Breaking Free (Invitation to Eden) by Cathryn Fox Read Free Book Online

mysterious nightclub continued to plague her. Off in the distance, boats bobbed in the sea, and as she examined them, that old familiar feeling of being watched washed over her. She licked her dry lips and looked around, but when her glance came up empty, she fought down the unease, missing Jesse’s constant presence. With all these strange things going on, maybe she should have let someone know where she was going.
    She made her way to the paved path and came upon a large map that detailed the island. She found the ‘you are here’ star and ran her finger along the trail leading to the castle. After getting lost on the winding turns despite the map, she took the corner and finally found a huge outdoor pavilion. Walking through the crowd, many of who were lounging on wicker furniture, checking emails or enjoying an early morning drink at the bar, she looked for a familiar face, someone who might have been at the club last night and could fill her on what was going on. Delicious smells reached her nostrils as she moved around the furniture, and when she heard music, she followed the sound. She walked until she came to a huge stage and found dancers, out of costume, practicing for a show. Quietly watching them for a while, admiring and committing their choreographed moves to memory, she lowered herself into one of the chairs. Her body swayed as she continued to study their moves, everything inside her longing to go up there, to be a part of the show.
    One of the male dancers caught her eyes, and she felt herself blush when he gave her a sexy wink. Had he been one of the masked men last night?
    A middle-aged man came onto stage, clearly the director. He clapped his hands and gave direction, then he looked at Alaska. He planted his palms on his hips and asked, “Are you just going to sit there?”
    Alaska sat up straighter. Surely to God, he couldn’t be talking to her.
    “I...what?” she asked.
    “Are you just going to sit there or are you going to dance?”
    “I’m not one of the dancers,” she said.
    He folded his arms, his busy brow furrowing. “Then what are you doing here?”
    “I was just watching.”
    “The show isn’t until tonight, honey. Come back then.” He turned his back to her.
    After being dismissed and wishing she really was one of the dancers—after all, performing on a stage like that would be a dream come true for her—she retraced her steps. But instead of finding herself back at the pavilion, she walked into a beautiful outdoor, breakfast area. She was instantly greeted by a hot guy who led her to a private table with a spectacular view of the ocean. Even though she was used to being alone, a strange sense of loneliness came over her as she sat by herself, missing Jesse’s distant yet constant presence. The empty chairs beside her a sad reminder that she had no one to enjoy the view with. Was she just destined to be alone? Would everyone in her life eventually abandon her?
    When a waiter came with coffee, she redirected her thoughts, refusing to dwell on anything but this vacation, even though there seemed to be strange things going on. She blew into her cup then took a sip, hoping that after breakfast, she could find the two guys she sat between at the bar last night. As if thinking about them had conjured them up, they sauntered up to her.
    “Mind if we join you?”
    She blinked up at them and took in their mischievous smiles. “Sure,” she answered and resisted the urge to pinch them to make sure they were real. Instead, she fiddled with her cup as they sat, flanking her once again.
    The one with the dark hair and even darker eyes jabbed his thumb into his chest, and oh what a fine chest it was. “I’m Jack,” he said, then nodded toward his friend, “and he’s Blair.”
    Alaska swallowed a mouthful of coffee and turned to Blair. He flashed a bright smile and ran his hands through his cropped blond hair. She took in his features, then let her glance dropped to his shoulders. As