Love on the Boardwalk Read Online Free Page A

move on to something more fun. And flirty, of course. “This waitressing is just a temporary gig while I dig up some dirt on a customer. I’ll be glad to dump it when I’m done. Gotta admit, I won’t miss it. I love new experiences. Kind of addicted to them, really. But I had my fill of this one after about half an hour.”
    A full grin transformed his face. Even better, it revealed a dimple on the left side. “I’m relieved to hear you say that. Guess I can take my finger off of speed dial to call Darcy and Coop and get them down here for an intervention to save you.”
    Near-crisis averted. Because Trina firmly believed in saving herself. Not that she needed it right now. But it was a good motto to live by. She’d been caught unprepared this summer when held up at gunpoint. And had vowed to never be that helpless again. “I do get to keep the paycheck and the tips, so that’s an added bonus.”
    “Well, I hope they let you keep the uniform, too.”
    Trina hated the uniform. The shoes hurt. The grass skirt chafed along her hips. And the stupid vines around her bra top just drove her nuts. But seeing the look in Brad’s eyes, hearing the deep thickness of his voice, made her want to keep it. Or at least, keep it on until he decided to rip it right off.
    Oh yeah, she was just as attracted to Bradley Hudson now as when she’d seen first spied him, tan and wearing only trunks. They’d flirted like crazy that whole week on the beach. She’d fallen fast and hard for the hot blond hunk with his thick hair, ripped muscles and dreamy blue eyes. Sparks had flown both ways. And then...nothing. Not even a kiss. Then she left the beach and didn’t hear another word from him. Unless you counted how often he visited her in dreams. Yummy dreams.
    The way he was looking at her right now left no room for interpretation. He was interested. But half a second away from launching herself at him, Trina stopped. Decided to think through her action plan first. Joe constantly reminded her to take the time to plan and then review the plan before enacting it. To be methodical rather than her go-to spontaneity. So she thought about it. Thought about how there’d been just as much interest at the beach, and yet he’d walked away. Wondered what had stopped him. Wondered if whatever it was might stop him again, now. Leave her feeling like an idiot.
    Back then, she remembered, he’d just come off a broken engagement. Which she’d hoped meant he was up for some hot rebound nookie.
That
sure didn’t pan out. But, come on, he was a guy. No way was Brad still nursing a broken heart. Men healed and moved on much faster than women. So if he wasn’t still moping about his ex, why’d he been drinking at Club Eden? Alone? Looking none too happy about the situation, either.
    Yeah, the safest course of action (something else Joe always counseled, to the point of boredom—a totally safe life struck Trina as a fun-free zone) would be to figure out why Brad was here. Before launching herself at him like a stud-seeking missile. After all, he’d given her the third degree about being in Atlantic City. It’d be, yes,
fun
to turn the tables on him.
    She shot out a hip and shook a finger at him. “Forget my uniform. Why aren’t you back in Charm City wearing yours? Fighting crime and kicking bad-guy ass?”
    “Detectives don’t wear uniforms. Unless you count the bullet-proof vests we put on when things might get hairy.”
    “You think you can skate right past my subtlety? Nice try, but I don’t give up that easy. So I’ll come right out and ask: Why are you here? Now? Alone?”
    “I’m not alone. I’m standing in the sand with a pretty girl. That’s about as far from alone as you can get with clothes on.”
    The junior investigator trainee part of Trina goggled in awe at his effortless evasion of her question. He’d even topped it off with a nice compliment to really throw her off the trail. She could learn a lot from Brad. Maybe, once