Sand and Sin by Dani Jace

another within hours.
    As the driver left the airport for his nearby apartment, salty air from the bay filled the cab through the partially open window. Clean and calming, the scent reminded him of Peri.
    Somewhere he’d read men used to carry a woman’s handkerchief misted with her perfume to remind them of their lover. Romantic for the day. Today’s men would settle for a pair of panties. Damn sad that romance had dwindled to thongs. Sadder still, he hadn’t thought to nab a pair of Peri’s.
    The parking lot of his high-rise, beachfront apartment complex glowed beneath the eerie sodium lights. He paid the driver and grabbed his bag. He’d been gone so long the entry-door pass code had been changed, so he had to buzz for the guard.
    Inside his apartment, Jax dropped his keys in a ceramic bowl on the small foyer table and flicked on a lamp. Only the hum of the refrigerator greeted him. Over the years, he’d become skilled at detecting human presence in close proximity. His roommate must be sleeping at his girlfriend’s place. They’d been exclusive for nearly two years but he’d begun to doubt they’d marry.
    He typed a text to let Peri know he’d made it home―the only request she’d made of him. Daring to offer her more would have been a lie, yet he hoped he’d revealed the depth of his feelings with his lingering goodbye kiss.
    After a quick shower, he fell into bed. Instantly, he missed her soft curves. As he drifted off, he recalled their slow and emotional lovemaking at her place before heading to the airport. Would he ever have another opportunity?
     
     

Chapter 14
     
    Peri tapped a new keg to the draft line and let it run until the amber stream flowed without foam. If the bar had another good year, she might be able to invest in one of those fancy turbo systems. Work had kept her busy the two months since her fling with Jax. The image of his hot gaze and almost sinful grin still warmed more than her heart.
    Before, sex was never a priority, but then no previous lover had the ability to bring her to orgasm with a mere look. But this was more than sex. Almost every night she dreamt of them making love.
    Hoping for him to return was pointless. They had no future, even though he’d contacted her a couple of weeks after leaving. She couldn’t bear not to respond. On occasion, she’d relay a funny story from the bar, but the occasional texting and small talk left her adrift.
    Haley and she grew more distant as summer started. She stayed with her father, no doubt for more freedom. Peri deemed it as non-parenting, but she could do little. Letting go proved difficult, and the empty house only emphasized her lack of personal life. Having dinner with her girlfriends used to fulfill her lonely existence, but not after being with Jax. She had vacationed with the man of her dreams. Back to reality sucked. On top of that, she’d caught a cold that turned into a nasty sinus infection.
    She poured a beer and finished checking her customers, then scurried to her office with to take the last antibiotic. Damn horse pills were hard to choke down. When she returned to the bar, the evening news was broadcasting about a Navy SEAL killed during a training accident near San Diego.
    No name or picture. Her heart froze. She prayed as she snatched her phone from atop the cash register and messaged Jax with shaky fingers. Except for when Haley had been hospitalized with appendicitis, Peri had never been so scared.
    Someone had lost their son, brother, husband, or lover. Her eyes burned and the knot in her throat made a grapefruit seem small. Her phone buzzed and she jumped.
    Through tears, the words blurred. Angel, I’m okay. Can’t talk now. Will be in touch.
    Thank God. She stepped into her small office and sobbed. Happy for him, but sorry for his brother-in-arms and the SEAL’s family.
    After regrouping, she stepped behind the bar where one of her two waitresses had taken up residence.
    “You okay, boss?”
    Peri