Jack was thankful for the lateness of the hour and the lack of tourists as he followed Sue to the elevators that would take them to the ground floor. He couldn't tear his eyes from her legs; instead he allowed himself a very slow, thorough perusal of their shapely perfection from her delicate ankles up to her muscled hamstrings, as far as her modest shorts would allow. From there, his vivid imagination took over as he watched her cute derriere gently sway from side to side, and he wondered exactly how far her tan extended.

Stopping in front of the elevator doors, she waited impatiently for the car to arrive, turning to give Jack an impish smile. "Thank you for humoring me with a visit to the beach. I might just reward you with a belly rub when we get back," she winked, turning and stepping through the open doors, waiting for him to join her.

He stood beside her, desperately trying to tamper his racing pulse, let loose by her innocent words. Exiting on the ground floor, he took her arm, guiding her toward the open doors on the veranda and down the steps to the water beckoning beyond. While Sue was mesmerized with the sight before her, he took time to notice the green flag at the edge of the beach indicating gentle surf and calm currents. He halted when she turned and grabbed his arm with both of her hands.

"Look at it, Jack!" she exclaimed, "Have you ever seen anything more lovely?" Her tone was quiet and full of awe, her eyes wide and luminous as she gazed out over the water.

"Yeah," he murmured hoarsely while her attention was back on the vision before them, "You." Clearing his throat when she looked back his way, he nodded his head in agreement. "It is beautiful out here."

They stood side by side in companionable silence for several minutes before he reached over and squeezed her hand, gaining her attention. "Want to walk?"

She nodded eagerly, slipping off her shoes and venturing into the sand. "Oh," she sighed, "This feels great. You're going love it, Jack," she guessed while she waited on him to roll up his slacks. "I can't wait," she suddenly squealed, turning and running to the water's edge, letting the surf run over her feet. Jumping up and down with unrestrained joy, she laughed delightedly, all reservations about the week ahead ebbing out to sea with the tide. Spinning, she flung her arms around Jack's neck as he approached, hugging him closely while bouncing on her toes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is great!"

He was taken by surprise by her actions but he recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist and anchoring her to him as her body rubbed against him repeatedly in her excitement. The scent that had teased him for the entire plane trip now surrounded him, and he couldn't resist dipping his head to the nape of her neck and inhaling deeply, causing tremors to race through his body.

She threw back her head and giggled, "That tickles. You have whiskers," she complained good-naturedly, reaching up to stroke his shadowy chin without thinking, running her fingers over the bristly texture.

"You shouldn't smell so good," he grumbled good-naturedly, unconsciously pulling her closer.

Suddenly aware of their close proximity and unable to stand still under the intensity of his gaze, she ducked her head and stepped back, immediately feeling the loss of being close to him. "I've read about this," she announced seriously when she finally looked up.

"About what?" he asked, his curiosity rising.

"Travel dementia," she answered seriously, gnawing on her bottom lip to keep from smiling. "People go mad from being cooped up on a plane for extended periods of time and lose their minds," she said while circling her right index finger around her temple, indicating his brain was mixed up.

"So I'm crazy if I think you smell good?" he laughed, looking at her as if she were the one that had lost her mind.

"Among other things," she agreed, her mind drifting back to their earlier conversation, a thrill of excitement shimmying through her. "You certainly are acting a bit, um, different. It must be the moon," she finally concluded.

"What does the moon have to do with the way I'm acting?" he laughed, not denying her claim.

She bent down to run her fingers through the water lapping at her calves, before straightening to answer him. "My mom always said that a full moon made people act crazy. I'm beginning to believe her."

"I'd call it a lover's moon," he responded when he had her attention.

"Why is that?" she asked with what she hoped was a steady voice.

He shrugged. "It's big and bright, giving off enough light to enjoy the nighttime with the object of your affection," he said, intentional with his choice of words, watching as her eyes once again skirted from his, taking in their surroundings.

"Jack!" she suddenly hissed, moving toward him and turning him toward the beach. "Look!" she pointed, hiding behind him. "It's Lucy and Daryl. What do you think they're doing out here?"

Laughing, he turned around, finding her hunkered behind him. "I assume they're enjoying the romantic atmosphere. They are to be married soon. I'm sure time alone is at a premium right now. It's what I'd do with you if our roles were reversed," he confessed, surprising himself. "Why are you hiding behind me? If Lucy sees me she'll assume you're out here too."

"True," she replied with an embarrassed grin. "I guess I'm hoping to avoid one of her matchmaking tirades. She's been relentless lately."

"Yeah, so I hear," he said, suddenly frowning. "Want to tell me about Peters?"