Lost in Magic (Night Shadows Book 4) Read Online Free

thinking about Mick, that it was possible she was just one of several women on his radar. He certainly was good looking enough to take his pick, and he had plenty of charm to boot. Allison had never considered herself the kind of woman to hold the attention of a man like him. Not that she was unattractive. She just didn’t see anything special when she looked in the mirror. Light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a fit body. She didn’t have an hourglass shape or excessively large breasts or even a sugary voice. Nothing that should have drawn the attention of a gorgeous, apparently wealthy man like Mick.
    The same Mick who was giving her a funny look. One dark brow had lifted on his forehead and a beat of silence stretched by before he reached for his orange juice. “Just one,” he said. He swallowed and looked into her eyes. “Promise.”
    Something tingled down low in her belly and Allison crossed her ankles beneath the chair. “Sorry if that was weird,” she said. “I don’t know where that came from.”
    Mick’s grin returned, a little lopsided this time, and he shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.” He chomped on a piece of bacon as she popped her first bite of pancake into her mouth. She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed it down. And she had the strongest urge to trace the ridge of it with her tongue.
    Good grief, Allison. What had gotten into her this morning?
    “What are you up to for the rest of today?” Mick asked, seemingly oblivious to the trail of her thoughts. Which was probably a good thing.
    Reaching for her own juice, Allison said, “Oh, I haven’t decided really. I want to check out the Euphoria Lounge, maybe get in a game of mini golf, or just spend some time around the pool. There are so many options.” She even wanted to explore the shopping level, just to see what kind of souvenirs or other items a cruise ship carried. Supposedly they were stocked enough that she could replenish her entire vacation wardrobe and then some if she wanted.
    “That all sounds fun,” Mick said. He paused to finish his last slice of bacon. “Mind if I keep you company? I promise I don’t bite.”
    Allison felt her heart do a dance in her chest. She most certainly didn’t mind keeping his company at all. “I suppose that would be all right,” she said instead. Best not to seem too eager. She really wanted the chance to see him in nothing but a pair of swim trunks. Or is he a speedo man?
    ****
    Mick drew a deep breath as Ali approached him on the pool deck shortly after breakfast. She was wearing a robe-style swimsuit cover over a stylized one-piece suit. He couldn’t make out the details, but he could tell from the darker color protruding through the ivory cover that it was more like a bikini with connecting strips of fabric. He was going to have a hard time breathing when she took that cover off.
    “I managed to find two loungers,” he said when she stopped before him, a beach bag slung over one shoulder. He indicated the two chairs he pushed a little closer together, one of which boasted his towel.
    Ali looked around, taking in how crowded the area was, and turned a beautiful smile to him. “I’m impressed. Did you have to bribe someone out of them?”
    “Not telling,” he returned, holding his hand out. “Let me help you set up.”
    Allison obligingly reached into her bag and extracted a green and white beach towel. The pattern appeared to be leaves of varying styles and shades layered around each other over a white background. And the fact that the theme was leaves was not lost on him as he spread the towel over her lounge chair. He tucked the top edge between two of the plastic slats to hold it in place and adjusted the back into a semi-relaxed position.
    “Perfect,” Ali said, setting her bag down between the two chairs. “Thank you.”
    He grinned. “You ready for a swim?” Jerking a thumb in the direction of the pool to his left he said, “It’s only gonna get more