Island Peril Read Online Free PDF Page B

geophysicist.”
    His gaze locked on hers for a moment before he looked away.
    Ella changed the subject, aware of his discomfort. “That was quick thinking, climbing down the cliff. I should thank you for saving my life.”
    “It was my pleasure.”
    “Have you evaded criminals before? You’re good at it.”
    “I got mugged in Brazil once,” he said, his mouth quirking.
    “How was it?”
    “Mercifully quick.”
    “Did you fight?”
    “No. It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to react.”
    “What were you doing in Brazil?”
    “Traveling with my girlfriend. We spent most of our summers backpacking. For the first few years after the quake, I was restless.”
    “What changed?”
    “I guess I did. I talked her into settling down in Modesto, which is close to where my sister lives. But she didn’t like it there, so we came to LA instead. Six months later, she wanted to move again.”
    “And you didn’t?”
    “I couldn’t. I’d just signed a two-year teaching contract. And I doubted she’d stay in the next place.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know. She wasn’t happy unless we were traveling.”
    Ella wondered if he was still in love with her. “Where is she now?”
    “Nepal last I heard.”
    “You haven’t talked to her?”
    “Not lately. When we first broke up, she’d call every few weeks and say she missed me. Then I’d feel bad.”
    “My ex did the same thing,” she said, remembering Kevin’s frequent texts. “I think it was his way of trying to hold on.”
    “How did you handle it?”
    “I stopped answering.”
    “Yeah,” he said, sighing.
    “Maybe you’re not ready to meet someone new.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “You’ve only been out on two dates.”
    “No, I’ve gone out with two different girls .”
    Ella thought back. “You kept seeing the one you had nothing in common with?”
    “We had one thing in common.”
    “Star Wars?”
    He chuckled at her joke, scanning the trail.
    She wasn’t surprised by the admission that he’d engaged in a physical-only relationship. It was a typical rebound move. Abby used her friends-with-benefits situation to avoid commitment—and to protect herself from getting hurt again.
    “Why haven’t you gone out with anyone?” he asked.
    “Who says I haven’t?”
    “Have you?”
    “No.”
    His lips curved into a knowing smile.
    “Do I give off a desperate vibe?”
    “No,” he said, laughing a little. “You give off an absent-professor vibe, as if it doesn’t occur to you that men find you attractive. Maybe you just don’t notice them looking because you’re too busy thinking about...plate tectonics. I’ll bet you get wrapped up in research and forget to eat.”
    Ella didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. She often lost track of time and skipped meals while she was working. Although she could satisfy her other physical needs, her love life had been sadly inactive. A battery-operated device wasn’t the same as a flesh and blood man. “I’m not good at this,” she said, gesturing between them.
    “At what?”
    “Social interactions.”
    “You’re great at social interactions.”
    “I stammer and blush and spout science terms.”
    “Like speleothem?”
    Groaning, she clapped a hand over her eyes.
    “It’s adorable.”
    “Anything but that.”
    “Okay, it’s sexy.”
    She looked through her fingers. “Sexy? Come on.”
    “I like big words. Say ‘transtension.’”
    He was teasing her again. She knew enough about male—female dynamics to sense that. But he also seemed sincere in his compliments. And he was so handsome , with his tawny hair and thick eyelashes, his strong hands and toned body.
    Maybe he liked big words...and small breasts. When his gaze dropped to the front of her shirt, her nipples tightened in response.
    “Transtension,” she said, lifting her lips to his.

CHAPTER FOUR
    K ISSING HIM WAS a bad idea.
    They were stranded on a remote, inhospitable island. Drug smugglers had chased them away from