Chapter 140 The Calm Before The Storm

• The day started like every other perfect one since they'd arrived—the sun rising slow and golden over the endless stretch of horizon, waves curling soft and steady against the shore. Ellerei lay sprawled on her beach towel, wearing nothing but a black bikini and Knox's oversized sunglasses. Her toes buried in warm sand, her head tilted back to catch the breeze. The smell of salt and sunscreen filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of grilled pineapple still lingering from breakfast.
• Knox was a few feet away, shirtless, sunk into one of the cushioned loungers with a book balanced across his chest. One hand lazily held a glass of something citrusy and cold, the other resting behind his head. His skin glowed bronze in the sunlight, and every time Ellerei looked over at him, she got a little distracted. The relaxed lines of his body, the rare ease in his features—it was a version of him she didn’t get to see often. One she wanted to hold onto.
• No schedules. No jobs. No bullets to dodge.