Relinquished by K.A. Hunter Read Free Book Online Page A

window before the wipers cleared away the tiny drops. “Oh my God.  It’s so…” Words escaped me. I was in absolute awe.
    Holden switched off the music, and the only sound was the clicking of the turn signal and the intermittent swipe of the wipers.  My heart pounded as excitement filled my body. All these years…
    I watched the dark water ease up to shore then suddenly white foamy waves crashed against the sand.   As we turned left, Holden rolled down my window.  “Listen to it.”
    A cold blast of ocean air smacked me in the face, tossing my hair around, but I welcomed it. Even from the street, I could hear the angry waves as they collided with the earth. I closed my eyes, focusing on the magnificent sound, and breathed in the strong, salty air.  When I opened my eyes, we were pulling into a tiny alley lined with two and three-story homes just as one of the garage doors opened.  
    Confused, I looked at Holden, who was trying not to smile. “What’re we doing here?”
    “This is my house.”
    We pulled into the garage, next to his International Scout, and I was completely blown away.  He’d never told me that he lived right on the beach. Then again, we were still learning about each other, and I hadn’t exactly told him everything yet either. And I probably never will.
    “Come on, let’s go in.  I’ll show you around, and you can drop your things in the wash right away.” He pointed to the high-tech washer and dryer by the door that I assumed led into the house.
    I leaned back, grabbed my bag from behind my seat, and wished I’d packed more than just my work outfits and sweaty gym clothes. Since I had to carry my clothes to and from the laundromat, I normally only washed small batches at a time. There were usually dryers that still had a few minutes left after other people pulled their clothes out and the fewer the clothes I had, the quicker they would dry.
    The garage door slowly lowered as I stepped out of the passenger seat. Holden rounded the front of the car and narrowed his eyes at me.
    “What?”
    He impatiently swished the ring of his keys around his finger. “I was going to get the door for you.”
    “Oh.  Sorry.” I should’ve been used to that by now.  Whenever he drove me anywhere, he was normally at my door before I had a chance to open it.
    He stepped closer, leaning in until our bodies were touching, then he swiped my hair behind my shoulders. “It’s okay, but I’d like to open your door from now on, okay?”
    I felt him leaning in further, and my eyes slipped shut. As his lips made contact with my cheek, I breathed out quietly, “Okay.”
    When he placed his hand on my lower back and led me to the machines, I was practically panting. I didn’t even have to look at him to feel his grin. It was pretty obvious that he loved the effect he was having on me.
    He set the machine up and waited until I dumped my clothes in before opening the door to the house. “Come on in.” Tossing his keys, wallet, and cell onto a side table, he strolled confidently into his home—his beautiful, breathtaking home.
    We were in a small hallway with two doors on either side. Directly in front of us was the living room, and just beyond the opening, I could see huge glass windows and doors that sat no more than twenty feet away from the sand.
    He gave me a knowing look. “Now you know why I had to have this house.” He flicked on a few lights since it was starting to get dark.
    “Yes.  That view is spectacular.  Why would you ever leave?” I chuckled as I walked up to the glass, placing my hands on it as I stared out. I could’ve gotten lost in this scene all day.
    Snapping out of my trance, I realized I’d left smudges on the window. “Oh shit, I’m sorry.” I pulled my arm through the short sleeve of my shirt and began frantically cleaning the glass.
    “Jules, it’s okay,” he laughed. “Don’t worry about it.” Holden placed a calming hand on my shoulder.
    “I’m sorry.  I