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Seth stood on the upper balcony of the two-story, sprawling mansion situated in the middle of Lawrence Island, just off the California coast, and stared into the ocean of blue that surrounded them

He was aother men wanted, but the core of sadness that had ceone away; the torturous arousal for a wo inside hi with the same ease And Seth had never stopped

Ten years was a long ti tih, he adrown in those ten years She hadn’t been ti—a s And it had turned hi abnor hot for her he’d nearly melted his chair

But those shadoere still in her eyes, and there was still a hint of fear there And she was still the one woman he couldn’t have All he had noas this and, maybe, the hope of someone to leave it to later A child perhaps rather than a fucking board of directors

The island was lushly vegetated, private and fairly large Cliffs fell into the ocean froe was a tropical paradise ringed by white sand beaches

Helicopters were landing on the eastern edge, along the helipads, and the additional house servants were collecting the guests in four-wheel-drive all-terrains, which would negotiate the rough roads to the house

Except for once every two years, Lawrence Island was a retreat rather than an entertainment center Then, every two years, each roos was filled

They were filling up now, even as he watched The pool behind the house was already in use, the billiards and cine prepared for the arrival of the fauests invited to enjoy the island

His father had begun the tradition of inviting s, and it was one Seth kneouldn’t keep up long He was already looking at scheduling the nextat the home offices of Lawrence Industries in New York City rather than using the island any longer

He leaned his arth of the upper story, clasped his hands and watched as the Breed heli-jet settled on the private helipad closer to the house

Dash Sinclair and his fa He watched as Cassie clith trails of thick curls whipping in the wind as she stared up at the house

He couldn’t see her expression, but he knew she was staring directly back at hi son at Sanctuary, his preferred location for the protection of his children when needed He couldn’t understand why he had brought his daughter

He wiped a hand over his face and fought back the regret that burned through his mind like wildfire Dawn could have been here, where he had drea her over the years She could have filled his mansion with her spirit, and her haunted sadness

Fuck Ten years

He stared out at the ocean again, the blue so intense it alined her there with him as he had a thousand ti his life and his passion That had been his dream, his hope, and it had followed hi htmarish proof of the life she had led in those labs