Beneath the Covers (Kimani Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

first three places, before having to travel to another location. This provided Ashley plenty of opportunities to shop for any additional items she needed. But she didn’t like interruptions, and she didn’t take kindly to Peter’s suggestion that Claudia go for a walk with him. At least, not at that moment.
    “This won’t take long,” he said in an indulgent voice that made everyone relax.
    Claudia cast an uneasy glance at Ashley then looked back at Peter. Since their kiss, she’d done her best to avoid being alone with him. Distance was her best defense. It’s what she’d told her friend Tamara, who was one of the few who knew about her past with Peter, a month ago when she’d asked how she would handle him.
    “Are you sure you want to do this?” Tamara asked, unsure after Claudia told her about the project. “I know the money is good, but I have several exes I don’t want to see, let alone work with.”
    “It will work out. He won’t want to deal with me, and I’ll stay away from him.”
    “But you’re going to be cohosting a show with him!”
    “I know.”
    “Just remember to be careful.”
    She thought of her friend’s words now as she looked at Peter’s face, which gave nothing away. “I know I keep screwing up, and I’m sorry. I—”
    Peter shook his head. “That’s not why I asked you to walk with me. Come on.” He left.
    “I guess you’d better follow,” Ashley said, resigned.
    Claudia jumped out of her chair and did just that.
    Once she’d caught up with him, she tried not to bite off her carefully applied lipstick, but she couldn’t imagine what Peter had to say. She knew she was awful. The thought of the past two days galled her. She was used to being a success, of wowing a crowd. But recently she produced only eye rolls and groans from some of the crew members. Peter hadn’t spoken directly to her since that first night. The past couple of days, he’d gone to bed late and gotten up early, and except for a cursory hello or good-night they didn’t converse. Claudia gazed down the stretch of white beach with its sparkling aquamarine water and powder blue sky, amazed she could feel miserable in paradise.
    The silence seemed to deepen as their distance from the crew grew. Claudia took a deep breath. “Before you say anything, I know you’re disappointed in me and you have every right. Putting me on TV was a gamble, and so far it’s not working out. Everyone has been patient, and I really appreciate that. So—ow!” She glared at him, rubbing her arm where he’d pinched her. “What did you do that for?”
    “I told you, that’s not why I wanted to walk with you.”
    “Then why?”
    “I want you to tell me why anyone should visit here.”
    Claudia threw out her hands. “That’s obvious.”
    “Not to me. I’ve come here so often, it doesn’t mean the same anymore.”
    She wasn’t surprised he’d been to Hawaii before. She knew he enjoyed life’s luxuries. “The women and the wine aren’t enough?”
    Peter ignored her comment and said, “Why should people—single people—come?”
    “This beach is gorgeous.”
    He shrugged. “I’ve been to a lot of beaches.”
    “You cannot ignore the sugar white sands and gorgeous weather.”
    “Sure I can.”
    “It’s the perfect place to show off one’s figure.”
    “So?”
    “To enjoy the sensuous smell of the many varieties of tropical flowers found on the island. Listening to the cry of native birds. The—”
    He pointed at her. “That’s it!”
    She halted. “What?”
    “That’s what we need on camera. That passion. Be yourself—natural, fun, friendly. You’re talking to the women who’ve bought your books and made them bestsellers. They want to connect with you. Give them that chance. Be their friend. Can you do that?”
    “Yes.”
    “Good. Also, don’t memorize your lines. Believe them. Own them. Make them yours.”
    Claudia nodded. “Okay.”
    Peter reached into his trouser pocket and took out a tiny