Island Peril by Jill Sorenson Read Free Book Online Page A

way?”
    “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”
    She laughed softly, her heart aching with an unknown feeling. It was a strange coincidence, if not a miracle, but she couldn’t say that. Because what did it mean? That fate had brought them together? She’d never believed in miracles or fate. She was a woman of science with no particular religious affiliation. The horrors of the San Diego earthquake had solidified her suspicions that there was no God.
    And yet, here they were.
    Keeping her chest covered, she turned toward him and rested her head on her hand, elbow bent. “How did your parents meet?”
    He smiled at the question. “They went to the same college in San Francisco. She was a nursing student volunteering at a bicycle race. My dad took a nasty spill on his bike and needed first aid.”
    She smiled back at him, enjoying the story. “What were they like?”
    “They were...fun. Not too strict. They took us on trips and hikes and stuff. We played board games.”
    “Did they argue?”
    “Yeah.”
    “What about?”
    “Lots of things. Dishes, my dad’s work schedule, the rules of Scrabble, movies.”
    “Movies?”
    “My dad was a fan of gory slasher movies, but my mom hated the sight of blood on film. She also had...philosophical objections.”
    “To violence?”
    “And sexism.”
    “Did your dad do the dishes?”
    “Not as often as he should have. But he couldn’t have loved her more. They were crazy about each other right until the end.”
    Her throat tightened at his honest description. It was sweet but not sugarcoated. He didn’t diminish them by downplaying their flaws. “My parents are like that, still happily married. I don’t want to settle for anything less.”
    He tucked his hands behind his head and stared up at the stars, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. They talked about Ella’s parents and Abby for a few minutes. Then he straightened, reaching for his shorts. “I should put some more wood on the fire.”
    She caught a glimpse of his taut buttocks as he dragged the fabric up his hips. Throat dry, she admired his retreating form as he walked down the beach. During her semi-conscious state, he’d held her naked body against his. He’d also planted one hell of a kiss on her before swimming to the kayak. Her lips tingled from the memory.
    While he gathered bits of driftwood from the windswept beach, she secured the blanket under her arms and rose to retrieve her discarded bikini. It was wet and sandy. Wrinkling her nose, she shook out the pieces and hung them up to dry on a palm tree branch. Then she did the same with their other garments. His long-sleeved shirt must have been made with some kind of special fabric because it was hardly damp.
    He brought several loads of driftwood and tossed them into a pile. After feeding the fire, he warmed his hands over it, adopting a wide-legged stance to dry his shorts. Ella returned to the grass mat. They fell into a companionable silence, studying the flames.
    “Are open fires legal on San Miguel?” she asked.
    “No.”
    “I thought you didn’t break the rules.”
    “I’m living dangerously.”
    “Sit with me,” she said, gesturing to the space beside her.
    His gaze moved from her blanket-clad form to the dangling bikini. He knew she was naked beneath the flimsy silver barrier. A thrill traveled up her spine, prickling the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck.
    “I have to keep watch,” he said.
    “You’re going to stand all night?”
    He shrugged, looking away.
    She understood his reluctance. Desire had been humming between them all day; he didn’t want to give in to temptation and get distracted.
    But why not go for it? They were alone and several hundreds of feet from the shore. Moonlight glittered across the surf, highlighting the harbor’s wide expanse. The criminals couldn’t sneak in.
    Paul removed his shirt from the palm tree and held it over the fire for a few minutes. Instead of donning it himself, he gave the