Sultry Sunset by Mary Calmes Read Free Book Online

toned, cut body and I was twenty-two with no obligations, I might be an escort too. But the issue was that every now and then, someone followed him home. It was easy to get attached to him and his sensual hedonism, but once he was here, he wasn’t that guy.
    Here in Mangrove, he was Laz, the laid-back shop owner with his place beside the tea shop, Steep. He was not the same guy he was in the big city, but clients didn’t know that. Every so often, Laz would have to file a restraining order against a particularly insistent admirer, and it was always a hassle for either Coz or Arad to enforce.
    “What?” He yawned as he strode over to us, board shorts and tank top on, cigarette in one hand, 32-ounce fountain drink in the other.
    “Why are you barefoot?” I asked, utterly horrified. “You could step on a piece of glass or something.”
    He was scowling as he reached us. “The only thing on the pristine white sidewalks or the red brick driveways around here is white sand that looks like sugar, so I’m not worried.”
    I shook my head, and Kelly told him to get rid of the cigarette. “You know smoking in public places is against the law in Mangrove.”
    Laz groaned and put it out on the railing, then tossed it into the garbage can. “Which is ridiculous by the way,” he added. “Who gets exposed to secondhand smoke when you’re outside and the wind is blowing and you’re right next to the fuckin’ ocean?”
    We both shot him a look.
    “It’s stupid.”
    “Whatever,” Kelly said dismissively. “I want to know about you and Britton Lassiter. Why did he take out a restraining order against you?”
    “How do you know about that?”
    “I live with one of the two officers in town. Of course I know.”
    “It was a misunderstanding.”
    Oh, I had to hear this.
    He looked back and forth between us and finally threw up his hands in annoyance. Clearly we were both waiting.
    “He was a client in Manhattan,” Lazlo explained. “And––”
    “Before he was divorced?” Kelly wanted to know.
    “He was separated already,” Lazlo replied irritably, possibly because of being interrupted. “And though normally I don’t do background checks before I fuck people, I think he was feeling guilty and so gave me his whole sad ‘I’m getting a divorce’ story.”
    “Okay, sorry, go on.”
    “Yeah, so when I saw him here, I thought he was one of those guys who’d followed me across the country.”
    Kelly’s laughter was immediate.
    “What?” I asked, unsure of why that was funny. “I’m sure lots of people would––look at him.”
    “Thank you,” Lazlo said with his sexy, smoky voice.
    “Could we finish the story?” Kelly snapped.
    “Yeah. So I go walking up to him and I start to give him the standard line, yanno, the whole ‘this is my home, so whatever you thought I could do for you, I can’t do for you here,’ and he gets all upset like I attacked him or something.”
    “He was horrified.” Kelly chuckled.
    “How do you know?”
    “He told me.”
    “Britton told Coz he was horrified?”
    “No, idiot, he told me he was horrified. He and I are friends.”
    “Oh, so you got the story from both sides, then, mine and his.”
    “I have now, yeah.”
    Lazlo pivoted to face Kelly. “Then explain to me why he lost his mind?”
    “Are you kidding?” he scoffed.
    Lazlo was clearly confused.
    “He’s the new lawyer in town. He’s only been here a month and he’s building his reputation, and you’re back a week and everyone knows he knows you.”
    “You know me,” he said curtly. “And that doesn’t seem to be adversely affecting your reputation.”
    “I’m not a lawyer,” Kelly reminded him.
    Lazlo scowled. “That’s the reason? Really? I embarrassed him?”
    “If I was him, I wouldn’t want clients knowing I paid for sex, either,” I told him. “I mean, you’re a lawyer and you did something illegal. What does that say about you?”
    “It’s not illegal to be an