Read Online Desire Part Three (The Desire Series Book 3) by Ava Alexia - Free Book Online

were tucked away in an isolated section of the island and didn’t have to worry about intruders. But for the last week he’d had an unsettling feeling of doom. It was ridiculous for him to feel this way. They’ve been operating from the island for over a year now with zero problems. So why was he so uneasy now? He didn’t know and he didn’t like it. Not one bit. Sergio was an intuitive man. He relied on his instincts and they never steered him wrong. Something was up and he needed to find out what it was.

Chapter 5
    “Is there something in particular on your mind, Matt?” Jaclyn asked.
    Jaclyn was curious as to what Matt wanted to speak to her about. She surmised that this should be very interesting.
    “Tess,” he said frankly.
    “What about her?” Jaclyn replied.
    “You know her better than anyone else. What are her feelings toward me?” he asked bluntly.
    “Why aren’t you asking her?” Jaclyn countered.
    He leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees.  
    “Because I’m asking you,” he returned.
    “Then this could very well be a short conversation,” Jaclyn responded.
    “Possibly. But I do not believe you would leave me hanging,” Matt said.
    “A huge error on your part. I will not betray my friend’s confidence,” Jaclyn said firmly.
    “I’m not asking you to. I’m merely asking your opinion,” he stated.
    “An opinion that I’ve deduced from my discussions with Tess. That’s a very thin line that you’re asking me to dance around,” Jaclyn declared.
    “You care about her a great deal and only want what’s best for her. So do I,” Matt said gently.
    Jaclyn looked into his clear grey eyes and was stunned at the pure intensity she saw in them. She could only imagine how they must appear when he was passionate. Tess didn’t stand a chance. Jaclyn averted her eyes and cleared her throat.
    “Just how much do you care about her?” Jaclyn questioned.
    “A lot,” he answered.  
    Matt was not going to reveal more and Jaclyn sensed it. She sighed.
    “Tess cares about you probably just as much. But I don’t think she realizes it yet. She needs more time to come to that conclusion,” Jaclyn said.
    He sighed.
    “I thought as much. I don’t want to push but—
    “Then don’t. She’s dealing with a lot right now. Trying to get her career on track and handle the pressure from her father is a lot for her to manage,” she said. “Don’t allow her to think that her relationship with you is a burden. She’ll run if she does.”
    “Thank you, Jax. See, you were able to provide insight without betraying Tess’s trust in you,” Matt smiled.
    “Well, you have a way of extracting information from a person before they know it. You should use that technique on Tess next time,” Jaclyn smiled wryly.
    He laughed and stood.
    “I’ll try but things seem to go in a different direction when I’m with her,” he said ruefully.
    She chuckled.
    “I think I know of the direction you’re intimating but I’ll not say,” she grinned.
    His answer was to wiggle his eyes brows roguishly and laughed.
    “See you later,” he grinned and left the room.
    Jaclyn watched him go and thought Tess was the luckiest girl in the world.

    *****

    Hours later Matt stood in the discarded wine cellar that had been transformed into a dark room. He’d bought every item associated with developing pictures that the store clerk had suggested. Trays, an enlarger lens, a safe light, photo paper and developing chemical were all on the bench before him. He could only hope that everything she would need was here. He knew that Tess preferred film photography rather than digital. He would have to ask her why. He was about to leave when the door opened.
    “Matt! I wondered where you were,” Tess said gaily.
    “You’ve found me. I was just making sure the dark room was ready for you,” he explained.
    She looked around and was delighted with what she saw.
    “It’s perfect! But you didn’t have to do all of