A Maine Christmas...or Two

by J. S. Scott

  “Dinner?” Her voice was breathy and ragged, betraying the effect he’d had on her.

  “Definitely. I’m famished.” The way he looked at her, the way his gaze roamed over her body, settled on her lips for a moment and then shifted to her eyes, left her entire body tingling with a thrill she hadn’t felt in a long time.

  It made her want to drag him back to the inn and have her way with him until they lay there spent in a tangle of naked limbs. So it was a good thing he had enough willpower and sense to tuck her in at his side, his strong arm holding her close as he guided them down the road and towards town. “So, what do you recommend? It’s been so long since I was last here.”

  Just like that, he’d brought things back around to being a normal date—as if he hadn’t just scrambled her thoughts and left her body zinging like she’d been caught in a lightning storm. She did her best to turn her attention back to the mundane task of picking out a place to eat. “There’s a great fish and lobster restaurant, a cute little bistro that specializes in using only local and organic goods, a few funky sandwich shops and cafes, and a great brick oven pizza place.”

  “It’s been awhile since I had Maine lobster, but I could also go for a good pizza. Do you have any preference? I’m up for anything.” The way his gaze settled on her as he spoke those last words left her heartbeat tripping over itself.

  She tried to steady her voice and failed miserably. “No preference at all.”

  Riley grabbed another piece of pizza and bit into the crispy crust, loving how the tangy goat cheese and Kalamata olives mingled with the sweet caramelized onions, all of it accented by the smokiness of the wood fire oven. It may not be a traditional pie, but they had gotten one of those too, since it turned out Thorsen really was famished. And with a body as lean and muscular as his, she was sure he had the type of metabolism that demanded to be fed.

  “That was really good.” Thorsen finished off his crust and took a long sip of his beer, before settling his gaze on her. “Just one more reason to stay on the island, isn’t it?”

  Did he mean permanently? Nah…he couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Or would he? She felt like a teenager again, trying to decipher every nuance in a conversation. The wise thing to do would be to let it slide, and see if it came up again. Or…she could just be blunt and stick her foot in it, since the words were out of her mouth before she could think them through. “By ‘stay on the island.’ do you mean for vacation or longer than that?”

  “I meant what I said, Riley. I like this island—and I like you even more.” He leaned in and gave her a smile as he reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I know you have a lot going on right now, but I’m a patient man and I’m in no rush. Clearly, you hadn’t been expecting to run into me, and I’m fully aware that this must all seem a bit sudden.”

  “A bit?” She shook her head with a laugh. “You know, you’re damn charming. And I’m beyond flattered.”

  He twined his fingers with hers, his gaze soft and seductive. “But…it sounds like there’s a ‘but’ coming.”

  “But my life was just thrown into total chaos this morning, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to surface back to a normal life. And as sweet and romantic as it all sounds, what you’re proposing sounds more like a fairytale than reality.” She had to be realistic if she didn’t want to get her heart broken, because Thorsen sure as hell could break her heart, and unfortunately, she’d learned the hard way that most guys didn’t stick around much past the end of the summer. “I’ve just been burned one too many times. Even when people swear up and down that they’ll stay on the island, it doesn’t tend to be a reality.”

  “I’m not like other guys, Riley. And I’ve lived enough of my life to know what I want. And darling, that’s you.”

  Hand in hand, Riley and Thorsen wandered back towards the inn, the sprawling grounds and cliffside bathed in the light of a nearly full moon. Having him so close had Riley’s heart thundering against her ribs and her mind racing. Those mind-blowing kisses from earlier that night and that declaration of his were running on an endless loop in her head.

  Even after all those years apart, there was still something between them. Call it a spark or chemistry, or maybe it was their shared past, but having him back after so many years apart made her realize that few other guys had ever had this sort of effect on her.

  It would be so incredibly easy to let him into her life. Yet, she had a lot on her plate. With the sale of the inn pending and Anna snooping around, she wasn’t sure Thorsen was a distraction or complication she needed.

  Or…he could be exactly what she needed to keep her mind off her troubles. Having Thorsen to snuggle up against at the end of a long day of dealing with Anna might be just the thing to keep her sane.

  With her hand still in his, she looked up at him with a flirty smile, once again thinking that the man was striking. His hair was streaked with every color from flaxen to deep caramel while being just long enough to look casual, his eyes were intelligent and the brightest blue, while a few days’ worth of stubble rounded out his rugged good looks.

  She turned towards him and slipped her hands around his waist, the feel of him solid and the warmth of his body welcoming. The night air coming in off the ocean held a bite to it and there was no better way to ward off the chill than snuggling against a gorgeous man. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in hanging out by a fire? We stock the fire pits each night with supplies for making s’mores.”

  “Darling, I’m up for anything if it involves you.” He brushed her cheek with a gentle touch, his gaze holding hers as he leaned in and gave her a whisper of a kiss. “Though I should warn you that I might be tempted to collect on my debt.”

  Oh, boy. A molten heat coursed through her and headed south, making her blush like some damned school girl—yet again. It’d been over a year since her last serious relationship, and though she had no problem with the occasional romp or distraction, none had felt this intense. It left her feeling like she was back on that ledge, teetering above a raging sea.

  *** End of Sample. ***

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  The Billionaire’s Obsession by J. S. Scott

  Simon Hudson stood silently in the shadows of the opulent lobby, his hands in the pockets of his jeans and one shoulder propped against the frame of a large window that faced the street. His whole body was tense, his dark brown eyes scanning the sidewalk with the intense and total focus of a madman.

  Where in the hell is she? It’s ten forty-five.

  He knew Kara was working tonight. She had called in sick for the last two evenings, but was back to work at Helen’s Place, waiting tables on the swing shift. He had checked. His mother owned the bistro where Kara worked and was generally pretty forthcoming with information when Simon wanted it, but he was careful. If he wasn’t, his only parent would be hounding him to find out why he wanted information on Kara. His wonderful but inquisitive mom would be like a bloodhound after a scent if she thought that Simon’s interest was anything but casual. He would be nagged to death, his mother wanting to know exactly what his intentions were with Kara.

  Simon frowned. Like he had any intentions? He had fantasies and all of them involved Kara spread out on his bed, screaming his name as he made her come, over and over.

  Simon took a deep breath and slowly blew it back out, trying to get his body to relax and telling himself that he must be insane to take exactly the same position, night after night, for some woman who he had never officially met. But here he was…again, his back to the curious doorman, leering out the window like an unbalanced stalker, waiting to get a glimpse of Kara Foster. Something about the woman brought out strange, territorial, and protective instincts that kept him here, keeping watch, waiting for her to walk by his condo building on her way home from work.

&nbs
p; And then, when he spotted her, he’d do the same thing he always did. He’d follow her at a distance, trying not to alarm her, and wait until she had let herself into her apartment safely before he turned around and walked back home.

  He wouldn’t talk to her, or even get close to her. He never did. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but Kara was going to nursing school and working full-time at his mother’s restaurant. According to his mom, Kara adamantly refused to date because she didn’t have the time or energy to put into a relationship. She was probably right about that. The insane woman didn’t sleep enough, eat enough. She had no one who even worried about her except for his mother…and Simon. Hell, in the last year, Simon had probably cared more about Kara’s well-being than a dozen family members would have, and he couldn’t even call her a friend. Problem was…he wasn’t a family member, and his feelings were far from brotherly.

  God, she was sweet!

  Simon had to bite back a groan of frustration as he thought about the first time he had seen Kara, her blue eyes flashing with humor, black tendrils of silky hair escaping from her ever-present ponytail and her lithe body moving gracefully from table to table at his mom’s restaurant. At the age of twenty-eight, she still retained a look of innocence and vulnerability that had Simon caught in her unintentional web. He’d been a prisoner there ever since.

  His mother spoke about Kara as if she were her daughter, and Simon knew that Kara and his mother had a special bond: one not formed by blood, but by a special friendship. Shit…if Kara were younger, Simon was pretty sure his mother would adopt her. Lips twitching slightly, Simon hoped his mother never expected him to be like a brother to Kara. It wasn’t happening. His cock stood at attention, rock-hard and ready, every time he saw her. What in the hell was it about this particular woman that made him so edgy and restless?

  Simon had fucked women who were more attractive or more sophisticated, and not a single one of them had ever touched any of his emotions. He was a loner, preferring to spend his time with his computer rather than attending social functions, but there were times when he needed a woman’s company for physical relief. Occasionally taking himself in hand just wasn’t getting it done. Simon had certain female acquaintances for those occasions, women who gave him the control he needed and had to have in the bedroom, without a lot of demands or questions. Damn it! That had been enough for him…until he had seen Kara.

  Grimacing, his eyes never leaving the street, Simon shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and adjusted his position, giving his shoulder a break by resting his hip against the wall. God, he was getting pathetic. How long would he moon over a woman who had never even acknowledged him? Until she finished nursing school and moved away? Until she got married?

  He nearly growled at the thought of another man putting his hands on Kara’s delectable body. Simon fought a purely feral instinct that rose up at the thought of another man touching his woman.

  She’s not your woman, asshole. Get a grip.

  For once in his life, Simon wished he were more like his older brother Sam, the other half of the Hudson Corporation. Sam would have no problem putting the moves on Kara. Charm, conquer, and discard had always been his brother’s style and Sam wouldn’t have given a thought to the possibility of rejection. Probably because Sam never failed! His only sibling went through the female population like a person with a nasty cold went through tissues. Sam would have broken down Kara’s defenses, charmed her out of her panties and then discarded her for his next conquest.

  Oh, hell no. Simon loved his brother, but he’d be damned if he’d ever let Sam seduce Kara. He didn’t even want the two of them in the same room together.

  Because she’s mine.

  Simon shook his head, surprised at his own behavior. Yeah…he liked control, actually needed control, but he had never wanted one woman in particular. Now, he could think of little else but the pretty waitress who had snagged his attention a year ago.

  You’re afraid of her.

  Simon scowled at the thought. Like hell he was! He wasn’t afraid of anything, and he definitely didn’t fear Kara Foster. She just…was not a likely lover. Why bother?

  He fucked.

  He didn’t date.

  And he liked it that way.

  His brother Sam was the face of the company, the marketer. Simon was a computer geek, happy to stay in the background. What did he know about seducing a woman? He’d never needed to coerce a woman to his bed. The females he fucked were only with him for personal gain. He was known as a generous lover. He wasn’t fool enough to believe they had any personal feelings for him. That, he understood. That, he could handle.

  Maybe I need to find a way to fuck her and get over this crazy obsession.

  Would it be enough? Could he actually get free from his fixation with this woman if he could find a way to have her?

  Christ! He had to do something. His irrational preoccupation with Kara had grown worse and worse over the last year, causing him to want no other woman except her. He hadn’t gotten off with anyone except himself in well over a year, and he really needed to scratch that itch. Yet…he couldn’t. If he tried to take action, to make a move to call another woman, he would see Kara’s pretty girl-next-door face and hang up the phone.

  I’m just that fucking obsessed with her.

  Simon glanced at an approaching figure, his mind almost immediately starting to dismiss the dark-haired woman who was dressed in a short, black, leather mini-skirt and a bright red sweater. He’d never seen Kara dressed in anything other than jeans and a t-shirt that sported the restaurant’s logo, standard casual dress for employees of his mom’s restaurant.

  He did a surprised double-take as the woman got closer, gaping when her face came into view. Holy Christ! It was Kara. She was close enough that he could see her features, the same face that haunted his wet dreams every damn night, but the outfit….

  What in hell is she wearing?

  Simon could see almost every inch of her long, slender, shapely legs in the ultra-short mini and the whole outfit molded over her breasts, torso, and ass like a glove. His cock was instantly standing at full attention and he pulled his hands out of his pockets. They curled into tight fists as a bead of sweat rolled down his face. Followed by another. And another.

  Goddamnit! What was she thinking? Dressed that way, she was practically begging for some man to come and snatch her up off the street.

  And, by God, he was going to be that man. He wasn’t leaving that opportunity to another male, someone who might do her harm.

  Didn’t she realize that this was Tampa? A major city! It wasn’t some tiny town where she could walk the streets at night and not be noticed or accosted.

  Simon unclenched one fist and gripped the window frame for support, his eyes never leaving the approaching female. Gritting his teeth, Simon knew that today was the day he was going to have to get close to her, closer than he’d ever been before. He couldn’t handle these animalistic and rampant emotions anymore. He didn’t like them, wasn’t used to them. All he wanted was his sanity back, to return to his computer and work on his passion for developing computer games without erotic thoughts of Kara taking over his brain.

  Sense. Reason. Control. That was how he functioned and what he needed in order to be himself again, and dammit, he’d get back to his normal state of mind, no matter what drastic measures he had to take to achieve it. Somehow, he would purge himself of this incredibly stupid and raging desire for Kara Foster.

  His mind made up, Simon pushed off the window frame and stood up straight, lowering his “mask” until his face was devoid of emotion. He was good at that. He’d been raised in an area of Los Angeles where most normal people would never even enter, a place where being weak, slow-witted, or fragile in any way meant being destroyed.

  If nothing else, Simon Hudson was a survivor. His guise firmly in place, he ripped his gaze from the w
indow, turned sharply and strode purposefully toward the door.

  Kara Foster was having a seriously bad day!

  She hefted her backpack to make it sit more solidly on her shoulder and reached for the hem of her ridiculously short skirt, yanking it down hard to cover her ass. The clothes looked great on her classmate, Lisa, who was several inches shorter and seven years younger than Kara. Unfortunately, they didn’t look quite the same on Kara’s taller, fuller body. The sweater hugged her generous breasts and the skirt was too damn short, barely concealing the cheeks of her ass.

  She was a street-smart woman, having grown up in one of the worst areas of Tampa and coming through the experience intact. Kara knew how to protect herself, how to avoid any unwanted attention. So what in the hell was she doing in an outfit that was bound to get her in trouble? Stupid, Kara. Really, really stupid!

  Frowning, Kara forced herself to keep walking. No big deal. She was in a decent area. So what if she looked like a sex kitten in sneakers? Eight more blocks and she would be home, free to finally strip off the ludicrous outfit and put on her own comfortable jeans and t-shirt.

  Kara heaved a sigh as she focused solely on arriving at the tiny apartment that she shared with another student. Her legs were cold and she shivered, walking faster to get her body warm. It was January in Tampa, and while the daytime hours were pleasant, it got chilly at night. She should have brought her jacket, but she had been running late this morning.

  She hadn’t planned to have her legs bare and her behind flapping in the breeze.

  The day is almost over.

  Thank God!

  She had spilled coffee on her own jeans and t-shirt earlier in the day. With no time to go home and change before she had to get to work, Kara had gratefully accepted the offer of clean clothes from Lisa, a classmate who was never without a change of clothing in her car. It wasn’t that Kara didn’t appreciate the kindness of her classmate. She definitely did. Kara just wished she could wear the clothing with the same attitude as Lisa. But…she couldn’t. She was used to keeping a low profile, and she was mortified that she probably resembled a call girl with bad shoes, functioning the entire day and evening with a hint of red on her cheeks and trying desperately not to bend over.