She rolled her eyes at him. “Of course. That was definitely one of the craziest things I’ve ever done. Kissing a stranger. What was I thinking?”
“Well, it seems to have worked out okay,” he said wryly. “I don’t know what you were thinking, but I was thinking almost exactly what I’m thinking now.”
Jessie quirked an eyebrow at him.
“I was thinking: I wonder how far we can go without getting interrupted.” He lunged for her and she squealed as they tumbled to the floor. Soon their laughter turned to sighs and groans of pleasure that drove Sunny under a table and caused Clay and Jamie to knock on the wall in protest. Jessie and Duncan ignored them all, too caught up in celebrating their future together to notice.
THE END
The Love Laws (Sneak Peak – Available Soon from Amazon.com)
By Tamara Larson
Prologue
Jamie Martin sighed, leaned back on her bare elbows, and dug her pink-polished toes deeper into the warm sand. This wasn’t a fantasy. She was actually in the Hawaiian paradise she’d always dreamed of. All the props were there: a sugary secluded beach beneath her, a Technicolor sunset in front of her, and a positively delectable strawberry margarita balanced precariously on one pale knee. There were even some hard-bodied surfers in the distance to add to the total package, and yet she wasn’t content. Even here in modern Eden, she couldn’t stop thinking about her store, specifically what she would do if business didn’t pick up at Hidden Treasures soon.
She shook her head as if to free it from dismal thoughts. Looking down she noticed that despite her platter-sized straw hat and SPF 50 suntan lotion her skin was definitely turning an alarming shade of pink. The curse of the redhead, she thought, smiling to herself, at least I’m not a mass of freckles right now.
Jamie attempted to arrange her sarong over her legs, but it was no use, the square of aquamarine cotton barely covered her tiny blue crocheted bikini and that was usually the way she liked it—the more skin exposed the better. Of course, being from Vancouver, third degree burns from sun exposure wasn’t usually a problem.
Jamie wasn’t here in Maui on vacation, at least not really. She was here for her twin sister’s wedding. Jessie Martin had vowed to love, honor, and cherish Detective Duncan Reinhold on this very beach just twenty-four hours ago. It had been a gorgeous, intimate ceremony, and Jamie felt tears gathering in her eyes at the memory. Jessie had looked so happy, so in love as she’d stared into Duncan’s eyes. The only thing missing had been their parents. Cal and June Martin had died four years before in a fatal car crash and both girls felt their absence keenly. But even that couldn’t seem to detract from Jessie’s day, and for that, Jamie was eternally grateful, and just a wee bit envious.
Duncan, her new brother-in-law, was not only incredibly gorgeous and kind; he was also out of his head, frothing at the mouth, head over heels in love with his new bride. Jamie was thrilled for her sister, but it was difficult not to feel just a tad green when she saw the two of them together. Up until two years ago, Jessie had been a hardcore librarian spinster, and Jamie had been the femme fatale. Now it was almost like their roles had switched. Jamie had been so preoccupied with getting the store up and running lately that she really hadn’t had time for romance.
If she was really honest with herself, she hadn’t had the inclination either. She’d spent the two previous years as an exotic dancer and that experience had pretty much turned her off men—at least temporarily. Looking out at the waves now, Jamie could feel some of her interest returning. One of the surfers in particular caught her eye. He wasn’t particularly graceful on his board, spending more time being dumped off than balanced on, but he was definitely having the time of his life out there. His deep laugh and flashing white teeth were difficult to ignore, even from a hundred or so yards away.
Glad for the distraction Jamie straightened up and adjusted her Ray Ban sunglasses higher up on the bridge of her nose so she could watch him without being too obvious. Her laughing surfer was straddling the board now, looking for the next wave, and she had an excellent view of the broad expanse of his smooth, golden back. To Jamie there was nothing more irresistible than a man with a fabulous rearview, but this was the first time in months that she’d actually taken the time to admire one. Silently, she prayed that his face didn’t resemble a Freddy Krueger fright mask.
As Jamie’s gaze skimmed over every inch of his impressive physique, she allowed her sunglasses to slide back down her nose to get a better look. She was staring so intently at his back that she didn’t notice when he turned his head in her direction until their eyes locked and held.
Damn, now he knows I was ogling him, Jamie thought, shifting her focus to a random spot on the horizon to avoid his intent gaze. Two years ago, being caught perusing a strange man would have been just the sort of bold move she’d been known for. Yesterday’s Jamie would have stared back and smiled an inviting grin that would have had Mr. Surfer out of the water so fast it would have looked like a scene out of Jaws. Today’s Jamie was mortified. She wanted desperately to abandon her cocktail and make a dash for the nearest Ladies Room. Instead, she held her ground and stared out to sea, taking a casual sip from her margarita like nothing untoward had occurred.
Her cool demeanor lasted about two minutes. That’s how long it took the surfer to reach the beach. When his feet touched bottom he rose out of the water like some kind of mythological water god, Neptune or Poseidon maybe. Jamie half expected him to be carrying a triton, but the huge yellow surfboard was close enough. When he’d been out on the water, Jamie had thought he’d dwarfed the four other surfers, but it was difficult to tell from so far away. Within shouting distance, he was a giant—at least several inches above six feet and thickly muscled across his smooth chest and arms. His shoulders looked big enough to block out the setting sun, which they did when he got close enough for Jamie to get a really good look at him.
Completely against her will, Jamie felt her jaw drop. She’d been hoping for a harmless flirtation with a handsome stranger, but her random surfer wasn’t a stranger at all. The water had darkened his golden hair, and she’d had no idea his clothes had hidden such a mouth-watering body, but there was no denying that she’d accidentally stumbled upon her new brother-in-law’s best friend, Kevin Hall. From what she knew of this man, he was exactly not what she was looking for. He was the type of guy that smart women avoided like cheap shoes.
Kevin had arrived late, just in time for the nuptials, and Jamie had felt his gaze on her throughout the entire ceremony. He’d watched her unabashedly, smiling into her eyes whenever he got the chance. There was something both thrilling and irksome in his attentive manner. He looked at her like he owned her even before they’d exchanged the barest of pleasantries. On one hand, capturing the interest of such an incredibly attractive, eligible man was always good for the ego, but on the other, she couldn’t stand it when men assumed that she was available for whatever fantasy they had in mind just because she’d worked at the Kitty-Kat Lounge for a few years. As a result, Kevin’s best efforts to be charming had been met with a blank stare and outright avoidance on her part. Now, she’d been caught staring at him—a move guaranteed to inflate his already impressive ego.
“Do you surf?” Kevin asked when he reached her, his deep voice sending involuntary shivers down her spine, making Jamie even more irritated.
“No,” she said shortly, without any effort at an explanation. Avoiding his topaz gaze, she began gathering up her things.
“Why not?” He asked, hands on hips, he watched her flustered attempt to get up without spilling her drink or losing her monstrous hat in a sudden gust of tropical wind.
She paused. “Why not? What do you mean, why not? Is it a requirement or something?” She asked, annoyed. Staring up at him through her sunglasses, she tried not to notice how endearing his half-grin was or the way the water molded his knee-length black board shorts to his muscular thighs. Why was this stud-muffin questioning her anyway? W
as it any of his business what she did? Definitely not.
“Well, if it’s not, it should be. You should really try it out. It’s incredible. The water feels great,” he said, giving his head a shake so glittering droplets spread around his head like mist.
Jamie stepped away to avoid the shower and gave an unladylike snort. “Well, you should know, it looked like you spent a lot more time in the water than on your board.”
“So, you were watching me?” He asked with a teasing grin and an arch of one golden eyebrow. “I thought so. Did you like the view?”
“I certainly wasn’t looking at you.” She said indignantly, mentally crossing her fingers for the lie. “At least not how you mean. I just couldn’t help noticing you make a fool of yourself. Honestly, it was like watching Laurel and Hardy out there.”
Kevin’s grin widened. “I’m pretty sure Laurel and Hardy never surfed. Probably because they were chickens like you,” he challenged, crossing his arms over his impressive chest.
“I am not scared,” she said evenly, ignoring her desire to punch him in the knee for even suggesting she was frightened. “If an overgrown oaf like you can manage it, I’m pretty sure I can handle it, without nearly drowning myself like you, I might add.”
“Fine then. Let’s see how you do. I’ll bet you can’t even manage to stand up on your board. In fact, I think a little wager might make things interesting.”
“Interesting to whom?”
“Interesting to me, but you too. If you’re game.”
Jamie gave him a chilly look and held up her hand as if to push him and his suggestion away. “As tempting as that sounds, I’m definitely not game. Not for anything you have in mind.”
Kevin turned the wattage on his grin up to blinding. No woman had ever resisted him like this before. “C’mon. You’re in paradise. You should be experiencing all the pleasures the island has to offer,” he said, allowing his eyes to wander down to Jamie’s full lips.
Jamie stared at him in disbelief, momentarily stunned by his boldness. “Ick, did you get that off a tourist pamphlet or something? I thought you were a writer. Couldn’t you come up with something more original than that?”
“I’m a true crime writer, so I’m pretty sure my particular brand of writing wouldn’t work very well in this situation, but the resort literature has got a point.” He began counting points off on his tan fingers. “We’re in a strange place, we’re alone, we’re single…what’s wrong with taking a few chances and experiencing some new things?” He looked at her with a wide-eyed innocent look meant to put her at ease.
Jamie rolled her eyes so hard she thought they might just fall right out of her skull. She took off her sunglasses to give him the full benefit of her snapping, cinnamon-colored gaze. Bracing her hands on her hips, she glared up at him and said in her iciest tone: “Listen, Mr. Wannabe Lothario, this whole ‘experiencing new things’ approach might work with women without a smidge of intelligence or self-respect, but since I have both, and am not falling down drunk or under medication, let me reassure you that however attractive you think you are, you are the only person on this beach that thinks so. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some packing to do.” With that she turned away and began stomping up the sand toward the resort in what she thought was a fairly impressive exit, marred only by the loud smacking sound of her flip-flops.
Not content to let Jessie’s feisty sister have the last word, Kevin scanned his memory for the most obnoxious reply he could think of. “Wow, that is some temper you have there,” he called to her retreating back. “No need to check if the rug matches the drapes. You are definitely a natural redhead.”
Jamie stopped in her tracks. He hadn’t actually said that, had he? What a complete jerk. Turning slightly, she smiled evilly at him. “I can guarantee that you will never, ever get the opportunity to find out for sure,” she said, raising her chin, she strode away, giving her hips an extra eat-your-heart-out sway as she did so.
Kevin watched her for a long time, admiring her curvy form and smiling to himself. No matter what that girl thought, this wasn’t over between them. If he had his way, it was just the beginning.
Also AvailableOpen House ~ (Kingston Brothers: Volume 1)
By Tamara Larson
Chapter One
“It’s huge!” Lacey exclaimed, angling her head to get a better look. “That is way more than I can handle.”
“You’re exaggerating. It’s average size.”
“Are you kidding me? Look how deep it goes.” Lacey pointed. “How would you even keep it clean without help. You’d need a crew.”
“Now you’re just being ridiculous. We’ve had way bigger and a cleaning crew was not required.”
“This is a waste of time.”
“Just look then.”
“The more I look at it. The more I want it. This is such a bad idea!” Lacey bit her lip, but moved forward tentatively anyway.
“Just relax. Maybe you’ll like it. Maybe you won’t. There’s only one way to find out and that’s to take the plunge.”
Lacey and her mom were standing on the sidewalk discussing the four large, craftsman-style, row-houses before them. The attractive properties were set far back from the road, and flower beds lined the cobblestone paths leading to each front door. Most importantly to Lacey and Diana Ferguson, there was a large, bright 'Show Home - Open House Today' sign perched on the front lawn.
They had arrived just minutes before the Open House closed at four, so the late March sunshine highlighted the external features of the homes. Each of the four dwellings was painted a different color. As Lacey walked from her car she noticed that all of the front doors had their own distinctive style as well. The row-house on the end with the sign in front was painted a lovely sage green and featured an imposing arched red door with black twining ironwork, like a castle, while the yellow one next to it had a delicate-looking, mostly etched glass door. She couldn’t help being charmed by their individuality. Obviously the builders, The Kingston Brothers, didn't want their homes to resemble the typical cookie-cutter houses seen in most suburban real estate developments.
“Alright, Mom. Let’s go in,’ Lacey said, turning onto the path to the Open House. “But this is our last one today, okay? It’s torture looking at all these places I can’t afford.”
“Lacey, as I’ve told you, many, many times. There’s always room for negotiation. The list price is merely a suggestion,” Diana Ferguson said, stepping around her daughter and leading the way up the path.
“If you say so,” Lacey said doubtfully. “But I can’t help feeling like we’re here under false pretenses. Like I’m pretending that I can afford something like this, when we both know I’d have to take a second job, and possibly sell a kidney to afford it.”
“The real estate agent has to sit there anyway, dear. And I don’t see any other cars here, do you?” Actually there was a sleek white Mercedes parked in front of Lacey’s car at the curb, and a large, shiny, black pick-up truck in the driveway of the Show Home, but Diana ignored them. “I’m sure they’ll be glad to have us come in and distract them for a few minutes.”
Lacey rolled her eyes, but followed her mother reluctantly. “Okay, but just a quick tour, okay? Let’s not waste their time with a lot of questions, right?”
“Of course not, dear. I wouldn’t dream of it.” Diana grinned at her daughter and Lacey was certain her mom was going to be grilling the real estate agent within seconds of stepping through the door. Lacey loved her quiz-master mom, but she certainly didn’t endear herself to the real estate professionals, who really just wanted her to go away, or better yet, put in an offer and then go away.
Lacey and her mom were seasoned house hunters. They had been looking for a new home for Lacey for the past eight months, without much luck. A recent promotion to Clinical Resource Nurse at The Health Unit where she worked had allowed her the option of finally moving out of her tiny rental apartment. But finding the right place was proving to be much mor
e difficult than she’d anticipated. Everything they looked at was much too small, too old, or way too expensive.
The Show Home they were currently looking at was their third property that day, and it was way above her budget. But she had jogged past the row-houses many times as they were being built, and the quaint style had charmed her. When she spotted the Open House sign on the lawn earlier that day, she couldn’t resist checking them out.
Lacey admired the home’s quaint front porch as she climbed the wide stairs. Mentally she was already seeing the white wicker chair she would place to the left of the bright red door. Trailing behind her mother she imagined they were walking into her house rather than a Show Home. It was just a fantasy, but she really could see herself living in one of these places.
This particular property was in the perfect subdivision, just minutes away from her mom’s house and work. And best of all, the real estate developers had retained many of the mature trees and landscaping that had existed when this area had been army housing. So, it looked like an older, well-established neighborhood but it was gloriously fresh and new, with all the modern design features she had been lusting after from watching the Home and Garden Channel like it was porn.
“Hello,” Diana called as she turned the knob and poked her head in. “Yoo-hoo. Are we too late for the Open House?”
“C’mon in. There’s plenty of time,” A friendly female voice answered from down the hall.
Diana wiggled her eyebrows at Lacey. She was in her element. Looking at real estate was a game to her. Having bought and sold more than fifteen homes over the past thirty years she loved the challenge of negotiating with real estate agents and getting the very best price.
At 55, Diana Ferguson was still slim and attractive. Her blonde hair had faded and she had a tendency to wear high-waisted mom jeans, and oversized sweatshirts, but it was easy to believe she had once been a great beauty. Many people underestimated her because of her sweet appearance and kind nature, but underneath that maternal exterior lurked the heart of a born hardcore negotiator.
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