Determined Kisses (Love in Sandy Beach Book 4) Read Online Free Page A

closed her eyes and allowed the food to soothe her battered soul.
    “Good?”
    She opened her eyes, “Heavenly. Thanks for the invitation.”
    Hazel cleaned her plate, feeling warm from both the wine and a full stomach. And from the heat emanating from his body. He sat beside her, and even without his touching her, she could feel the warmth spreading into her heart.

Chapter 6
     
     
    Ethan had been with enough anorexic women to appreciate a girl who enjoyed her food. But watching Hazel ravishing the lasagna with the focus and hunger of a wild animal left him wondering when she’d last eaten properly. A thought that caused an unfamiliar pain in the area around his heart.
    During dinner they’d emptied the bottle of wine, and the alcohol had visibly lightened up her mood. The pain in her eyes had receded, and her face had softened as the worries of her life faded away.
    He longed to find out what could have happened to her to put that pained look in her eyes and the hardened lines of sorrow in her face. But he decided not to ask. He didn’t want to break open old wounds. No, the first priority was to make her feel at ease, make her forget all her sorrows – even if it was only for a few hours.
    “All finished?” he asked, when she pushed her plate away and sat back.
    “I couldn’t eat another bite.” She immediately stood up and began stacking their dirty dishes.
    “What are you doing?” he asked, inhaling her fresh and sexy scent.
    She arched her brow, “Cleaning up.”
    “Leave them, I’ll do it later.”
    “No, I’d like to help. Is that okay?”
    Ethan gave her an easy smile, “Sure, darling,” and joined her. Together they cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. The silence between them was breathtaking, and Ethan yearned for the easy conversation they had going a few minutes ago.
    “So, where are you from?” he asked her as she rinsed the plates and handed them to him.
    “Montana.”
    “Really? That’s what, a thousand miles west of here?” he asked, turning to study her sweet face.
    She smiled at him, the memory bringing light to her eyes – but also shadows, “Fifteen hundred miles is more accurate. Three days of driving.”
    “That’s quite a trip.”
    She nodded, “It almost seems surreal.”
    “So what brought you to Sandy Beach?”
    “I’m looking for a job as a hairdresser.”
    He closed the dishwasher door and stepped toward the sink. The sparks between them kept electrifying him, but he had been careful to keep his distance from her. He feared losing control when he touched her; that his emotions would wash over him like a bursting dam, and nothing would be able to stop him.
    Ethan fought hard to restrain himself, not wanting to give her the wrong impression. He wanted her – sure. But not only her body, he wanted so much more of her. More than anything, he wanted her to trust him, to feel at ease with him.
    “A hairdresser, huh?” His eyes wandered over her dark locks and he lifted a tendril, letting it slip through his fingers. It was as smooth as silk and insanely sexy.
    “Yes.” She wiped her hands on a dishtowel and then stepped back and away from him, her ebony lock slipping out of his fingers and the feel of loss churning his stomach. “I should go.”
    “Where? It’s already after 10 p.m., and finding a hotel at this time of night will be difficult, if not impossible. And you had quite a bit to drink. You should probably not be driving. I’d offer myself, but I’ve drunk just as much as you have.”
    He was watching her carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. She nipped her lower lip, her eyes darting from him to the door and back.
    “Hazel, why don’t you stay here? Please.”
    Ethan was very proud of his three-bedroom house, where he’d moved in weeks ago after returning from London to the States for good. She could stay in his guestroom – if she wanted to.
    Hazel looked at him with her meaningful blue eyes. “No. I can’t take advantage of your