Harbour of Refuge Read Online Free PDF Page A

to know you? We have a bit before the hotel, did you not want to talk at all?”
    “I didn’t think you would.”
    He halted her beneath a street light. She gazed at him, lost in his eyes and waited for him to speak. An indescribable emotion flashed briefly, but it was gone too fast for her to identify.
    “Humour me.”
    She could do that. “I am an only child, although I was close to one cousin, he was like a brother to me.”
    “Was?”
    “He died almost five years ago now.” A fond smile lifted her lips at his memory. “His name was Kurt.”
    “I’m sorry to bring up bad memories.”
    A shake of the head. “You didn’t. Kurt was all about living life to the fullest and loving hard, each and every day. I miss him, yes, but when I think of him it’s a smile the memories bring to my face. What about you?”
    “There are four of us. Three boys. One girl.”
    She grinned at the thought of having siblings. He steadied her as they stepped off a kerb then crossed the street.
    “You’re the youngest.” She caught his grin in her periphery.
    “What makes you say that?”
    “Just a guess.” They stepped back on the sidewalk and she saw the large hotel at the corner. Her steps faltered.
    “Are you all right?”
    “Fine.” Nerves didn’t count, did they? And she did want to be with him. “So are you?”
    “I am the youngest. Mama’s baby.”
    Family was good, kept her mind off the fact they were almost to his hotel. Where they would… Huh, would you look at that, she stumbled again.
    “And what, are all of you into boat racing? Is it a family venture?”
    “No, although my eldest brother, Valentino, did come out to see me here. He was the scowling one at the table this morning when you got the autographs.”
    “Oh, yes, I remember him.”
    He paused and she saw him contemplating.
    “Is everything okay?”
    “Oh, yeah.” His remark full of sexual promise.
    She tugged on his arm to get him to stop and look at her. When he did, she spoke. “If you leave me here, no one will be the wiser.”
    Those brown eyes of his narrowed. He watched her for a few charged moments before his expression morphed into confusion.
    “Is that what you’d like? Me to leave you here?”
    Her? Oh, hell no . She shook her head. “Not at all, but you seem hesitant to go there with me.”
    “I am.”
    Years of schooling her features came in handy to keep the disappointment from showing on her face. “I see.”
    “No, I don’t think you do, sweetheart.”
    “How hard can it be to understand? You don’t want to take me through there. I get it. No big deal.” She turned to walk away, only to halt at his hand securing around her upper arm.
    She peered at him over her shoulder, an eyebrow lifted in question. Her stare flickered from his face to where he held her.
    “I was thinking of you. That perhaps you may not want your face plastered all over the papers. Then I stare at you and I think it doesn’t matter, just get you up to my room so I can finally remove your clothes and look at the body you’ve been tempting me beyond sanity with all night.”
    She dropped her gaze, pleasure rushing over her. He stepped closer to her, the heat from his body surrounding her like a cloak. Not that it was cold out, but still she wanted to roll in the warmth and soak it up.
    “I want to lick every inch of your skin. Feel your hair as it drags across my body. I want you on your back, hands and knees, side, any way as I slide deep into you. So make no mistake about my hesitation, for I sure as hell want you.”
    Trembling, she offered up no resistance when he reached for her hand. She gulped when he placed her palm over his crotch. There was no way she could ignore the stiffness behind the jean’s material. She flexed her fingers around him, he was thick and long, and he groaned.
    Her body responded and she swallowed hard. She wasn’t going to fool herself. She wanted him.
    “Then why are we still out here?”
    A rumble left him as he