Desert of Desire Read Online Free PDF Page A

walking. “And how do you propose to do that?”
“Leave that to me. Go get dressed. We’re going out.”
She shook her head. “I’ve got to write my story. When will we do the interview?”
He nodded. “All right. First the interview, then we go.”
    * * * * *
     
Twenty minutes later they met in the living room.
“Okay,” she began. “When did you know you wanted to be an author?”
He shifted on the couch and crinkled his forehead. “I had to find a way to pay the bills.”
Being so close to him made it difficult for her to concentrate on work. Images of what they’d done in the garden kept barging into her head , her skin so dark against his . “All right. What made you want to plant a garden here, in the desert of all places?”
“It’s where I live, the most beautiful place in the country. Big cities make my skin crawl.”
She bristled. “We have gardens there too, you know.”
He smirked. “A couple of flowerpots on a balcony hardly qualifies.”
“So you’re a garden snob. ”
“I just don’t get why anyone would choose to live in an urban jungle when they could be somewhere like this.”
“I happen to like where I live. There’s culture and electricity and…oh yeah, jobs.” Yet the notion of living in the beautiful oasis he’d created seemed like a fairytale.
“I made my own job. That’s why I write. If given the choice, would you really choose the city over this?”
She forced herself not to think about the possibility of spending any more time with him in this beautiful place. “How many people can make a living at something like you have?”
He pinned her with a knowing smile. “You didn’t answer my question.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I thought I was the one doing the asking.”
“Do you have a nice home in New York?”
She thought about her tiny apartment with bars on the windows. “I have a very… lovely place.” Her gaze swept the large room with its colorful garden view. “Can we stick to the interview please?”
“Of course.” His self-satisfied grin irritated her. He’d seen through her lie, damn it.
When she finished with all her questions, she stood. “Okay. Now I’m yours.”
“Promise?”
Heat coursed through her. Since when could a man turn her libido on with just a a word? Ignoring his question, she followed him to his car. The drive took them through some of the most amazing scenery she’d ever seen.
He parked his truck on a scenic overlook next to the Grand Canyon then climbed out.
Eve joined him at the railing. The canyon seemed to stretch on forever and held more purples, blues and browns, more stunning formations that she could have imagined .
Sweeping his hand across the vista, he smiled. “What do you think?”
The beauty and the sheer scope of the place took her breath away. A majestic condor circled overhead before it landed on a nearby cliff. “I’ve seen pictures but I never knew.” Her heart was racing.
“Can’t be captured. You have to be here to understand, to commune with it. It changes you.”
She looked at him . “Someone else said that too.”
They spent the afternoon walking along the rim, holding hands and talking. After dinner at the El Tovar Hotel, they watched the sunset paint the canyon in darker shades. She couldn’t remember enjoying a day more, or a man’s company.
Her head swam with confusion during the drive back to Sedona. She had no doubt she’d begun falling for Beau and for his world , despite just meeting him . “You have so much beauty around you,” she said as they neared his house.
He lifted her hand to his lips and again, the contrast in their skin tones gave her pause . “Yes, I do.” He parked the truck. “I want to make love to you. This time in my bed.”
She swallowed hard. The temptation clutched at her, but she resisted. “I really ought to go to my hotel, check in. I’ve got to finish my story.”
His face fell. “Eve, please stay with me tonight. You can write your article in the