Read Online Giving In: The Sandy Cove Series (Book 1) by M.R. Joseph - Free Book Online Page A

and clutching my coffee cup in the other.
    “Oh, I’m so sorry, big words scare you? Poor guy. It’s okay, Officer, your lack of knowledge of the English language is hard to comprehend. I mean you being a caveman and all.” I pat the top of his head and he shoos my hand away.
    “You always have to talk like that? Why don’t you loosen up a little? This isn’t college anymore.”
    He mumbles something else about being a tight ass as he goes back to focusing on the water.
    “I am loose. I like to have fun like the next person. I just choose to use a large vocabulary while doing it. It suits me. It proves my intelligence, unlike some people.”
    He pulls the rod out of the water, stands and throws it on the dock, and now I know I stirred something up inside him. His body stalks over to me. His hat is now flung off his head and lands on the dock. His hair a wild mess of brown waves, and if I’m not mistaken, steam is coming from his ears.
    “You wouldn’t know a good time if it sat on your face and did the Macarena.”
    Oh, no he did not just say that. I can feel the anger pulse through my veins like a high-speed train, and I’m not going to allow him to affect me with his useless words.
    “Really? Well, maybe if you didn’t always have a party sitting on your face, then maybe you wouldn’t have to settle for being a rent-a-cop at the age of twenty four. You uneducated, unintelligent simpleton.”
    He curves his lips into an angry hard line, shutting his eyes tightly.
    Oh, Lord, I pissed him off.
    “Listen here, you snot nose, rich brat. You don’t have to use big words to make people think you’re smarter than the average person. I was an Officer in the Marine Corps as a Staff Sergeant, organizing a platoon of men in Afghanistan and Iraq. I’ve seen and experienced things you have only read about in books or have seen on the news. So do not stand there and insinuate that I am not intelligent because I don’t always use an extensive vocabulary to explain myself.”
    I’m rendered speechless. I swallow hard, feeling like a fool. He didn’t deserve that. Maybe these meds aren’t working. I feel bad. I’m really not sure what to say next. I stand there, bewildered. I place my mug and laptop down on the dock, then stand and place my hands on my hips.
    He crosses his arms, looking quite satisfied that I have no words. He inches towards me, his nose to my forehead. His breath streaming across my face. He’s biting his lower lip, waiting for me to look up. He takes my chin, raises it up with his finger to meet his gaze. I feel my breathing pick up its pace. I swat his finger away, and I’m not sure why I’m still standing here.
    “Cat got your tongue, Turnip?” He licks the lip he was just holding between his teeth. His blue eyes brazen as he asks the question. My jaw agape, I want to say something, anything, to disturb his thoughts. He holds a stare like he’s summoning me to talk without actually telling me to.
    “My, my Miss Hannum, for once that pretty little mouth of yours has nothing coming out of it. What a welcomed surprise.”
    I hear it in my head, my subconscious is telling me to speak Harlow, say something, do something damn it!
    “Since there’s nothing coming out of that smartass, sassy little mouth of yours,” he growls sexily, hungrily, “maybe I should put something in it?”
    What?
    My natural reaction to what’s about to transpire, does not stun me; it frightens me and with all of my might, all the strength I have in this body, I shove the pig off the dock into the bay.
    He crashes into the water, flailing his arms and legs, gasping for air.
    “You bastard! How dare you? You are nothing but a self-righteous pig!” He sinks into the water, bobs up and down. What is this game he’s playing?
    “Help, Harlow, please, I…” Back down he goes, then up again, coughing, splashing, then back down.
    What is he trying to do?
    Then he goes under again. And not resurfacing. I wait, and I