Alaskan Heat Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Sweetheart! What took you so long? I got lonely waiting.”
    He juggled the brown paper bag until he managed to get an arm around her shoulders. Whether it was her bottom lip jutted in a pout or his strong sense of survival, Hawk’s body tensed and his nostrils flared as if he smelled danger.
    Mel’s shrill voice rang out in the small area. “Idiot. Put the damn phone away before ya make a fool of yaself in fronta all these people. Give it to me.” With little effort, she wrestled it away.
    Everett grabbed for it. “I’m telling you, Mel, this guy—”
    “Shut up!’ Mel hissed. With a flirty look through her lashes, she sidled up to Hawk, pushing her triple D’s against his arm. “I apologize for my dolt of a husband. He don’t know his ass from his elbow. Why you don’t look at all like the man on that poster.”
    “Hey!” Everett protested. “Watch it. You’ll find yourself footing it to the lake.” He moved, bringing his stench closer.
    Sophie slid an arm around Hawk’s waist, pulled him away from Mel, putting his back to the couple. “Isn’t this exciting, honey? Someone thought you were a wanted man. It’s our honeymoon, you know.” She smiled at Mel. “Oh, the stories we’ll have to tell our children.”
    Accepting she’d batted out with Hawk, Mel muttered sour congratulations and latched onto Everett’s elbow. “Let’s go, pea brain, before these nice people press charges.”
    Sophie pasted a smile on her face and kept her gaze glued to Everett whose narrowed eyes bore holes through them as his wife maneuvered him out the door.

Chapter Five
    Sophie dropped her arm and stepped away from Hawk. “Wow! Too close for my peace of mind.”
    Hawk ignored her and pulled back the chintzy, faded yellow curtain to peer out of the small window.
    “Let’s get out of here,” Sophie pressed. “I need fresh air.”
    Hawk seized her arm. “Wait. I don’t want them to know what we’re driving.”
    He scanned the rest of the store. No one paid them any attention. Feigning interest, he walked to bulletin board and read notices pinned to the cork. A teenager looking for babysitting jobs. Bear traps and live bait for sale. A ten-year-old snow machine, “as is”. He ripped off a telephone number on one of the tabs under the snowmobile ad. At the same time, he snatched the poster and shoved it in his pocket.
    His imagination ran amok, playing every possible scenario of the consequences if Blair and Reed got their hands on him and Sophie. Each one was more horrific than the last. Fear for Sophie got his heart beating overtime.
    Sophie jumped when he touched her back. “Ready?”
    “Ten minutes ago.” She shifted from foot to foot, making it clear she couldn’t get outside fast enough.
    Her hand reached for the doorknob.
    “Wait.”
    “Now what’s the matter?”
    “I’ll go out first,” he said. “For a final check to make sure Pa and Ma Kettle are gone,” he quickly added when she started to protest. Before she could argue, he slipped out the door.
    Satisfying himself no one suspicious hung around the lot, Hawk waved, giving Sophie the all clear signal.
    She came out on wobbly legs. “Are you okay?”
    She attempted a smile. “Do I look that bad? I’m fine. Just a bit unsettled.”
    “Give me the keys. I’ll drive.”
    “Yeah, right. No license, remember? We’re screwed if we get stopped. You can bet those two goons have put out APB’s with the state police.”
    They’d reached the truck, and Hawk smashed his fist into the back of the camper. Damn! That was stupid. “You’re right. The motherfuckers.”
    Rueger growled. “Sorry, Killer. Won’t happen again.”
    Sophie hustled into the driver’s seat. She seemed steadier. Her momentary lapse must have been a letdown from the adrenaline rush.
    Three hours later, Hawk was ready to rocket through the roof. The thick tension swirling inside the truck drove him nuts. Twice he’d attempted to make conversation and received a grunt