Buck's Landing (A New England Seacoast Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

out her speculative reverie.
    He was in plaid shorts and a navy blue tee with “Maine” printed across his chest in academic lettering. She hadn’t noticed his clothing earlier outside the nail salon. Of course, then he hadn’t been standing under the flood lights, the sun-bleached streaks in his shoulder-length hair emphasized by the clear light, a day’s stubble shadowing his jaw. Which she wasn’t noticing now.
    “Violet Crime,” she replied. He had a hungry way of looking at her, like she was a pastry on a dessert cart. “Don’t you have a business to run?”
    “Theo’s got the till for a minute, then I’m sending him out into the world. He’s got tickets to some loud show at the Casino Ballroom tonight.” He leaned over the counter. “And I did promise to come see you another time.”
    He smelled like laundry soap and cloves. She tried for cool. “Was that a promise or a threat?”
    “Definitely a promise.”
    A group of golfers came through. Silas stayed casually to the side, making small talk with some of them.
    Sofia was incredulous. “You really do flirt with everyone.”
    “It’s just called manners,” he said easily, “and being interested in people. It’s good business.”
    “Is that it?” She asked dryly.
    “Flirting aside, I’d like to buy you a drink, or dinner, or lunch; whatever’s easiest.”
    “You aren’t going to say, ‘or breakfast?’ and wink outrageously?” she countered snidely.
    “I’d love to buy you breakfast,” he said, raising an eyebrow, “but even for me, that’s presumptuous. We haven’t even had a first date.”
    “Are you always this arrogant?”
    “Are you always this prickly?”
    He’d gotten close. Dangerously close to the wall she’d only finished repairing after Judy’s assault, temptingly close to her suddenly dry mouth and thudding pulse.
    “Listen, Silas,” she said. “I appreciate you being neighborly, and I’m glad you found your cat the other day, but I’m not interested in dating you.”
    She didn’t expect the cocky smile. “Now who’s being arrogant?”
    “What?”
    “I asked you out for a drink; you’re already breaking up with me. Maybe I won’t want to date you after we have drinks.”
    He was challenging her. She couldn’t help taking the bait. It had been a long time since a man had gotten under her skin so quickly. “Trust me. If I wanted you to want to date me, you would.”
    Another group of prospective mini-golfers came through. Again, Silas chatted them up, finding out in the time it took to process a debit card where they were from, and how long they were staying.
    When they’d left, he closed in on her again. “So what you’re saying is, when we have drinks, if I come away wanting to date you, it’s because you want me to?”
    She smiled smugly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
    “Then you’re saying yes to getting a drink with me.” He looked positively triumphant. “I knew I’d talk you around.”
    “Wow.” Sofia shook her head and frowned. “And no, that’s not what I’m saying.”
    “When you frown like that, I want to kiss you.”
    He’d let his voice go husky, leaning across the counter. The breath left her lungs, and a delicious, anticipatory flutter raised gooseflesh on her arm.
    “I’ve got to get back to the store. Theo’s going to want to get going.” He pushed away from the window. “Think about that drink, Sofia. I know I’m going to.”

 
     
     
     
     
    THREE
     
     
    Sofia woke to the crash and screech of the 5:00 a.m. garbage collection. By the time she parked her car in the High Hanover Garage in Portsmouth, she’d been up and busy for six hours. The quick walk from the garage to her real estate agent’s storefront office gave her a few moments to soak in the near-forgotten ambiance of the seaside city.
    “I’m reasonably confident we can sell quickly, especially with the property priced to move.” Kevin Landry tapped a sheaf of paper on the desk, filed