before Mike helped her step up into his truck, he pulled her into him and kissed her. Confused about what she wanted, she thought of sleeping in the room next to him. A part of her wanted more than to just sleep with him. She just didn't know if she could survive saying goodbye if they became lovers.
Mike parked in the driveway and turned to face her. He amused her by how careful of a driver he was. Everything with Michael Bassett was about safety. She blushed because she imagined he would also practice safe sex. If he noticed her blush, he said nothing.
"Thank you for dinner. It was lovely." She sounded like she went to finishing school which she didn't.
"I could ask to walk you to your door, but I'm going your way. Instead, I'll ask if you want to go for a walk on the beach with me."
She smiled and answered by leaning over and kissing his cheek. The air was a little cold so she grabbed her hoodie.
Mike laughed as she was putting it on. "I haven't seen you wear that in a while. Can you believe I've almost missed it?"
She smiled. "If I put the hood on will you kiss me before pulling it off."
"I'll kiss you with or without the hood. Come on, let's hope we don't find any teens we know doing the same thing we're planning to do."
"What are we planning to do?"
"Kiss on the beach."
His smile was gorgeous.
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The morning after their date, Mike walked down the stairs to head out for coffee and almost ran right into Mason. Anna had decided to stay with Mari and texted him while they were walking on the beach. As a result, he and Mari slept in their own beds. It disappointed and relieved him, because he wasn't sure how many nights he could spend with her in his arms without wanting a lot more from her.
