Doll by Juniper Bell

Author:Juniper Bell
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2009-12-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Still snuggled between Dustin’s legs, Chloe looked into his midnight-blue eyes. She noticed how black his eyelashes were. Everything about him was so definite. Strong cheekbones, firm lips. Creases at the corners of his eyes from squinting over the water. And from using that dry sense of humor. Straight nose. Sturdy, powerful body, his muscles earned the hard way, by hours, months, years of labor. This was a man who didn’t hide who he was. He was a fisherman, a working man, and proud of it. She couldn’t imagine Dustin pretending to be anything he wasn’t. Not like Andrew, who presented himself as the gilded child of destiny, hiding the twisted needs inside. And not like her, who pretended it didn’t matter what was done to her body, when inside she was dying.

But when she was with Dustin, that strange thing that used to happen, when part of her separated from her body and floated above, never did. She felt at one with herself, strong, healthy…lusty. And she saw an answering lust flame in his eyes. He stood up and refastened his jeans. After pulling her to her feet, he closed her coat.

“I’m going to recommend that we get out of here and continue this somewhere else,” he said. “It’s getting close to cocktail hour, which doubles as Gary’s wake-up call.”

“Gary?”

“My occasional stern man. That occasion being when he’s low on cash. Or low on liquor would be another way to put it. Anyway, I’d rather not risk a run-in with him, not with you around. Everyone on Bellhaven will have a full report by dawn tomorrow. The safest place is probably on my boat. You game?”

Chloe nodded. What would Andrew think about what had just happened with Dustin? What would he do if he found out? She shivered at the thought.

Dustin picked up a hooded sweatshirt and handed it to her. “You’ll need more layers out on the boat.”

The sweatshirt was dark gray, with white letters reading Maine Maritime Academy, and it smelled like Dustin, ocean-fresh and salty. She breathed in its fragrance as she pulled it over her head.

“It’s a good thing I have clothes on hand for the naked ladies who show up on my doorstep,” he said as her head reemerged. And then, quickly, “Not that it’s ever happened before.”

“I can’t imagine why not. You’re a hunk, you know. When we were little, all the girls liked you.”

Rummaging through his gear, he surfaced with a set of oilskins and a skeptical look. “Yeah, right.”

“You didn’t know? We all had crushes on you.” The flabbergasted look on his face amused her.

“Chloe Barnes had a crush on me? You couldn’t have given me a clue?”

She giggled. “There is a clue. It’s still there, parked behind the headboard of my bed. Remember that Bazooka gum you gave me?”

“When you hurt your leg? Sure. You saved it?”

“You were so sweet to me.” Her face warmed with a blush. Had she told him something too embarrassing? That gum had made her trust him back then, and helped her trust him now.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.