Valley of the Moon Read Online Free PDF

we were sharing a secret he would guard with his life.
    “I didn’t mean to ruin your nap,” he said. “I love naps.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and grinned. My insides were dissolving in a not-unpleasant way. He had deep dimples, dark hair, and gorgeous hazel eyes.
    I leaned against the car so I wouldn’t tumble out of my heels and unleashed what I hoped was a killer smile.
    “Ha, no, I wasn’t napping! Just checking out this beauty.” I tapped the Aston Martin. “It’s surprisingly comfortable.” I did a quick car salesman assessment, like my dad taught me to. You look at their shoes, check out their watch, give the wife or girlfriend a once-over for visible face work and flashy jewelry, and look for logos on their shirts. The good logos.
    In ten seconds I knew I had a winner, even though he looked a lot younger than our typical buyer.
    Sweater: Polo.
    Shiny watch on his wrist: Rolex.
    No visible girlfriend or wedding ring: Bonus.             
    “Are you shopping for a car, sir?” You idiot! He’s not shopping for a refrigerator!
    “You work here?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. I nodded. “Interesting. I just came in to see the Vanquish.”
    “Oh. I don’t think we have one of those in stock.” There goes your commission.
    He smirked. “Oh, you do,” he said, leaning forward a little, “but there was someone sleeping in it.”
    Where is a giant earthquake to swallow you up when you need one?
    “Um, sir, I would appreciate it if you could not tell my boss about that.”
    He took a step closer. “Your secret is safe with me, Goldilocks.” I looked up at his face, which was a big mistake. His eyes had some kind of tractor beam effect on me. Head to toe, he was, as Piper would say, a specimen. At least six feet tall, broad shoulders. And his mouth… don’t look at his mouth.
    “So tell me a little about it,” he said, leaning on the car and crossing his arms.
    “Ask me anything you want to know.” I didn’t know a single thing about it.
    “Speed?”
    “Zero to sixty in, like, seven seconds,” I guessed. “Give or take. It’s fast.”
    “I see. And the torque?” He stroked his chin. Was he serious?
    “Torque?”
    “How many Newton-meters of torque?”
    “Oh, those,” I said, dismissing his question with a wave of my hand. “Well, a lot. It has plenty of torque, believe me.”
    He nodded. “For three hundred grand, it better.” My mouth dropped. How much?
    I wanted this commission. My dad had promised me a hundred bucks if I ever managed to make a sale. Unleashing my biggest smile, I went for “the close,” as my dad called it.
    “The tech specs don’t matter on this car. It’s simple. When you sit in it, you fall in love.”
    His eyebrows twitched. “That could be useful.” He reached down and opened the driver’s side door. “Do you mind?”
    I stared at him. “Oh, go right ahead!”
    “No, you. Awake this time.” I blinked. I considered fleeing to my dad’s office, but there was that tractor beam issue, so I got in the car. My cheeks felt like they were on fire. He closed the door, walked around to the other side, and slid into the seat next to me.
    The faint smell of woodsy cologne mixed with the sweet leather smell of the car. He was so close I was positive he heard my heart hammering in my chest. He ran his hand across the leather dashboard. “Nice.”
    I cleared my throat and grasped for something to say. Something witty and charming. “Yes. It is. Nice.”
    He stretched out and folded his arms behind his head. The air in the car was getting warm.
    “Well, you were right,” he said.
    “I was?” My hands clutched the steering wheel at ten and two.
    “I’m in love.” I tried to think of a suitable response. Nope, nothing in here, my brain said. Don’t look at us, my vocal chords chimed in.
    There was a loud knock and I jumped like I’d been stuck with a pin. My dad’s face loomed outside the back window. I opened my door just as