Read Online All To Myself by Annemarie Hartnett - Free Book Online Page A

himself from her as his words settle over her.
    When the tent was in order, Noah set up the table and chairs and produced a cooler from the rear of the SUV. They listened to the radio as they fed on grocery store subs and salads, slurped tall boys, and watched the lights winking in the distance. They talked about their families, their childhoods, and their aspirations. Rory smiled as he thought out loud about his plans for this pretty little spot he had bought. He wanted to live here. He wanted to work here. Overnight he had gone from a terrible student to a man with a plan – cottages and a cafe, an ice cream stand and boat rentals, and on and on he built this dream before her eyes.
    “What about you?” he asked suddenly. “What do you want?”
    She shook her head. “I just want to go be able to pay the bills and have a little left over for some fun.”
    “You must want more than that.”
    “Well, yeah, I’d like to be fantastically wealthy, but I’d settle for a little bit of what’s my own.” She paused, squirming a little under his dubious gaze. “Okay, so maybe I’d like to travel a little. I’ve never been anywhere, except for school trips. I’m not talking about lying on a beach in Mexico, or even somewhere exotic.”
    He leaned forward in his seat, grinning as he clutched his beer in both hands. “Where would you want to go? If a plane landed here right now and offered to take you anywhere, where would that be?”
    “Oooh, I think my first stop would be Iceland,” she said, and laughed as he raised a questioning brow. “I saw a movie a few years ago that was set in Iceland. I want to go to Iceland and drive down a country road and see those little ponies they have.”
    “Ponies,” he said, laughing, and took a sip of his beer. “You are a funny woman, Rory. Hey, what is that short for, anyway?”
    Rory shook her head, embarrassed. “I’m not telling you.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because it’s … silly.”
    “Tell me.” He narrowed his eyes and set his beer aside. “Tell me, or else I’ll toss you on the ground and tickle it out of you.”
    “No, I’ll tell you,” she said with a growl and closed her eyes. “It’s Aurora.”
    “Like, on Star Trek ?”
    “No, that’s … I don’t know what her name is, but not like on Star Trek . Like the Disney princess. Sleeping Beauty ?” He shook his head, and Rory sagged back in her chair to tell the tale of her naming. “When Francie was little, my Mom took her to see the movie. She was pregnant with me. She was going to name me Donna-- Francie is named for my father’s mother, so Mom was going to name me for her mother. Then she saw this movie and the name of the princess was Aurora. So, here I am. Rory.”
    Noah chuckled. “Princess Rory. I like it.”
    It was nearly one o’clock by the time they cleaned up. He took her hand her heart leapt into her throat. She was ready. No, more than ready to climb into the tent with him and let every urge she had unfold in the darkness, but instead he dragged her away from the site. “Time for a swim.”
    Flashlight in hand, he led the way.
    “Is there even a path?” she asked.
    “There’s a path. Trust me. Just follow me.” He glanced over his shoulder and she caught his smile in the silver light of the moon. “You did say you were in my hands tonight.”
    “I know, but …”
    There was no but. He led, and she was happy to follow him along the grassy path and down the slope onto the beach. Once they were on the sand, Noah cut the light and turned. As he pulled her into his arms, Rory wrapped her arms around his neck and welcomed his hard body against hers.
    “I’ve been planning this in my head since I bandaged your leg,” he said quietly as he slid his hands down her back to her ass. “I know you still think I’m only out for one thing, but I’m not. Well, that’s not the only thing.”
    “What are you out for?” she whispered, and stood on her toes until they were nose to nose and