Summer Love_ A Steamy Small Town Romance Anthology - Piper Rayne Page 0,137

I did it to score a date,” he says flirtatiously.

Laughing, I point toward the empty barstool. “Have a nice dinner.”

“I will if you tell me your name,” he says with a deep voice rich with sensuality.

I wave my fingers and walk away.

Three hours later, as I’m about to leave, that same crisp male voice that has been playing in my head says, “Are you off?”

“Are you stalking me?”

He lifts his arms, palms facing toward me as if saying, I’m innocent. Added to it is a crooked grin that makes my knees wobble. “I wouldn’t dare. This was a coincidence.”

“I want to believe you, but—”

“Then believe me,” he interrupts me. Looking up to the sky. “I forgot how gorgeous it is outside.”

“You live in a cave?”

“Are you fetching for information?”

“Maybe,” I answer, looking up at the night sky. This is part of the magic of Luna Harbor. The blanket of stars filled with constellations and the souls of those who left this Earth. At least, that’s what Mom used to say when she was still alive. “It’s perfect, isn’t it?”

“My grandmother used to tell us that our ancestors lived in the stars. They illuminate our paths during the night,” he says, still looking at the sky in awe.

“She sounds like a wise woman,” I mumble.

“She was one of the best. I…” He pauses and moves his attention toward me. Something flickers in his eyes. I’m not sure how it happens, but the next thing I know, his mouth comes down on mine.

It’s either the drought or the surprise factor, but when our mouths collide, I’m consumed by a blaze of lust that burns my body. I love how his lips mold to mine as if they fit like a piece of a puzzle. He releases a groan when a throaty moan escapes me. I’m breathless and yet, filled with new air.

My hands come around his neck, touching his soft, dark wavy hair. His arms wrap around me like a cocoon and pull me closer to him.

There’s nothing between us but heat and the flimsy material of our clothes.

The burning desire pounds inside me, wanting to rip off my clothes, his and just…

I push him away. This can’t be happening. Never in my life have I ever been so turned on by a kiss or by a man—a stranger who’ll probably leave town on Sunday and won’t remember me.

He looks at me. His eyes burn with the same need pounding inside me. Begging for more than just that kiss.

“Sorry, I…” He combs his hair with his long fingers. The same ones I want to touch my skin. “I’d be lying if I say I have no idea what took over me, but I do. You’re so beautiful, and when you were in my arms…”

He releases a loud laugh. “I sound like a crazy man. My brother would have a field day with me. I don’t believe in this”—he points between us—“instant attraction. Yet, here you are proving me wrong.”

“As flattering as you sound,” —which you do—“I have to go home.”

“It’ll probably be for the best,” he confirms my suspicions, but his voice isn’t convincing at all.

Chapter Four

Iskander

My internal clock is still adjusting from New York time. I get out of bed at five in the morning after a long restless night. Between the old mattress at the inn and my mind focusing on the pretty waitress at the sports bar, I couldn’t sleep for more than an hour straight.

She was stunning. Dark hair, light blue eyes, and a tempting mouth that I couldn’t resist. Her sultry voice was like an enchanting song that pulled me to her. Last night could’ve been great for both of us, but I let her go.

I’m only here temporarily. The tug-of-war to have a summer fling while I’m here versus following my rule of never dating a girl from Luna Harbor is forgotten when I go out for a run. There’s a big difference between running close to the Hudson in a city that never sleeps and this quiet town.

I forgot how peaceful this place is and how breathtakingly beautiful the view is from anywhere you stand. It’s at the base of the Olympic Mountains and has that charming warmth and natural beauty of a small town.

Once you get in the zone, running is a form of whole-body meditation. My thoughts go places they don’t usually go. It unlocks my imagination and releases the tension of the day or the night before. Running is living. For me,