The sun caressed the beach with its warm light, making the sand look like gold dust beneath his feet. Lucian watched from the shadows of the palm trees, his tall, slender figure perfectly hidden among the gnarled trunks and dancing leaves. There was something about this place, at this moment, that seemed like it was from a dream... or a trap. The salty breeze carried the echo of distant laughter, but his attention was fixed on her. Always on her.
Eliza.
He saw her sitting on a blanket, with a glass of champagne in her hand and an open book she barely seemed to be reading. Her hair shone under the sun, and although her expression was calm, Lucian could sense the uneasiness emanating from her body. She was alert, as if sensing that someone was watching her. He knew because he himself had felt that same tension before, that mixture of curiosity and fear that now played at the edges of his mind.
