Desire After Dark: A Gansett Island Novel Read Online Free Page A

head of yours.”
    Erin laughed at the way he said that. “It’s probably better that you don’t.”
    “I don’t know about that. Wait for me.”
    At first she didn’t know what he meant, and then he was opening her door and helpingher out of the truck. “While I appreciate your manners, I’m perfectly capable of getting out by myself.”
    “You get me, you get my manners, too, sweetheart.” He also held the door to the pharmacy for her and ushered her in ahead of him with a hand to her lower back.
    As a fully self-sufficient woman, she wanted to argue some more about his need to play the role of protective alpha man.But she enjoyed the courtesy too much to protest. She’d never been with a man who was so consistent about holding doors, and though it would take some getting used to, she decided she could live with his brand of gallantry.
    They found a picked-over display of Christmas decorations in the front of the store. There were six boxes of white lights left, and he grabbed all of them.
    “Whydo we need so many lights?” Erin asked.
    “My rule is, until it hurts to look at the tree, you don’t have enough lights. Six boxes ought to do it.”
    “That’s ridiculous, but if you insist...”
    “I do.” With the lights tucked under one arm, Slim reached for a box of gold ornaments.
    Erin stopped him. “I like your beachcombing idea. It’s much more original than generic goldballs.”
    “It’ll be cold out there today.”
    “I can handle it if you can with your thin Florida blood.”
    His rich, wicked-sounding laugh sent a bolt of heat rippling through her body. He was sexy all the time, but when he laughed or smiled, his sexiness reached incendiary levels. “You’re on, babe.”
    And she liked when he called her that and sweetheart. She liked it an awfullot.

Chapter 3
    W hen they went to pay for the lights, Grace Ryan was working the register with another woman who was also wearing a white pharmacist’s coat.
    “What’re you doing up here and not doling out drugs in the back?” Slim asked.
    “This is what happens when you own the place and someone calls outsick,” she said with a wry smile. “This is Fiona Connolly, also a pharmacist. Fiona, meet Slim Jackson, resident summer pilot, and Erin Barton, lighthouse keeper.”
    “Nice to meet you.” Fiona shook hands with both of them. She was tall and fair-skinned with reddish brown hair and pretty brown eyes.
    “Another pharmacist on Gansett?” Slim asked.
    “She’s covering when I’m away forthe wedding and possibly longer if I can talk her into staying.”
    “Where’re you going?” Slim asked.
    “Evan has decided to make a go of his music with Buddy’s label, and I’ll be traveling with him. Fiona is one of my pharmacy school friends. She’s thinking about holding down the fort for me here while we’re on the road.”
    “I’m spending a few days here before the holiday to seehow I feel about the isolation,” Fiona added.
    “That’s amazing news about Evan and the plans to tour,” Slim said. “I wondered what he’d do after his song hit number one.”
    “He’s doing what he should be doing, and I’m going with him. So we need to show Fiona how much fun we have here on Gansett, even in the off-season, so she’ll want to stay for longer than a week,” Grace said, smilingat Fiona.
    “Are you coming to Alex and Jenny’s tonight?” Erin asked.
    “Wouldn’t miss it.”
    “Bring Fiona. Jenny won’t mind. The more the merrier.”
    “That’s our motto on Gansett,” Grace said for Fiona’s benefit. “Which is why our circle of friends seems to expand exponentially.”
    “Sounds like fun,” Fiona said. “I’d love to go, if you’re sure your friend won’t mind.”
    “I know she won’t,” Erin said, “but if you’d feel better, I’ll text her to tell her I invited you.”
    “That’d be nice. Thank you.”
    Grace rang up the sale of the lights, which Slim paid for before Erin could get her wallet out of