Starfish Island Read Online Free PDF Page A

felt good against her face. She wasn’t going to find it hard at all to get used to her new life. She couldn’t wait to go for a walk on the beach and dig her toes into the sand.
    The sound of snapping leaves and breaking branches caught her attention. Her throat tightened and fear filled her limbs. If something were to happen, who would hear her cries for help?
    As if on cue, a loud screeching noise tore through the night. After a few seconds that seemed like forever, she regained control of her senses. She ran inside and threw the doors shut with a resounding bang.
    Just then, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap tightly around her. “Don’t let that noise get to you,” said a laughing voice in her ear. “It’s only an owl.”

  
    Chapter Three
     
    MICHAEL HAD TRADED his work clothes for a pair of black linen pants and a short-sleeved silk shirt, the cut emphasizing his broad shoulders. Looking at his thighs outlined in the dark material, Nicole brushed away a sharp pang of desire. She had no intention of entertaining any sexual feelings for this man. No matter how sexy he was.
    She answered his friendliness with a curt reply. “Oh, it’s you.”
    He leaned in to kiss her cheek again, but she took a few steps back, escaping any possibility of an embrace. “I thought you had plans for the evening,” she said, immediately regretting her choice of words. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she was interested—or worse, jealous.
    He pulled her back to stand in front of him, resting his hands on either side of her face as if he was going to kiss her. “I came back to see if you remembered anything about who might have been following you before you almost ran us down. It’s important.”
    “What makes you think I was being followed?” Nicole said, anger forgotten in surprise. She stepped away, intent on maneuvering around him and out the door.
    He put his arm up to block her exit. “Well?” He never broke eye contact as he ran his fingers down her arm, lifted her hand, and placed a lingering kiss on her palm.
    She stared at his lips, wondering how they would feel against hers. “Since you’re here, you might as well sit down.” Watch yourself, or your plan to tease and flirt isn’t going to work . She already wanted more but had no intention of getting her heart broken.
    “Don’t mind if I do.” He winked. “I love this house almost as much as I do my own. I spent all my boyhood summers here on the island. My siblings and I always liked to come over to see if your grandmother had baked any cookies and how much trouble we could get into.”
    “Tell me more about my grandmother and this brother of yours,” Nicole said. This time, she remembered to smile as she sank down on the middle cushion of the loveseat, not leaving him room to sit next to her.
    “Mind if I pour myself a glass of wine?” He uncorked the bottle sitting on the table and offered her a refill, which she declined. He ignored the seat that Ellis Sadler had occupied and squeezed into the space next to her, forcing her to move over. They sat face to face, legs touching.
    She shook her head, embarrassed that she hadn’t bothered to offer him any refreshment. He looks very much at ease; too much at home. They looked like a couple who’d enjoyed sitting before many fires over the years. She wanted to push herself farther back, but forced herself to sit still.
    “Instead of me rambling on about the history of the house and the Alexander family, why don’t you just ask me questions and I’ll do my best to answer?”
    Nicole really looked at him for the first time since he entered the room and met a pair of intense blue eyes that watched her every move. The slight curve of his controlled mouth hinted at an invitation.
    He wrapped his fingers in her hair and inclined his head toward her. “I’ve been thinking about kissing you ever since my near-death experience this afternoon.”
    Her heart jumped. Remember, he’s a playboy