Stranded in Paradise (The Blake Boys Book 13) by Rhonda Laurel Read Free Book Online Page B

out. It was six-thirty. The mixer should be in full swing. He wasn’t really looking to meet anyone, but he was hungry and it wouldn’t hurt to show his face. Besides, he had a feeling if he didn’t make an appearance he’d get another pep talk from Amber. The family had tailor-made this vacation for him, so it was a reasonable assumption the astute hostess would make sure their instructions were followed to the letter.
    He took a shower and changed into suitable casual evening wear: a pale blue, linen shirt and three-quarter khaki carpenter shorts. The super-short haircut he sported required little maintenance, but he ran a brush over his smooth scalp anyway and dabbed on a little cologne. He could do this. He wasn’t allergic to fun and good times. He closed the door and followed the path lit by tiki torches to the main building. There were signs pointing to the party but there was no mistaking where it was. The dining room was packed, and the live band was on fire.
    Jared grabbed a seat at the bar and was immediately approached by the bartender with a menu. The seared ahi tuna steak sounded divine, so he ordered it and a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue. There were plenty of beautiful women around, but one in particular seemed to be causing quite a stir. Every man in the bar was breaking his neck to get a glimpse of the woman who’d just sauntered in wearing a white halter dress. Jared did a casual half turn to get a better view. He choked on his drink when he saw her face. Either Bo’s fiancée Summer had a doppelganger or that was her twin sister Autumn. She was even more stunning than the pictures he’d seen of her.
     
     
     
    As soon as Autumn saw that the room was full of swinging singles, she made a beeline for the bar. The music was delightful and the setting was nice, but she just wasn’t as jazzed as everyone else who was there. But that hadn’t stopped her from putting on the new dress she’d bought and coming to get a bite to eat. She’d taken so much time putting away her things and gazing out at the ocean from her deck that she’d lost track of time.
    She kindly told a guy who’d stepped in her way with an offer to star gaze that she wasn’t interested and continued her trek. She was then stopped by another guy who tried to use some lame pickup line. She zagged right when she saw another would-be suitor waiting to ambush her near the piano. She let out a big sigh when she finally plopped down on a bar stool, thankful she’d made it through the maze of cheesy pickup lines. The nice bartender flashed an easy smile at her and handed her a menu. She munched on the olives in the bowl while trying to decide what to order. After a few minutes she picked a simple salad and was reviewing the drink menu when someone came up behind her.
    “Bartender, can you get the lady a martini? It’s on me.” The guy wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt flashed a wide grin and extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Kyle.”
    Autumn glared at him. “Thanks for the offer Kyle, but I can buy my own drink.”
    “You tell him.” Another man, dressed in a silk shirt and a gold chain said as he waved at the bartender. “Besides, she looks more like a mojito girl. A mojito por favor .”
    “What makes you think I’m a mojito girl ?” Autumn fought back the urge to beat him with the bar stool he was trying to slither onto.
    “I have the uncanny knack for knowing what a woman wants.” He winked at her. “It’s crisp and smooth with a hint of mint. You’ll love it.”
    “Actually, she looks more like a Johnnie Walker kind of woman, but I wouldn’t dare insult her by paying for it,” someone said at the end of the bar.
    Autumn nodded at the bartender, who had placed the three drinks before her, to let him know she wanted the Johnnie Walker. The other two guys looked disappointed, but she didn’t care. Served them right for assuming what she drank. Yeah, the third guy did too, but he was on the nose with the libation selection.