Protecting His Windflower (A Spirit Hunters Series Novel Book 1) by Temperance Dawn (best black authors .txt) 📕

his lips, inhaling the scent of his own soap on her skin. She’d used his body wash when she showered that morning, but her own natural warm, vanilla scent came through and calmed his nerves. Emily allowed her hand to linger on his cheek as he turned the car into the parking lot.

Liam parked in the small lot before turning off the engine. He jogged around to Emily’s door and held it open for her. Her eyes fixated on the view in front of them, and she gasped as she stepped out onto the gravel. To Liam’s delight, it was a clear morning. Though there was a heavy chill in the air, the sky was clear, and not a cloud or a hint of fog was in site.

The parking lot overlooked a cliff where old ruins of concrete pools and the foundations of buildings sat. Liam tracked Emily’s gaze as her eyes fixated on the historic site. “What is that?” Emily asked.

“Those there,” Liam said as he pointed down toward the abandoned remnants, “are the old San Francisco Sutro Baths. They were huge saltwater pools that were a very popular hangout in the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds. They burned down in the nineteen sixties. This is all that’s left of them.” Liam walked closer, standing directly behind her. He leaned down, resting his cheek next to her ear, and wrapped one arm around her waist. Using his free hand, he pointed straight out in the distance, drawing her line of sight to the pointy peaks jutting out of the ocean. “Those islands way out there are the Farallon Islands.”

Emily gazed out at the ocean and took a deep breath, as if she’d never get another chance to smell the ocean breeze. “We got lucky,” he told her, “You can only see the islands on very clear days.”

Liam stared at her for a moment, relishing in her beauty, soaking in the sight of her. Her skin glowed in the morning light. “You haven’t ventured out here yet, have you?”

“No,” Emily replied. “Not yet. It’s so beautiful. I’m from Seattle. I’ve seen the ocean before. But I’ve never seen it like this. I feel so peaceful here. Like I…belong.” Emily turned around. Her eyes caught the glow of the rising sun behind them.

Liam put an arm around her shoulder and guided her toward the restaurant. “Come on, Em. The view from inside is just as amazing.”

The hostess sat them beside a window at Liam’s request. There were a few people inside, mostly at the bar having coffee. The place was quaint. It could feel cramped if crowded, but it was cozy and intimate. With windows lining most of the walls, the ocean was visible from anywhere you sat in the restaurant.

When the waitress came over, she poured them both coffee and took their orders.

“I’ll have the Eggs Benedict, please,” Emily told the waitress.

“And I’ll have the Chicken and Apple Sausage and Eggs, scrambled, with a side order of French toast.”

The waitress assured them she’d be back shortly with their food and hurried off.

Emily stared out the window, fixated on the breaking waves. “I’ve been feeling so stressed and worried. It’s amazing how different I feel now just being here.”

Liam knew all too well what she meant. Not only had he and his team helped so many people living with the stress of hauntings, but, as a child, he had experienced the same stress as well. “I know. When you live in a place that’s haunted, it’s good to get out as often as you can. Being away from the fear and oppression can help your sanity.”

“Is that why you come here? Because you find it so peaceful?”

Liam smiled. “That is exactly why I come here a lot. In fact, when my parents retired, they bought a home down the coast in Carmel. Right on the beach. I love staying down there. It’s beautiful.”

“It sounds like it. I wish we could spend the day here. I haven’t spent time at the beach in ages. The thought of going back to the house makes me so anxious.”

Emily’s words had Liam’s heart jumping into his throat. He wanted to spend more time with her, away from the house, where they could talk and not be interrupted. “We can spend some time here at the beach if you want.”

“I thought the guys are waiting for us to get back.”

“They are,” Liam stated as he pulled his phone from his pocket and sent Trey and Luke a text that he and Emily would be back later that afternoon. “There. I just told them we would be back later. Don’t worry. I promised them I’d bring home lunch. And they need time to go over footage and audio from the cameras they had rolling last night. That takes time, and we would just be bored and anxious waiting around for them at the house to finish.”

“That sounds wonderful. Thank you.”

“For what, babe?”

“For helping me. For not freaking out. For not trying to make me think I’m crazy and need to be on medication. And most importantly, for excepting Lexi and not being intimidated by her.” Her lips tipped up in a smile at her last statement. They both chuckled.

“You’re welcome, Em.”

Liam was about to reach for Emily’s hand but was interrupted when the waitress returned with their orders. They ate their meal while sipping on another cup of coffee. After Liam refused to let Emily pay for her breakfast, he placed some bills on the table before heading out of the building. They walked out into the salty, breezy sea air. Liam took Emily’s hand, guiding her down the hill to the sand.

***

They walked along the beach, hand in hand, before finding a nice spot to relax in the sand. Neither of them spoke at first. They sat silent, holding each other’s hands while watching the waves roll onto the shore and retreat.

There was something so familiar about Liam. Emily barely knew him, yet she