In the Line of Duty: First Responders, Book 2 by Donna Alward Read Free Book Online Page A

this…”
    “This what?” Her heart started clubbing so loudly she could hear it in her ears over the cry of the seagulls.
    “This…what happened in the water.”
    Her appetite was suddenly the last thing on her mind. She was so confused. She wanted to believe him. It would be so much easier if she could loosen up and accept what he said. But it was hard. She’d struggled for so long. She’d carried hate around for so long it was a habit that was hard to let go.
    “There’s something going on here,” he said. “I’m not sure what it is, but I can’t get it off my mind. I’ve tried. God knows, you’re not the easiest person I could find myself attracted to.”
    Just like that, her blood pressure went zinging upward. He’d come right out and said it—he was attracted. The crazy thing was, she was too.
    “Is that why you brought me here rather than the public beach?”
    “What if I said yes?”
    Kendra’s body was so tense now she felt like a string ready to be plucked. What if he said yes? What if he wanted her, desired her? Was she prepared for that? It’s not like she had a world of sexual experience to draw upon.
    But wasn’t it time? And Jake wasn’t a commitment kind of guy. He’d said so himself. He’d brought her somewhere private, somewhere that their every move wouldn’t be noticed or commented on. It would be discreet. And maybe it would satisfy this strange craving that seemed to overtake her whenever they were together.
    Could she have a fling? Was that even possible for a girl like her?
    Because certainly a fling was all Jake was offering.

Chapter Four
    Could I possibly analyze things more? Kendra closed her eyes briefly. “I’m a cop,” she breathed. “I can’t be reckless, Jake. I can’t…”
    She opened her eyes and saw Jake put the dishes—still half-full of food—carefully into the cooler. “W…what are you doing?”
    “Getting these out of the way.”
    His voice had gone all deep and rich and goose bumps erupted over her skin. She should tell him she wasn’t finished, that she wanted to go, that they couldn’t do this. Instead, all she could do was watch, utterly fascinated, as he moved the cooler aside, slid over on his towel next to her and rested on his elbow. With his free hand, he brushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear, so incredibly tender she forgot how to breathe.
    “Jake,” she whispered, and then bit down on her lip. Oh my God, this was so wrong. She knew it and chose to ignore it. The curiosity, the fascination won out. The way he rested on his side made his muscles shift as he twisted slightly at the waist. She was on a private beach, in a bathing suit, with a man who looked like someone out of one of those men’s fitness magazines. Maybe she should run like her hair was on fire. But wouldn’t she kick herself for it in the morning? It wasn’t often such an opportunity came her way.
    “You are so beautiful, do you know that?”
    It was almost painful to swallow around the lump in her throat. She’d never been beautiful. She’d been…plain. A wallflower. “You don’t have to say that,” she replied a little breathlessly. She wasn’t very good at this seduction thing at all.
    He smiled. “It’s even better that you don’t realize it,” he said, running his fingers over a few strands of hair before tracing the shell-like curve of her ear. “You’ve got terrific hair, you know. I had no idea it was this curly.” A piece twined around his finger and he gently tugged, pulling her an inch closer. “You always wear it in that silly braid and hide it under your cap. It’s a sin.”
    “Jake…”
    But he carried on as if he hadn’t heard her, his gaze following his finger as he slipped it out of her hair and grazed her shoulder, slid it down to her elbow. “Your skin is so soft. And your body…”
    His gaze clashed with hers and the hazel-green irises glowed at her. “Your body is rockin’,” he decreed. “I have