Yours to Savor by Scarlett Edwards Read Free Book Online Page A

could answer, “do you like the sea?”
    “I mean, it’s just sort of there,” Sandra shrugged. “I’ve never paid much attention to it before.”
    Brandon laughed. “Well, we’ll change that tonight.” He let go of her hand, increased his strides to walk faster up the sloping trail to the peak. He stopped, and turned back to her before she caught up. “You said an hour, Sandra, so I planned on making the best use of that time. Look.”
    Sandra came to stand beside him on the crest… and stopped, gaping. The little forest around them melted away at the top of the hill, exposing a breathtaking view of the ocean. The horizon stretched far into the distance, the ocean trailing it to eternity beneath the cloudless sky overhead. She could hear water lapping at the rocky shore far beneath them. The sun sat close to the water’s surface, casting shimmering rays onto the ripples of the calm sea. From her vantage point, Sandra could see the water sparkle, like a blue desert scattered with millions of tiny diamonds, each one glistening in the sun.
    “Look down,” Brandon suggested.
    Sandra did… and gasped. She’d overlooked the beachfront while she was so focused on the view. Down there, fifty feet below them, was a magnificent ocean home nestled amongst massive boulders. It was built in the middle of an enclave that cliffs carved out in the land. The little trail Brandon led her on, it seemed, was much more than that—it was a private path to a magnificent property. A long, wooden dock extended from the house to the water, and a beautiful pleasure yacht was moored at the end.
    Somehow, as she was taking everything in, Brandon’s hand found the small of her back. She let herself be pulled into him. The motion was so smooth, so natural, she didn’t notice it at first—until she became aware of the growing heat radiating from his touch, and flowing into her entire body. He stepped close, and his clean, musky scent overpowered her senses. She gave a little shudder, but didn’t pull away. Her body responded so readily to him. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to fight it anymore.
    “What is all that?” she asked, motioning down in front of them.
    “Our destination.” Brandon smiled. “Come on.” Taking her hand again, he led Sandra down the trail toward the property.
    The walk was shorter than she expected. When they reached the waterfront, Sandra stood in awe of the splendor of the house. Large, beautiful oak beams guarded the entrance, and enormous floor-to-ceiling windows decorated the rest of the façade. The lights were off inside, but sunlight pierced through the glass to light up the expansive interior.
    “This is yours?” Sandra asked.
    “A friend’s,” Brandon answered.
    “He lets you use it?”
    “ She ,” Brandon corrected. Almost immediately, Sandra felt an inexplicable sting of jealousy. It was small, yes… but it was noticeable.
    “She must be very wealthy,” Sandra noted carefully.
    Brandon stopped, and gave her a blank look. “The house is hers,” he explained, “but the yacht is mine. Come.”
    “Is that where we’re going? Your boat?”
    His eyes glimmered. “For me, she’s more than a boat, but you be the judge. Come on,” he urged. “Clock’s ticking.”
    Sandra shot him a look.
    “Your words, not mine,” he reminded her.
    Sandra picked her way across the rocky beach as Brandon led her toward the dock. “You know, this isn’t what I expected from you,” she admitted.
    “What do you mean?”
    “I mean, when I said I’d give you an hour, after you asked me out, I thought you’d take me to a restaurant or something.”
    Brandon affected a hurt expression. “Surely you didn’t think that poorly of me.”
    “No, no,” Sandra backtracked, “it’s just—”
    She stopped abruptly when he started laughing. Laughing at her, again… but she realized the hurt look he gave her before had been laced with sarcasm. She’d taken the bait hook, line, and sinker. It’ll