Read, Write, Love at Seaside
Page 24
“Bella, you can’t give up on men. Jay was just a jerk.” Amy touched her arm.
She really needed to fill them in on the whole Jay and quitting her job thing. She was beyond over Jay, but they knew Bella to be the stable one of the group, and learning of her sudden change was a conversation that needed to be handled when they weren’t wrestling a fifty-pound toilet.
“Fine. You’re right. But I’m going to make all of my future decisions separate from any man. So…until my life is in order, no commitments for me.”
“Not me. I’d give anything to have what Kurt and Leanna have,” Amy said.
Bella lifted her end of the toilet easily as Jenna and Amy struggled to lift theirs. “Got it?”
“Yeah. Go quick. This stupid thing is heavy,” Jenna said as they shuffled along the grass.
“More…” Leanna pleaded.
Amy stumbled and lost her grip. The toilet dropped to the ground, and Jenna yelped.
“Shh. You’re going to wake up the whole complex!” Bella stalked over to them.
“Oh, Kurt!” Jenna rocked her hips. “More, baby, more!”
“Really?” Bella tried to keep a straight face, but when Leanna cried out again, she doubled over with laughter.
Amy, always the voice of reason, whispered, “Come on. We need to close her window.”
“Yes!” Leanna cried.
They fell against one another in a fit of laughter, stumbling beside Leanna’s cottage.
“I could make popcorn.” Jenna said, struggling to keep a straight face.
Amy scowled at her. “She got pissed the last time you did that.” She grabbed Bella’s hand and whispered through gritted teeth, “Take out the screen so you can shut the window, please.”
“I told you we should have put a lock on the outside of her window,” Jenna reminded them. Last summer, when Leanna and Kurt had first begun dating, they often forgot to close the window. To save Leanna embarrassment, Jenna had offered to be on sex-noise mission control and close the window if Leanna ever forgot to. A few drinks later, she’d mistakenly abandoned the idea for the summer.
“While you close the window, I’ll get the sign for the toilet.” Amy hurried back toward Bella’s deck in her boy-shorts underwear and a T-shirt.
Bella tossed the screen to the side so she could reach inside and close the window. The side of Leanna’s cottage was on a slight incline, and although Bella was tall, she needed to stand on her tiptoes to get a good grip on the window. The hem of the nightie caught on her underwear, exposing her ample derriere.
“Cute satin skivvies.” Jenna reached out to tug Bella’s shirt down and Bella swatted her.
Bella pushed as hard as she could on the top of the window, trying to ignore the sensuous moans and the creaking of bedsprings coming from inside the cottage.
“The darn thing’s stuck,” she whispered.
Jenna moved beside her and reached for the window. Her fingertips barely grazed the bottom edge.
Amy ran toward them, waving a long stick with a paper sign taped to the top that read, WELCOME BACK.
Leanna moaned, and Jenna laughed and lost her footing. Bella reached for her, and the window slammed shut, catching Bella’s hair. Leanna’s dog, Pepper, barked, sending Amy and Jenna into more fits of laughter.
With her hair caught in the window and her head plastered to the sill, Bella put a finger to her lips. “Shh!”
Headlights flashed across Leanna’s cottage as a car turned up the gravel road.
“Oh no!” Bella went up on her toes, struggled to lift the window and free her hair, which felt like it was being ripped from her skull. The curtains flew open and Leanna peered through the glass. Bella lifted a hand and waved. Shoot. She heard Leanna’s front door open, and Pepper bolted around the corner, barking a blue streak and knocking Jenna to the ground just as a police car rolled up next to them and shined a spotlight on Bella’s butt.
CADEN GRANT HAD been with the Wellfleet Police Department for only three months, having moved after his partner of nine years was killed in the line of duty. He’d relocated to the small town with his teenage son, Evan, in hopes of working in a safer location. So far, he’d found the people of Wellfleet to be respectful and thankful for the efforts of the local law enforcement officers, a welcome change after dealing with rebellion on every corner in Boston. Wellfleet had recently experienced a rash of small thefts—cars being broken into, cottages being ransacked, and the police had begun patrolling the private communities along Route 6, communities that in the past had taken care of their own security. Caden rolled up the gravel road in the Seaside Cottage community and spotted a dog running circles around a person rolling on the ground.
He flicked on the spotlight as he slowed to a stop. What is going on? He quickly assessed the situation. A blond woman was banging on a window with both hands. Her shirt was bunched at her waist, and a pair of black satin panties barely covered the most magnificent rear end he’d seen in a long time.
“Open the stupid window!” she hollered.
Caden stepped from the car. “What’s going on here?” He walked around the dark-haired woman, who was rolling from side to side on the ground while laughing hysterically, and the fluffy white dog, who was barking as though his life depended on it, and he quickly realized that the blond woman’s hair was caught in the window. Behind him another blonde crouched on the ground, laughing so hard she kept snorting. Why aren’t any of you wearing pants?
“Leanna! I’m stuck!” the blonde by the window yelled.
“Officer, we’re sorry.” The blonde behind him rose to her feet, tugging her shirt down to cover her underwear; then she covered her mouth with her hand as more laughter escaped. The dog barked and clawed at Caden’s shoes.
“Someone want to tell me what’s going on here?” Caden didn’t even want to try to guess.
“We’re…” The brunette laughed again as she rose to her knees and tried to straighten her camisole, which barely contained her enormous breasts. She ran her eyes down Caden’s body. “Well, hello there, handsome.” She fell backward, laughing again.
Just what he needed, three drunk women.
The brunette inside the cottage lifted the window, freeing the blonde’s hair, which sent her stumbling backward and crashing into his chest. There was no ignoring the feel of her seductive curves beneath the thin layer of fabric. Her hair was a thick, tangled mess. She looked up at him with eyes the color of rich cocoa and lips sweet enough to taste. The air around them pulsed with heat. Man, she was beautiful.
“Whoa. You okay?” he asked. He told his arms to let her go, but there was a disconnect, and his hands remained stuck to her waist.
“It’s…It’s not what it looks like.” She dropped her eyes to her hands, clutching his forearms, and she released him fast, as if she’d been burned. She took a step back and helped the brunette to her feet. “We were…”
“They were trying to close our window, Officer.” A tall, dark-haired man came around the side of the cottage, wearing a pair of jeans and no shirt. “Kurt Remington.” He held a hand out in greeting and shook his head at the women, now holding on to each other, giggling and whispering.
“Officer Caden Grant.” He shook Kurt’s hand. “We’ve had some trouble with break-ins lately. Do you know these women?” His eyes swept over the tall blonde. He followed the curve of her thighs to where they disappeared beneath her nightshirt, then drifted up to her full breasts, finally coming to rest on her beautiful dark eyes. It had been a long time since he’d been this attracted to a woman.
“Of course he knows us.” The hot blonde stepped forward, arms crossed, eyes no longer wide and warm, but narrow and angry.
He hated men who leered at women, but he was powerless to refrain from drinking her in for one last second. The other two women were lovely in their own right, but they didn’t compare to the tall blonde with fire in her eyes and a body made for loving.
Kurt nodded. “Yes, Officer. We know them.”
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“Geez, you guys. What the heck?” the dark-haired woman asked through the open window.
“You were waking the dead,” the tall blonde answered.
“Oh, gosh. I’m sorry, Officer,” the brunette said through the window. Her cheeks flushed, and she slipped back inside and closed the window.
“I assure you, everything is okay here.” Kurt glared at the hot blonde.
“Okay, well, if you see any suspicious activity, we’re only a phone call away.” He took a step toward his car.
The tall blonde hurried into his path. “Did someone from Seaside call the police?”
“No. I was just patrolling the area.”
She held his gaze. “Just patrolling the area? No one patrols Seaside.”
“Bella,” the other blonde hissed.
Bella.
“Seriously. No one patrols our community. They never have.” She lifted her chin in a way that he assumed was meant as a challenge, but it had the opposite effect. She looked cuter than a button.
Caden stepped closer and tried to keep a straight face. “Your name is Bella?”
“Maybe.”
Feisty, too. He liked that. “Well, Maybe Bella, you’re right. We haven’t patrolled your community in the past, but things have changed. We’ll be patrolling more often to keep you safe until we catch the people who have been burglarizing the area.” He leaned in close and whispered, “But you might consider wearing pants for your window-closing evening strolls. Never know who’s traipsing around out here.”
To continue reading, purchase DREAMING AT SEASIDE
More Books By The Author
Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers
(Includes future publications)
Read, Write, Love at Seaside
Dreaming at Seaside
Hearts at Seaside
Sunsets at Seaside
Secrets at Seaside
Nights at Seaside
Embrace at Seaside
Seized by Love at Seaside
Lovers at Seaside
Whispers at Seaside
Stand Alone Women’s Fiction Novels
by Melissa Foster (Addison Cole’s steamy alter ego)
The following titles may include some harsh language
Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)
Come Back to Me (mystery/suspense)
Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)
Megan’s Way (literary fiction)
Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)
Where Petals Fall (suspense)
Frangelico Peach
Makes 10 to 12 eight-ounce jars
Caution: Frangelico product contains nuts
3 lbs. peaches
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2-1.75 oz. packages of store-bought powdered pectin
7 cups sugar
¼ cup Frangelico Liqueur
Place peaches in blender and blend until they are finely chopped.
Place peaches and lemon juice in an 8-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add pectin and return to a boil. Continue stirring slowly so as not to let it burn to the bottom of the pan.
Add sugar slowly; bring to a boil.
Add ¼ cup Frangelico; bring to boil for 2 minutes.
Fill jars.
Apricot-Lime
Makes 10 to 12 eight-ounce jars
3 lbs. apricots
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2-1.75oz packages of store-bought powdered pectin
3/4 cup lime pulp
7 cups sugar
Blend the apricots until they are finely chopped.
Place in 8-quart saucepan, add lemon juice and lime pulp, then bring to boil. Continue stirring slowly.
Add pectin and return to boil.
Add sugar slowly; bring to boil for 1 minute
Fill jars.
Strawberry-Apricot
Makes 10 to 12 eight-ounce jars
2 lbs. strawberries
1 lb. apricots
2-1.75oz packages of store-bought powdered pectin
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
7 cups sugar
¼ cup white wine
Place strawberries and apricots into blender and mix until finely chopped.
Place the fruit into 8-quart saucepan and bring to boil while stirring slowly.
Add lemon juice and pectin; bring to boil for 1 minute.
Add sugar slowly, continue stirring and bring to boil.
Add wine of your choice; boil for 1 minute.
Fill jars.
*Recipes compliments of Al Chisholm, Al’s Backwoods Berries.
www.alsbackwoodsberrie.com
Acknowledgments
What a joy it was to write about an author who rarely steps out of his writing cave. Talk about being able to relate! Kurt needed a very special woman to drag him into the real world, and the moment I met Leanna Bray, I knew she was the perfect soul mate for him. I hope you enjoyed their story and are looking forward to reading about the rest of our Seaside Summers friends.
Coming from a family of seven children, the closeness and importance of family is a subject that is always near and dear to my heart. I’ve received so many emails and social media messages from readers who enjoy the family aspect of my books, and I enjoy every one of them. As always, my fans have inspired, supported, and encouraged me. I look forward to bringing the love stories for each of the Remington and Braden family members into the Sweet with Heat series.
Congratulations to Denise Smith, who won a contest to name a character in this book. Thank you for giving me Leanna, and a special shout-out to your daughter Olivia. Thank you to all of my supportive friends and family who encourage me, talk me off the ledge, and indulge my obsessive writing endeavors.
There’s not enough gratitude in the world to cover what I owe to my editorial team. Thank you for your endless patience and expertise.
Many thanks to Al Chisholm of Al’s Backwoods Berries, my partner in the creation of Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats and the best darn jam maker around. If you’re ever in Wellfleet during the summer, you can find Al and Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats at the flea market, or visit his website noted on the recipe page in this book.
Last but never least, thank you to my supportive husband and family, who make my writing possible.
Addison Cole is the sweet alter ego of New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. She enjoys writing humorous, and deeply emotional, contemporary romance without explicit sex scenes or harsh language. Addison spends her summers on Cape Cod, where she dreams up wonderful love stories in her house overlooking Cape Cod Bay.
Visit Addison on her website or chat with her on social media. Addison enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event.
Addison’s books are available in paperback, digital, and audio formats.
www.AddisonCole.com
facebook.com/AddisonColeAuthor