Chasing Ava: A Bachelor of Shell Cove Novel (The Bachelors of Shell Cove) Read Online Free PDF Page B

forward momentum. Her right forearm flew to her face in preparation for a crush landing that never came. Hard hands circled her waist before she felt hard muscle against her body.
    “I’ve got you.” A brief glance up in those gorgeous green eyes and Ava had to agree. He had her. She took a moment to compose herself, inhaling a deep breath before moving a step back.  
    “Thank you.” She managed to push out in a shaky voice. “Hopefully, you won’t have to rescue me a third time in one night.” A wicked grin spread across his face and her heart did a back flip in her chest.
    “The hero always gets the girl.” The breath in Ava’s lungs froze at the statement. He wasn’t asking a question because he knew. A tug at the hand he still held had her in motion as he navigated the dance floor. Avoiding the partygoers with all four limbs moving simultaneously and the soul train line enthusiasts, they joined the other couples at the margins of the floor. Some were young, maybe earlier twenties or so, some older, but all looked content to be in the arms of the one holding them.  
    He positioned her with the grace of a man accustomed to handling delicate things and then pulled her into his embrace. The warmth of his arms encircled her when he fused their bodies from chest to hip. She felt an arc of energy at the contact and relished the strength in his touch. Tonight she would lower her shields allowing herself to savor the pleasure of his confident hold on her body. The fluid motion of his body was a song within itself.Logan was a large man, but he covered the dance floor with masculine elegance.Effortlessly he led her through each step.  
    His name was nice. Logan, Logan, Logan was the refrain that kept running through her mind.The feel of his body was comforting and solid. She couldn’t stop herself from sampling his scent. With care she pressed her nose into his left pectoral muscle. She took a deep, slow breath savoring his male aroma as it crashed into her senses triggering an endorphin high. To feel his body as she breathed in his masculinity was magnificent.His fresh, cedar wood scent slowly engulfed her. Heat crept up her inner thigh; her breasts tingled, and swelled. Her nipples came to attention with the swiftness of soldiers on duty. Oh no, that’s not all the endorphins had turned on. He’s going to think I’m a slut. Heat infused her face, and she refused to look at him.Maybe he hadn’t noticed.  
    His feet stopped moving. He noticed. She stiffened in his arms. Lifting her head a fraction, she gave a cautious glance in their immediate vicinity, hoping no one else saw them. She felt like her nipples were neon red lights flashing look at me I’m erect . A few staff members she recognized chose that moment to make eye contact.  
    “Ava.” Her heart rate spiked at the husky change in his voice. “It’s been a rough night for you. I want to keep you safe from everything.” The way he spoke made her think he was including himself.
    “I need you to stay in control, or there will be no undoing what will happen between us tonight. Do you understand?”  
    He thought she was wanton. Being a gentleman, he was chastising her without judgment in his tone. He was kind to have asked her to dance and look how she repaid his courtesy. She was hopeless. Lead weights anchored her feet in place. How could she have let this happen? There was a reason she kept away from him. Oh, God this is awful. The baritone of his voice obliterated her run away negative self-talk.  
    “You are an ocean away.” He pulled her into his heat. His hip pressed into her lower abdomen. The warmth of his breath tickled the side of her neck. “Come back to me Ava.”
    One command dispelled the trance her mind had created. Instantaneous autopilot was a skill she had perfected through the years. Only those closest to her could identify when she disconnected from the surrounding world. He had noticed.
    “What did you say, Dr. Masters?”