She's the One (Lowcountry Lovers Series Book 2) by Kim Boykin Read Free Book Online Page B

door. It wasn’t too late. He would make her believe that she was the one for him, not Cassie. He got out of the car. The music stopped. The night sounds and the ocean he could barely hear a few minutes ago were deafening as he strained to listen for some clue as to what was happening inside the house. Screw this. He started for the gate of the picket fence he’d helped her paint, and the arbor he’d helped her build.
    But just before he opened the gate, the house went dark.

Chapter Six

    M elissa saw Shane walking toward Island Bliss and took off around the corner to her office.
    “You can run, girlfriend, but you can’t hide,” Pearl cackled. “That fine man is headed this way and the look on his face says he’s wanting something. And that something is—why, hey there, Shane Carver. Good to see you. What brings you in on this fine Monday morning?”
    The office was so small, even with her flimsy door closed, Melissa could hear every word Pearl said.
    “Good to see you, Pearl. Is Melissa in?”
    “Well, she’s in, but I’m not sure if she’s in in , if you know what I mean. Let me check for you.” Pearl paused for effect before the phone on Melissa’s desk buzzed. “Are you in?”
    “Thanks a lot, Pearl.”
    “Well, are you or aren’t you?”
    She hated that she was nervous about seeing Shane. She wasn’t ashamed of what she’d done with Bo. Not after watching Shane leave with the tall, stacked brunette.
    “Send him back and remind me to fire you. Again.”
    “Honey, you’ve tried, but you can’t get rid of me.”
    Melissa hung up the phone.
    “Know what I mean, Shane?” she hollered after him. “You go on back now; she’s ready for you. Uh huh, that girl is. Ready. For. You.”
    “Hey,” Melissa said softly. She could see he was hurt, maybe as hurt as she was that someone else was meant for him. He put the invoice for the sign on her desk.
    “What are you doing tonight?”
    “Shane, I—”
    “Three dates. You agreed. And remember, I know what your Monday’s are like.” It was true, during the off-season Melissa usually took a half-day off to recover from being the lone wolf on call on weekends on both the real estate and property management sides.
    “We’ve had this discussion, Shane.”
    “There was no discussion. It was just you telling me to get lost.”
    “And then you left with her .” She hated that she sounded hurt, but she refused to tell him she saw him sitting across from her house at 2:30 in the morning.
    Shane probably thought Bo was stretched out in her bed, not that Bo didn’t want to be. He had been on the couch. He and Melissa had kissed and messed around enough to make her want him, but every time things started heading in that direction, she pulled back, unable to shake the image of that girl’s ass slung over Shane’s shoulder. And those fireworks, those damn fireworks, that said it was wrong for Melissa to pursue anything with Shane Carver.
    “I’m not letting you out of this because of what you thought you saw, Melissa. What did you feel?”
    “It doesn’t matter.”
    “It matters to me.” He shoved a hand through his hair. He had the most intense chocolate brown eyes. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
    “You’re really going to hold me to this?”
    “You’re damn right.”
    “Where are we going?”
    “Your favorite place.”
    The office was quiet after Shane left, taking all the oxygen in the room with him. Pearl gave Melissa a moment to regroup, but only a moment.
    “I’d sure like for Shane Carver to take me to my favorite place, and it wouldn’t be no beach, I can promise you that.”

    A round noon, before she headed home, Melissa swung by Mermaid Cove to check on Savannah. Her car was there. It was such a beautiful day. Melissa was surprised Savannah wasn’t on the beach or by the pool. But Jack was stretched out in a lounge chair, reading a Harlan Colbin novel.
    “Hey, Jack.” He looked up from his book and smiled. “Have you seen