Enticing Interlude (Tempest #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

from the plane and wasn’t surprised that I’d woken up after only a couple of hours of sleep. Carter and I had gone to bed pretty early. It was going to take us a while to get settled and adjust to the new time zone.
    I quietly closed the door and slipped out into the hall.
    As soon as I reached the kitchen I heard them, Lace’s throaty laugh and a very deep, very turned on sounding male moan.
    Awkward!
    My cheeks flamed as the unmistakable sounds of lovemaking continued. It was a good thing their bedroom was on the complete opposite side of the apartment from ours. Looking for an immediate escape, my gaze landed on the glass door to the balcony. I slid it open and stepped outside. A blast of cold crisp Pacific Northwest air hit my face like a cold shower.
    I tightened the belt of my thick terry cloth robe and pulled the lapels closer together as I moved to the railing and stared out at the urban landscape. A few lights twinkled back at me from the surrounding buildings. A glance at the residential side street below showed a couple making their way up the sloped sidewalk, probably leaving a midnight showing from the movie theatre across the street.
    “Bridget.”
    I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice. My head swiveled in his direction. Even though there was a full wooden partition separating his balcony from mine, his smooth voice warmed my neck as though he were standing right beside me, his mouth near my ear.
    “Justin.” I shivered and swallowed nervously. “What are you doing up? It’s late, and it’s cold. And anyway,” I was rambling and sucked in a needed breath, “How did you even know it was me out here?”
    There was a long pause. A light breeze ruffled my bangs. “I smelled your perfume.”
    “I don’t wear perfume,” I returned.
    “But I caught a whiff of it earlier in my apartment. It’s kinda flowery.”
    “Oh, you must mean my shampoo and conditioner.” My orchid infused hair products were a frivolous indulgence. I would never admit, even to myself, how much it thrilled me that he had noticed that small detail.
    “Well, whatever it is, it smells fantastic.”
    “Thanks,” I mumbled, deciding that the smart move right now would be to turn around and go back inside. This felt too flirty and too intimate to be a good idea. I was already way too attracted to him. What woman wouldn’t be? He was handsome enough to be a model. But there was no reason to make things harder on myself. “I’d better get back to bed.”
    “Stay.” His voice dropped an octave, curling persuasively around me like an embrace. “Talk to me a bit. I can’t sleep.”
    “No. I shouldn’t…”
    “Why the hell not?” Irritation replaced the persuasion purr. “You obviously can’t sleep, either. Why can’t we talk? What are you worried about?”
    I hesitated, tempted, my palm on the cold glass.
    “Is it because of me? You seemed really nervous earlier. Did I do something wrong? Surely, Lace has told you what a great guy I am.”
    I decided to approach his comment literally even though it was obvious from his tone that he was teasing me. “No we haven’t talked about you, but then we haven’t talked much at all, not since Second Chances.” And after that just the one phone call, and I’d only stayed on the line long enough to beg to come and stay with her.
    “Second Chances. The rehab place in Florida?”
    “Yes.”
    “You work there?”
    “No.” I shook my head automatically even though he couldn’t see it.
    “You were there for treatment?” He sounded surprised.
    “Yeah.” I thought surely that admission would end whatever kind of interest he might have in me. I’d been such a loser to go down that path, but then that was me- pregnant as a teen, drug addict in college. I was a poster child for bad choices.
    “I can relate.”
    What? I couldn’t believe it. Justin Jones into drugs? He seemed so put together.
    He continued to explain as though he’d heard my thoughts. “I