Night Walker by Lisa Kessler

spacious great room.
    The rest of the floor was covered with sand-colored carpet, and whitewashed driftwood beams hung high above, accenting the vaulted ceiling. A large fireplace with a raised hearth stood in the corner with French doors on the right leading to a deck that overlooked the beach. Light colors decorated the entire room. Yet nothing looked touched, like no one lived there.
    Kate thought maybe by seeing his home, she’d get a glimpse into the mysterious Calisto Terana. Though the hacienda was stunning, nothing inside revealed anything about its owner. No stacks of unopened mail, no photos of family, not even coats draped over the sofa.
    Nothing was out of place.
    He led her through the house and out the French doors without a word. Moonlight sparkled on the waves below. They stood together, leaning against the railing of the deck. Plumes of fog floated through the air, glowing in the moon’s haunting light, and the scent of salty sea air filled her lungs.
    “It is beautiful here, no?”
    Kate nodded as the sea breeze blew through her dark hair.
    Without meaning to, she leaned a little closer to him. “Yes it is.”
    “When I need to clear my head and think, this is where I come.” He stared at the ocean. “This is where I find my peace.” She watched the wind pull at the leather tie that held his hair back. Why was he telling her these things? They just met, but the feeling that they’d known each other forever pervaded her thoughts.
    Did he feel the same?
    Even the profile of his face made her heart flutter. The angle of his forehead, the strength of his jaw, and the curve of his lips spoke to her, called to her, and made her yearn for him. She wanted to untie his hair and slide her fingers through it.
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    Turning toward the waves, she sighed. “I used to come to the beach as a teenager and sit for hours watching the water, wondering why I felt empty inside. The ocean never brought me any peace. The waves made me feel lonely, like a piece of me was missing. I never figured out why. I guess it was easier to move away.”
    “Did you fill this emptiness in Reno?” he asked without looking at her.
    “I think so.” Kate shrugged. “I’ve been happy, I guess.” Until Tom upended her world .
    He nodded and shifted beside her. Carefully he caught a stray lock of her hair and brushed it back from her face.
    “Do you feel empty here now?” he asked.
    Kate turned, finding him much closer than she expected. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her eyes lingered on his lips before finally locking on his heated gaze.
    “No,” she said, surprising herself. “No, I… I like it here.”
    “Maybe you need new memories of the ocean to fill the emptiness.” His dark eyes never strayed from hers, demanding her attention.
    Kate bit back her desire and nodded, forcing herself to turn toward the water. “Maybe so.”
    Calisto took her hand, and Kate was surprised to find her fingers lacing together with his as if they’d been made to fit together as one.
    “Walk with me?” His low voice stripped away a layer of her resolve.
    Kate nodded, following him down the steps to the sand below, only stopping for a moment to leave her shoes on the landing. They walked across the cool beach without saying a word, hand in hand, and Kate watched the haze float in atop the salt water. It was eerie and beautiful all in the same moment.
    “You are shivering.”
    Calisto’s voice added to the tremors that pulsed through her body.
    Why did he have to be so perfect? He looked at her like she was the only woman in the world.
    “Am I?”
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    He smiled, raising their joined hands to place a tender kiss on her knuckle, and then tugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
    “Is that better?”
    Kate nodded, no longer able to speak. His masculine scent surrounded her, and before she could stop herself, she pulled his coat so tight, the cold lining spread gooseflesh across her skin.
    He slid the