Passion Key (A Romance & Suspense Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

three-mile mark, according to the running app on her phone, Justine had turned around and started the run back toward the resort. Now, she was less than an eighth of a mile from home.  She smiled at the thought of her calling the resort home. But it was her home now, and she was happy about that.
    She slowed to a walk, her chest heaving with the exertion, her body covered with sweat.  Justine stopped for a second and slipped off her shoes and socks, and veered into the water.
    That’s what she loved about Florida.  Everything was made to live cleanly. The water was beautiful and cool on her legs and feet.  The sand felt great on her toes.
    Justine walked, letting the salt water massage her legs as her heartbeat gradually slowed and her breathing returned to normal. She reached down, scooped up some water and rubbed the sweat from her face, loving the taste of salt on her lips.
    When she got back she would–
    Something stabbed her in the thigh and she screamed, then lunged toward the shore as she simultaneously felt something slimy slide off her leg. She heaved out of the water and stood on the beach, pain burning her right thigh.
    Jellyfish.
    Of course! She’d heard of the damned things and how much they hurt.  And boy, did this hurt!
    She looked down at her leg and saw red marks around her thigh.  They were already swelling and a couple of them were dripping blood. She felt chills as she saw the wounds and knew she had to get back to the resort as quickly as possible.
    Justine tried to block out the pain as she raced up the beach, along the boardwalk and back to the resort’s office where she thought she had seen a first aid kit in one of the desk drawers. She slammed the door open, almost in tears.
    And came face to face with Archer Thorpe.
    “What’s wrong?” he said, setting down a screwdriver and a rag.  He looked at her leg.
    “I think–”
    Justine suddenly felt stronger chills run up and down her body. She was lightheaded.
    “Whoa,” he said, and caught her as she sagged against the wall. 
    “Easy,” Archer said as he scooped her into his arms.  He carried her into the office area and set her on the couch.
    He must have seen the wound on her leg because he said, “Looks like a jellyfish sting.  Ouch.”
    “It really hurts,” she said, hating how weak she sounded.
    “I think there’s a first-aid kit in the desk,” she added.
    There was a small kitchen off the office, and Archer went in there.
    She couldn’t believe how the sting was affecting her.  She wasn’t allergic to anything, she had been stung by bees two summers ago and nothing had happened.
    Justine looked down at her leg and saw that the marks were red and angry.  She heard rummaging in cupboards in the kitchen and then there was the sound of a faucet running.
    Archer returned with a couple of bottles and a bowl.
    “Had to wash my hands real quick,” he explained.
    He used a clean rag and held it up against the first bottle, which Justine could smell, was vinegar.  He dabbed the vinegar on her thigh and although it stung a little, and immediately afterward it felt numb, which was a major improvement.
    Next, he dumped some baking soda into the bowl that already had some water in it, and he stirred it into a paste, then dabbed that on her stings.
    She was surprised at how tender his touch was.  He put a clean dish towel under her leg, went to the kitchen and returned with some Tylenol.
    “Here take these, they’ll help.”
    Justine took the pills and leaned her head back.
    “I’m sorry about this,” she said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your work.”
    “Who said I was working?” he said and then laughed.
    The moment of humor took her mind off the pain and she smiled.
    “You’re not going to charge me for medical services are you?” she asked.
    “No, I would rather you owed me one.”
    His eyes seemed to dance in front of her and she wasn’t sure it was a hallucination from the stings.  But she saw compassion