Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss) by Annie Seaton Read Free Book Online Page A

living in the same place. Twenty-four-seven. No way.
    “Come on, we’ll take my car.” She strode ahead of him, and he was surprised by how quickly she moved. Sienna barely reached his shoulder, but he had to step up his pace to catch her.
    The streets had filled with tourists and locals alike since they’d been in the coffee shop, and he looked around with interest. Sienna slowed down and shot him a grin. “Looking for movie stars?”
    It was the same droll humor that had appealed to him when they’d first met.
    “Nah, just checking out my new town.” The place had a fresh feel. After his time in the hectic world of business in New York, he was looking forward to the change. A relaxed lifestyle. A slower pace. A place where integrity and honesty could exist without someone trying to make money from his hard work. Or better him in a deal.
    She walked along beside him. “You know anybody you pass on the street could be a somebody here. But there is a code of anonymity in Carmel. Even if you pass Clint Eastwood…you just keep on walkin’.”
    “I’m sure.” If he saw Clint Eastwood, he’d probably gawk like a fan.
    “I’ll teach you the Carmel way.” She’d relaxed a bit, probably because of the possibility of getting her work space back, and that made him uncomfortable. He felt as though she was happy because things might work out her way, not because she was enjoying his company. He was sure if it hadn’t meant being able to stay working in the studio, she would never have offered to show him the apartment. She kept walking past the gallery, then turned into a back lane.
    “You keep your car back here?” he asked.
    “Yes, there’s just enough space for it.”
    Sienna walked over to a red BMW Z3 parked in a small paved area and leaned over to unlock the door. Jack felt that small tug of desire pull at him again as her loose pants clung to her legs. He lifted his gaze and ran it down the car instead. “Nice car.”
    “I love it,” she said with a smile. “Especially when I drive back up Highway 1 to Nebbiton, and the weather’s good enough to keep the top down.”
    He opened the passenger door, slid in next to her, and watched as she reached up and pushed the front part of the top up, before turning the key and pressing the electronic control to open the roof. It slid back silently, and they were bathed in warm sunshine.
    “Almost as good as riding a bike,” he said.
    “Might as well enjoy the day. Sunny days can be few and far between here along this stretch of the coast. My place is a couple of miles up along the road toward Monterey.”
    The wind blew strongly as Sienna drove out through town. Jack dropped his shades over his eyes when they turned onto Seventeen Mile Drive. He took in the scenery and recognized the golf course where he’d played with Blake a couple of years ago. When they passed Cypress Point, Sienna swung a right onto Forest Lake Road. “Pretty exclusive area,” he said.
    “The average listing is over four million,” she said.
    Jack narrowed his gaze. She must be doing okay if she had a place here and was going to buy the gallery too. Maybe she could find herself another studio and he wouldn’t feel so bad about moving her out.
    “You are easy to read, you know.” Sienna turned and grinned at him as she swung into a driveway and drove past a stately home between some tall pines. “I said the average.” He appreciated her smile; she’d looked thoughtful as they’d driven through town and hadn’t said much to him.
    She slowed in front of a huge house built in pink concrete, with large circular windows on each side of a tall entry that towered over an expanse of green manicured lawn. He waited for Sienna to turn into the circular driveway at the front, but she kept going. A little farther down the road, Forest Lake glimmered through the trees and she swung left into a narrow driveway. A small cottage sat on a rise at the end of the road with a garage beside