Seaside Kisses: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Rafael had essentially walked away from his failing business in order to avoid going into debt.
    "Well?" Brayden gave him an expectant look.
    Frowning, Rafael ran his hands through his hair. "If I tell you, do you promise not to bring it up again?"
    His brother's face turned serious. "Sure. What happened?"
    Rafael took a deep breath, preparing himself. He hated thinking about it, much less talking about it. "Tony had all these great ideas to grow the business. After seeing what he could do, I took him on as a partner. Stupidest decision of my life."
    Brayden arched a brow.
    "He made a bunch of decisions without talking to me. He made a major deal we had no way of completing. He promised a large company a huge order that would take at least twice our staff to complete, and he gave them a ridiculous discount on top of it. Tony swore we could do it. He convinced me it would bring in more money in the long run because the other company would continue business with us. We lost half of what I'd built and saved over that deal." Rafael took a deep breath, feeling the anger surfacing.
    "What did you do?" Brayden asked softly.
    "I panicked. We barely remained in the black. I've never lost so much sleep in my life. Not just worrying about everything, but spending every waking hour working to fulfill that order. And no, the other company did not return to us. Long story short, the mess trickled down and affected other accounts. Tony tried to fix his screw-up, but he made even more mistakes which finally dropped us into the red. He ruined everything I'd worked so hard for."
    Brayden let out a low whistle and shook his head. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
    Rafael shrugged. "It is what it is. Now all I can do is make the best of what I have left, and thankfully Mom and Dad have offered their help."
    "Well, if I can do anything for you, just let me know."
    "I've got it, but thanks. You ready to go?"
    "Yeah." They threw their food away and headed out.
    Just as they stepped outside, Amara and Janelle walked by.
    Rafael froze. His heart raced again, just like it had when he'd kissed her.
    He watched her for a moment before Janelle noticed them. They all exchanged hellos and went their own separate ways. Rafael tried to make eye contact with Amara, but she wouldn't look at him. His heart sank, but he knew it was for the best. Rafael couldn't risk getting heartbroken again, and he didn't want to hurt her, either.
    "Who was that with Janelle Anderson?" Brayden asked.
    "Amara Fowler."
    Brayden gave his brother a double take. "Amara? As in, Alex's twin sister?"
    "She grew up."
    "Wow, I'd say," Brayden said. "I didn't even recognize her. Apparently I've missed a lot while I was in Dallas. So many things have changed around here."
    "Yet so much hasn't," Rafael said.
    "Isn't that the truth?" Brayden asked. "So, how do you know so much about Amara?"
    Rafael had to be careful with his wording. He'd done a good job so far of keeping Brayden from asking any questions about his love life, and if he had an inkling for the feelings Rafael was trying to ignore toward Amara, he would want to know more.
    "She runs her parents' candy shop," Rafael said, fighting to sound natural. Why was it so hard?
    "Oh, right. It's just down the way from your new store."
    "Yeah. We ran into each other the other day and caught up." To say the least.

Five
     
    "What was that all about?" Janelle asked, giving Amara a curious glance.
    Amara's heart still pounded after seeing Rafael. On one hand, she was horrified that he regretted kissing her. On the other, she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss itself. She relived it in her mind over and over. His soft lips. The light scruff of his cheeks. The rugged smell of his cologne.
    "Amara?" Janelle asked.
    "What?" Amara blinked, trying to bring herself back to the present.
    "Oh, don't give me that. You nearly jumped out of your skin when you saw the two Hunter brothers."
    "You're imagining things." Amara hadn't even been able to look at