HOOKED ON YOU (Paradise Cove) by Patrice Wilton Read Free Book Online Page A

We have to live for the moment, or it may never come.”
    She spoke a harsh truth, a lesson they’d all learned the hard way.
    Taylor shook her head sadly. She wasn’t built like her sister. Her beliefs were different, and she had to be true to them. Yes, she could go out more often, but that didn’t mean she’d “enjoy” her life more.
    “I know what you’re saying, Brit. But I’m not like you, and I don’t want to be.”
    “Okay, enough about your love life,” Brittany said, turning to face Kayla. “How’s the bride-to-be feeling? I see you’re not drinking. Hopefully that’s good news.”
    “Maybe, but I’m afraid to get too excited or optimistic. I had another false alarm a few months back.” Kayla put her hand over her flat stomach.
    “Oh, no!” Anna’s eyes grew wide. “I didn’t know, honey. You never said anything.”
    “Well, there was nothing to say. My period was late, that’s all.”
    “I’m sure that Sean has you seeing the best doctors in the field and is keeping an eye on you,” Anna said in comfort. “But you shouldn’t be working so hard. Why don’t you sit home and watch all those cute workmen banging around your new home?”
    The girls laughed.
    Anna sniffed. “Well, that’s precisely what I would do.”
    Brittany rose and kissed her mother’s cheek. “As would I. But I think my siblings have our father’s genes.”
    “When I see genes,” Anna said with a twinkle in her eye, “I want a hot guy wearing them.”

CHAPTER FOUR

    Colt sat back in his Captain’s chair on the upper deck as the boys trolled for fish. He kept one eye on them, and steered with his hands behind him. He was good at multi-tasking. He was good at a lot of things, but one thing he wasn’t good at was keeping his emotions locked down.
    You’d think being newly divorced, he’d have no problems with that. The fighting and anger and hurt when he discovered his wife had cheated on him. Coming to terms with that. Deciding it was for the best. He wasn’t the man she wanted, and he didn’t want to be. The past year had seen plenty of emotional upheaval. It had been hard on all of them, but they were getting to a solid place now. He felt more at peace than he had in a long time.
    His life was uncomplicated and he aimed to keep it that way. One thing for sure—he didn’t do emotions with the girls he dated. They came. They went. So what the hell had happened today with Taylor?
    He took a long slug of water and then replaced the bottle in the holder. His eyes were trained on the lines, but instead of seeing the wake behind him, all he saw was the look of shock and distaste on Taylor’s face. He raised his cap off his head, mopped up some sweat, then shoved it back down.
    He didn’t blame her. He’d been a complete idiot back at the cafe. Coming on to her the way he did. Showing her in graphic style exactly how she’d affected him. What had he been thinking? She’d be running scared now for damn sure.
    Besides that, she was right. He had no say in who she dated. She’d made it loud and clear that she certainly did not want him—but that didn’t stop him from wanting her. At least physically. Of all the women he knew, she was the one he’d give his left nut to have in his bed. Problem was, he wasn’t looking for a wife and having buddy-sex with Taylor wouldn’t sit right. Not with him. Or her. And sure in hell not with the rest of her family. The women were close and protective of each other, and he respected them all too much to mess around with Taylor just for fun.
    Even if she wanted it—which she didn’t. He was between a rock and a hard place. The hard place was the fact he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and laid awake many nights wondering how she’d feel under him. Sometimes he thought of her when he was with another woman. She was beginning to feel like a disease.
    “How’s it going, boys?” Colt called down over the rail. He could see for himself they were having a good