Course of the Heart Read Online Free Page B

her? The fact remained that she had let herself become vulnerable. In the past that kind of naivety had gotten her into trouble. She resolved to be careful, remembering that this, too, was how Brad once treated her. He wooed her with kindness and sweet acts of chivalry before changing overnight and becoming the monster he was today. She shivered as she thought about him, and had the ominous feeling that she hadn’t seen the last of him. As a former detective, he had not only the resources to find her but the incentive now, based on the humiliation Drew dealt him the night before. She realized she must keep things in perspective and jump ship at the first opportunity, and go about getting on with her life. She had to do this not only for her own good, but to protect the man who had saved her and done so much to help her.
    She feared that next time Brad would be prepared.
    She washed her face and brushed her hair in the guest bathroom and pulled a sweater from her bag. She opened the door to her stateroom and walked to the galley. She found him cooking. He wore a cotton shirt and khaki shorts and sandals, with his hair in a ponytail, protruding from the back of an Atlanta Braves baseball cap.
    “I didn’t realize you would sleep all night,” he said, and appeared to want to be anywhere other than where he was at the moment. “You must be hungry.”
    “It’s morning?”
    “Yeah, you’re just in time for some grub. I hope you like bacon and eggs.”
    “Yes, thank you. I have to admit I’m pretty hungry. By the way, who’s driving the boat?”
    “Auto-pilot. Coffee?”
    “Please. Let me get it.”
    “Suit yourself.”
    She walked by him and he moved away, avoiding her. He reached above and produced a mug and set it next to the coffee pot. His aloofness made her feel uncomfortable, as if maybe her full memory of the night was clouded by the fog from the rum.
    “Did I miss something, Mr. Richey?”
    He dumped the eggs onto a plate and turned the burner off. His back was to her and he dipped his head, as if in prayer and then turned quickly to her. “Look, Samantha, I’m sorry about what your boyfriend did to you, and honestly I am glad I was able to help, but . . . this isn’t a good time for me. I guess you’ve probably heard some pretty nasty things about me and . . . women, and maybe some . . . or most of it is true. But one of the reasons I left Fairhope was to get away from that life. I have a lot on my mind right now, and well, it’s not a good time to think about any kind of relationship—”
    “What?! You think I want to get involved with you?”
    “Well, you were pretty loose yesterday while I was—”
    “Mr. Richey, let me get one thing straight for you.” She moved toward him, glaring up at him. He backed away, against the counter. “The very last thing I need at the moment is to be involved with a man. And certainly not one with your reputation . . . and bad boy charm . . . well, certainly not one like you. I’m sorry I happened to pick your boat. But believe me, I didn’t pick it on purpose. I will forever be grateful for your help in getting me away from that monster, I really will. But getting involved with you in any form or fashion was not what I had in mind while you were attending to my wounds.”
    She placed her hands on her hips defiantly. “And for the record, I will be counting the minutes until we reach a port where I can start a new life without you, Brad, or anybody else of your gender. So, let’s not be laboring under any false illusions here, okay? I will be happy to pay you for your trouble and for any supplies I use until I can walk away from your little floating den of iniquity as fast as my feet can carry me. But that’s the end of it, Mr. Blue-Eyed Charm. There will be no ‘us’.”
    His deer in the headlights expression turned into a slight smile.
    “I fail to see the humor in anything I have said, Mr. Richey,” Samantha snapped. “You must know that’s what