A Mile High by Bethany-Kris Read Free Book Online Page B

I had been overlooking all this time. No, none of that. It
was a one-time thing, a hookup in an odd place with a fantastic memory to keep.
    The small ache on the back of my thigh told me I’d
remember it for years.
    Slipping the hoodie up over my frame and pulling my
arms through the sleeves, I held the side of the fabric to my face, hiding my
smile and smelling his spiced scent. “It was…good meeting you, Sal,” I said
quietly, slinging my purse over my shoulder and grabbing the handle to my carry-on.
“Maybe…” No, I couldn’t do it. I still couldn’t bring myself to ask him for
what I wanted. “Never mind,” I added quickly.
    He nodded, the corner of his lip twitching up into a
quirky grin. “And you, too, Liv.” With the duffle bag clenched tight in his fist,
Sal said, “And uh…hey, try to get around the island, would you? Meet some
people, try to figure out the odd words, and enjoy the food.”
    “The food?” My nose scrunched up. “I’ve heard you
Newfoundlanders have an odd taste in culinary choices, besides the mostly fish-for-meat
diet.”
    Sal laughed deeply, the sound stunning my body with
sparks of want, just from where he stood. I couldn’t understand my reaction to
this man—not physically, or emotionally. “Yeah, you could say that. The general
rule is to boil everything.”
    I made another face, disgust showing. “Boil
everything?”
    “That’s what I said, girl. Boil it,” he repeated,
winking. “Boil it until everything is off, the flavor is gone, and it probably
tastes like rubber. Then, you add some kind of sauce and beans, and there you
go. Fit for kings.”
    Grinning, I
asked, “But what if a queen doesn’t want something boiled?”                          
    Sal’s eyes widened in amusement, “Then I guess she
should have gone to Barbados.”

 
    Chapter
Eleven
     
    GPS was the devil, hell-bent on destroying my life.
It just was.
    The cute, silver Mazda my brother had rented for me
to pick up at the airport was a fantastic little car, with an easy pedal and
good fuel economy. But, the GPS with the annoyingly grating voice that had
managed to get me lost at least five fucking times since getting off the main
highway was working my last nerve.
    Not only did it change direction without prompting
from me, but it also rerouted my course more times than I could count as well,
and told me that I’d missed turnoffs one or two turnoffs later. What kind of
GPS was in this damned thing, anyway? I seriously hoped my brother didn’t end
up breaking my bank account to pay for this car. No money was worth the hassle
it created for me already, and I still hadn’t even made it to my destination.
    Again, the devil, I would swear by it.
    An overwhelmed frustration had begun to settle
inside me, and between my inabilities to navigate the GPS, and still being unable
to find my favorite flimsy scarf I had been wearing earlier inside my bag, I
was finally defeated enough to call my brother’s cell phone.
    Once again, Natalie picked up, her cheery voice
doing nothing to make me less aggravated. “Hey, how’s the island?”
    I half growled into the device. “I wouldn’t know, considering
it is dark, it’s raining, and I can’t find my way to this place Josh rented for
me!”
    Natalie squeaked on the other end of the phone from
the venom in my tone. Immediately, I felt horrible. “Bad day?”
    Scoffing, I replied, “Bad? I’ve had the—” I caught
myself, stopping my words up short. Other than the initial flight issue, and
the evil GPS, my day hadn’t really been that terrible. In fact, Sal had made it
one to remember. Clearing my throat and shaking my head in an attempt to rid
the heated sensation traveling over my skin at the memory, I said quietly, “It
hasn’t been that bad, I suppose.”
    “Really? Well…that’s good then, right?”
    Her soft, unassuming voice made me feel like I could
maybe trust her. Natalie was the only female I spent any