Passion Key (A Romance & Suspense Series) by Dani Amore Read Free Book Online Page A

when that creep isn’t behind bars seeing as how he would love to kill me.”
    Justine tucked the cell phone between her cheek and shoulder and slid on a pair of yoga pants.
    “Look, this whole thing will take a bit of adjusting as we all know. Just give it time,” Runyan said.  “Once we catch him, hopefully we’ll never have to talk about him again.”
    “That’s the goal,” Justine said.  “I hope we achieve it sooner than later.”
    They talked for a few more minutes and then Justine said that she had to get going. She disconnected from the call and stretched out on the couch in her living room. 
    She turned on the television, flicked through the channels for a few minutes, and then turned it back off.  The silence in her condo was deafening.
    There was a painting on the far wall of a dock with some pelicans standing around.
    Justine looked at it, thought of Archer Thorpe’s view of the water and how amazing his place was.  She figured he had done most of the interior work himself, because carpenters didn’t make that much money.  And she vowed she would never marry a wealthy man again.  A simple, poor craftsman would be her ideal choice.  But it would be a choice she didn’t plan on making for a long, long time.
    But boy, Archer was a stud muffin.
    Great body, handsome face, and soft lips.  She felt herself getting turned on, pictured him here in her condo, both of them taking their clothes off, having sex.
    She jumped to her feet.
    No!
    It was too soon.
    Justine slipped on a bikini and went out to the pool.  There was no one there.  She dove in, felt the cool water soothe her and knew the chlorine would help kill anything around her jellyfish sting.
    There was no pain.
    Which was nice for a change , she thought.

 
     
     
     
     
    15.
     
    The design was becoming too elaborate. Archer knew that the best designs, generally, had elements of simplicity.  Some of his favorite pieces of furniture were models of elegance without any complex embellishments.  The Shakers, for instance, had been geniuses when it came to stunning yet minimalist designs.
    So still working with paper and charcoal, Archer began to strip away anything unnecessary from his cypress table.  He wanted to make the joinery invisible, seamless, the planks thin and elegant, like a beautiful woman who knows designer clothes are beside the point.
    Like Justine.
    He shook his head.  Not again. He’d been thinking about her nonstop since his ridiculous idea to kiss her.  What a cretin he was!
    Archer thought of those videos of sharks in the water going after a big hunk of meat dangling on a hook. Just a bunch of eating machines powerless at the smell of blood in the water. 
    What was he, a caveman? Mmm, beautiful woman. Must kiss.
    He laughed.
    Get it together, pal.
    The charcoal pencil flew under his hand and he kept stripping away from his design until it was not only clear on the paper, but more importantly, vivid in his mind.  He put the pencil down and stood, stretching.
    Maybe it was time for another long outing in the kayak, to clear his head and–
    His phone rang.  He considered letting it go to voicemail, but decided to pick it up.
    “Hello?”
    “Mr. Thorpe?”
    “Yes.”
    “This is Taye from Passion Key Resort. I was just wondering where to send payment for your services.  I don’t have an address on file for you.”
    “Sure, it’s–”
    His mouth snapped shut.  And before he knew it, he wasn’t talking about his address.
    “If the check is ready, I’m going to be going right past the resort so I can just pop in and save you the cost of a stamp.”
    “Oh, okay,” she said. “That’s fine. I’ve got the check right here.”
    “Great, I’ll be by in an hour or so.”
    “See you then!” she said, and Archer heard the call disconnect.  He put the phone down and walked into his bedroom, stripped, and hopped into the shower.  When he was done, he toweled himself off and put on a pair of salmon