Night Waves Read Online Free PDF

Write down everything you know about her. Things you think will help us find her. Drop it by the station tomorrow, and I’ll take a look at it.”
    “I can do that. But it’s still not the same. If you take me with you—”
    “You don’t give up do you?” He unlaced his fingers and leaned back, crossing his arms. “Taking you with me is not an option.”
    Convinced she had reached an impasse with him, she redirected the conversation. “I went to the cottage today.”
    “The cottage?” He took a swig from a bottle of water while passing an unopened one to her.
    Cali took the offered drink, and then drank half of it when she discovered how thirsty she had become. “The cottage Serena rented.”
    Sheriff Justice’s brow furrowed as he bolted from his seat, took a step toward her, and held his hand out. A grim line of determination slid across his lips. “You need to get out of the pool. It’s time we had a serious discussion.”
    “Fine by me.” Cali lifted her hand.
    Nick secured her by the wrist. He lifted her out easily with one arm, and set her directly in front of him. The pool water ran in rivulets down her skin, tempting his eyes to follow their descent. He already had a good idea of how well she filled out the swimsuit she wore from seeing her in the water. But now, with mere inches separating them, there was no room for doubt. She looked amazing.
    “Sheriff?” she asked as she crossed her arms.
    Broken out of his trance, he turned and grabbed her beach towel from the chair. Her room key dropped out and clattered to the concrete. Nick tossed the towel to her and turned to pick up the key, giving himself a moment for a mental shake.
    Coral Isle’s recent abductions gave him enough to worry about without adding any complications to the mix, and his attraction to Cali Stevens was definitely a complication. Clenching his jaw, he tucked the key into his pocket and turned back to face her. He crossed his arms and set his feet wide apart, trying to look more intimidating than he felt.
    “You went snooping around Serena’s rental cottage?”
    “Not snooping. Investigating.” She tucked the towel around her, tilted her chin higher and tapped her right foot.
    Nick took a step forward. She retreated. One more inch, and she would be in the pool. “You put up a brave front Cali. But, you’re not as fearless as you’d like me to believe. Are you?”
    “W-why do you say that?”
    Nick lowered his eyes to the base of her throat. “This,” he pressed his finger on her pounding pulse, “gives you away.”
    A slight blush rose up her cheeks. She tightened the towel and edged back again, losing her balance. Nick reached an arm around her waist, pulling her forward. She landed against his chest. Her eyes widened as she sucked in a breath.
    Nick had the sudden urge to keep her pressed against him, which both confused and irritated him. He pulled her away from the edge of the pool, and then stepped back to put some distance between them. “You should be more careful.”
    “You put me in the position to fall.”
    “You put yourself in a position to fall. You should never have gone to the cottage, Cali. It wasn’t a smart move.”
    “Oh, yeah? What if I told you I found something that may help us find her?”
    “What?”
    “I found a ticket stub. I think she went to the Coral Isle Lighthouse last Wednesday. And she wasn’t alone.”
    “You think so?”
    “Yes. It was a ticket for two admissions.”
    “I know.”
    Her brows lifted. “You do?” she asked in a high-pitched voice.
    “Yes. She went with a neighbor who had rented a cottage next door to her.”
    “Did you interrogate this neighbor?”
    “Well,” Nick rubbed his hand across the scratchy stubble on his jaw, “I didn’t exactly handcuff the elderly woman and haul her to the station, but I did ask her questions.”
    “Elderly woman?” The hope in Cali’s eyes dwindled, and he felt a twinge of regret.
    “Yes, elderly. She and Serena went