It Will Always Be You (You Series Book 1) by Tina Ness Read Free Book Online Page A

only hope.
    Once we talk about his work (something he seems to know very well), he appears much more relaxed. He goes on about a trip he took to Brazil, and I find it just fascinating enough to stay engaged in the conversation. I’m relieved he is so talkative, since I’m feeling less than chatty this evening. I find my mind drifting back to Marshall from time to time, but for the most part, I’m enjoying Peter’s company.
    We both ordered the fish tacos, which I talked him into having after confessing they are one of my guilty pleasures since I like mine drenched with sauce.
    Peter pays our tab, though I offered to contribute, and he kindly declined. We walk slowly to my car, but before I climb onto the driver’s seat, I turn to him, hoping to feel something, needing to forget about Marshall. Peter opens his arms, taking me into a hug. The few seconds he holds me feel good, and then there it is—a kiss on the cheek.
    “I had a great time, Elizabeth. Drive safe.” He touches my hand and smiles. I smile back but say nothing. We both turn, and I just climb into my car, surprised by the sudden jolt of disappointment. It felt good to be kissed, even if only on the cheek, but every inch of me screams with desire for so much more, leaving my stomach twisted up in knots.
    ***
    My thoughts weigh heavy this sleepless night. I can’t shake the feeling that rocks me to the core.
Is it that my yearning for Marshall Roderick is so deep that I would let any, just any, man kiss me?
The very thought leaves me feeling corrupt, but at the same time, I have a foreign sensation—a buzz of exhilaration that alarms me.
Would I just settle for Peter, a man who is good-looking and interesting enough but doesn’t seem to light my fire? More importantly, he might be Marshall’s cousin. What the hell is happening to me?

Chapter 5
    Saturday, May 22
    Starting work at five in the morning is always painful, but after all the tossing and turning I did last night, today feels unusually brutal. The torrential rain isn’t helping either. I have to make a mad dash into work from the employee parking lot. After an unsuccessful attempt to jump over an enormous puddle, my right tennis shoe is thoroughly drenched and making an unpleasant squishy sound. The black and pink paisley umbrella I got from Rose on our last birthday is deemed useless as the high winds shoot giant drops of water violently into my face.
    Last June had been hot for our twenty-sixth birthday party. Growing up, not only did we need to share
our
birthday with each other, but we also have two cousins with June birthdays. Every year, my mother and her sister, Margaret, plan a party with our family. Cake and ice cream, piñatas, and punch were replaced with margaritas, beer, and a beanbag-toss tournament once my youngest cousin, Bo, turned eighteen. Every year, we tell them “no more parties,” but Mom and Margaret say, “It’s a great excuse for our family to get together,” which I can’t dispute. We always do have a lot of fun. This year will be our twenty-seventh birthday. There’s no telling what my mother and Margaret have planned; nothing small, I’m sure. I haven’t spoken with my mother in a few days, which usually means she is busy planning something. For a woman who is not a fan of surprises, she sure does like to treat others to surprises.
    Having spent more time than usual on my hair and makeup this morning in hopes of running into Marshall, I was thoroughly aggravated when I caught sight of myself in the lobby mirror, mascara running down my cheeks, red hair clinging to my neck and shoulders. After dropping off my purse in the office, I hurry to the online reservation page to find a vacant room so I can freshen up and dry my hair.
    The closest vacant room is one of the deluxe suites. I grab my metallic pearl-colored room card with the bold blue and yellow lighthouse logo that allows me access to all of the rooms. I make a pit stop in the laundry room for a fresh