Tides of Love (Seaswept Seduction Series) Read Online Free PDF

to her, his jaw dropping.
    "Oh, Noah." She wrapped her arms about her stomach and laughed. The only other word he understood was, he believed, "fussbucket."
    Fussbucket? He moved to stand, sand squeaking beneath his heels.
    She circled his wrist with a finger and a thumb, a gentle appeal. "Stay." She nodded to the basket, curls bouncing against her cheek, smile teasing her lips. "I've brought lunch. Enough for an army."
    Yes, he smelled her lunch. He smelled her. Honeysuckle and a dash of something woodsy, like moist earth. "I couldn't—"
    "Yes, you can. You're too thin. You must be hungry."
    Famished, in fact. A turkey sandwich in the train's dining car had been his last meal. Still....
    His gaze sliced to her feet, her pink toes digging in the sand. Skin as soft as it seemed, he would bet. Scooting over another inch, he stared hard at a flock of sanderlings bustling around a beached jellyfish. "I don't—"
    She shushed him, so he sat. Completely bewildered, while she chattered and shuffled, unpacking enough food for her army. Slices of ham, four chicken legs, a loaf of bread, a small round of cheese, three pickles, two apples, one orange, and a jar of lemonade. The necessities: tablecloth, napkins, forks, plates, cups. Once she'd placed the items in an admittedly handsome composition, she sat, skirt bunched beneath her.
    She handed him a napkin. He folded the linen square neatly in his lap, yielding to the surge of relief to see her limbs adequately covered.
    "I've brought dessert," she said and tucked Rory's napkin into his rumpled collar.
    The males leaned forward, peering into the basket. A feast, a child's feast, lay inside. A chocolate bar, a bag of vinegar taffy, and at least ten different penny candies, everything getting mushy in the sun. Rory released a delighted whoop, which Noah silently echoed. He tilted his head her way as a small smile curved his lips, wondering if she remembered his sweet tooth.
    A green-eyed glance, an impish smirk. He didn't know what to make of the teasing look. He had never known what to make of Marielle-Claire Beaumont. Mischief and shenanigans, pranks and rough horseplay, accidental touches and a fierce desire to protect. Helplessly, he glanced at her blotchy bodice, doing its best to dry under fixed sunlight and steady gusts of wind. Sinking his teeth into the chicken leg, he tore off a chunk and looked away.
    Same old Professor, Elle noted with little surprise.
    Deliberate chewing, measured swallows, a leisurely sip now and again. He ate like an aristocrat, long legs folded gracefully, hand propped on the blanket, not a smack or a slurp slipping past. When he finished, he plucked two apples from the basket and flipped one to Rory, who scrambled to catch it, hands cupped. Noah polished his on his creased trouser leg and took a neat bite. Rory mimicked, then attacked with enthusiasm. They shared a smile and a laugh, mouths full of apple bits.
    Elle dabbed at the vinegar pooled beneath her pickle. Seeing them together, looking like a matched set, rattled her.
    In her youth, when one of Noah's dispassionate displays pushed her fury over the edge, she would make the mistake of gazing into his face long enough to witness a spark of loneliness, or merciful heavens, grief. Which only served to solidify her love like a clay pot in a kiln.
    Slipping her finger between her lips, she sucked the tip clean of vinegar. The scent of wet wool drifted to her on a gentle breeze. Wool? Ah, Noah's sweater. She glanced at him, found him staring at her, a pale gray assessment. She popped her finger from her mouth as Rory hummed an off-key tune, a joyful, abstracted ditty. She wanted to know everything about him. Did he have a fiancée? Juste Ciel, a wife?
    She searched, trying to read him. She could do it if he gave her enough time.
    With a muttered oath, Noah bolted to his feet, scattering sand. "Rory, how about a walk?"
    Rory jumped at the chance and raced toward the water; Noah followed with a