“Oh, you drooled. I have the wet spot on my chest to prove it.” He sat up and wiped at one well-formed pectoral muscle. If I wasn’t so worried about time, I might have been distracted by his chest.

Shaking my head, I looked for the rest of my clothing. “How long before that?” Thirty minutes wasn’t so bad.

“Well, I think we spent about an hour together before you fell asleep?” He raised his shoulder in question. “I don’t know how long you were gone before you found me.” He picked up my tank top and tossed it to me. “But I sure am glad you found me.”

His smile was so carefree and boyish that my heart melted and a little of the worry gripping my shoulders dissipated. “Me too.”

“How long do you normally go running for?” He put his shorts back on before pulling his shirt over his head.

“An hour. Maybe two. But I always let them know if I’m going to be a while.” I frowned as I replaced my shorts. “Right now, I’m really regretting that habit. They’re probably looking for me already.”

“You don’t ever just take off and spend time by yourself?” He frowned and sat back down on the rock he had been fishing from and watched me.

“Closer to the house, yes. But when I’m running the circumference of the property? No. I have to let them know in case something happens.” I shrugged. “I’ve never really thought about it before now. I mean, if someone did try to snag me off the property I would hope someone would be looking for me pretty quickly.”

“Do you worry about that a lot? I mean, is that something you really have to think about?” His face grew hard. ”People threaten you?”

“Whoa, cowboy.” I couldn’t help but smile at his protective tone. “I’m sure there have been threats, but nothing that was a real issue. It’s mainly a precaution.”

“Sam has to put up with this now too, huh?” He frowned. “I thought they were honeymooning somewhere secret, but I saw pictures of them on the television this morning.”

“It’s part of life for us.” I shrugged. I hated that their honeymoon had been crashed by the media, but there wasn’t much we could do about it. We had all known it was likely to happen at some point, but I had hoped it would take longer.

“I don’t like it.” He looked out over the water.

“Don’t like what?”

“Having people I care about stalked.” He looked back at me and my heart thudded in my chest. Did he mean he cared for me? Or was he just referring to Sam?

“Lots of people have dangerous jobs.” I sat down next to him and bumped his shoulder with mine. “It’s not like we’re police officers or part of the military. It’s more like being a celebrity than anything else. And just because of the family we were born into.”

“This world, this way of life, is so far from how I grew up.” He reached over and twined his fingers with mine. “I would disappear on our property for an entire day. Hunting, fishing, or just exploring. No one would come looking for me until after dark, and when I got older, probably not even then.”

“That’s such a foreign thought, but it sounds lovely.” I looked at our hands, noticing all of the differences. His hands were tanned, with calluses and cracked knuckles; mine were pale and soft. “But if you think about it, a lot of that has to do with where you grew up. You wouldn’t let your kid run off in New York City for an entire day without worrying. And I bet your mom worried about you anyways.”

“Mom probably did.” He chuckled. “But it was still different. She wasn’t worried someone would kidnap me or hold me for ransom.”

“She probably worried about you drowning or being eaten by a bear.”

“No bears there.” He smiled. “There are alligators though.”

“You know what I mean.” I rolled my eyes. “There are all types of bears—or alligators—everywhere.”

He sighed, but I could still see the muscles twitching along his jaw. “You’re right. But those have four legs not two.”

“True.” I squeezed his hand.

“Catherine?” Jameson’s voice sounded through the trees.

I sighed. “I’m here by the lake.”

“Think they’ll notice you’re covered in sand?” David winked at me.

“Oh yeah, but they won’t say anything.” I shrugged.

“Catherine? Are you hurt?” Jameson broke through the foliage with Mark right behind him. “You’ve been gone for a while.”

“I’m fine. Just decided to fish with David for a little while.” I stood up and brushed my shorts off.

“I didn’t realize I was on D’Lynsal property. Stanley, the steward at Rousseau, said I could fish anywhere around the lake.”

“I saw him and decided to stop,” I said again, and grimaced. I sounded guilty. “I’m sorry to worry you.” There, maybe that would cover my guilt.

“Of course, that’s fine.” Jameson flashed me a genuine smile. “You’ve had a long couple of weeks. Fishing sounds like a nice way to relax.”

Mark’s face stayed visibly still, as if he was fighting his actual reaction.

“Yes, it’s been a nice break.” I turned to look at David and smiled. “I’ve got to get back.”

“Call me when you have some free time.” He stood up and came close to me. “I’m working at Victory Hall all week, so have most of my nights and afternoons free.”