Read Online Holiday Affair by Annie Seaton - Free Book Online
Authors: Annie Seaton
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, series, Holidays, Nothing more than a holiday fling…until he moved in next door! Staid professor Lissy McIntyre believes that choosing a mate should be based on common sense, but he just can’t seem to keep his hands off the multi-faceted Lissy. Will Nick break loyal Lissy’s heart or will she be the one woman he simply can’t walk away from?, tropical romance? Oh, yeah. He’s got a body just made for sinning and his sizzling kisses leave her senseless. When Nick blows into town, not runaway passion. And Lissy would certainly never pick a rolling stone like Nick Richard’s for long-term love. But a red-hot, he’s stunned to discover that his no-nonsense new neighbor and co-worker is the same sultry creature he seduced for one night of forbidden island pleasure. He’s unaccustomed to staying in one place for long
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she turned up her music and ignored the knocking. An occasional glance from her window confirmed that the majority of the Richards family had arrived to help Nick at some point over the two days. Late on Sunday afternoon, Luney meowed incessantly at the door until Lissy let her out.
“Traitor,” she murmured when Luney ran to Nick as he carried boxes across the back garden.
Lissy worked hard at regaining her equilibrium on Sunday. She kept herself busy cleaning out cupboards and avoiding her new neighbor. Each time his face appeared in her mind—as it did with regularity—she deliberately blocked him from her thoughts. By the time darkness fell, she had calmed down and as the night chill slipped in, she split some kindling on the veranda. As soon as she had a fire going, she indulged in a hot bubble bath and put on her flannel Mickey Mouse pajamas.
“Okay, time for work,” Lissy muttered as she opened her briefcase and read over the research notes she had left unfinished before going to Gramp’s funeral. Even though she was aware of an occasional noise through the wall, she managed to concentrate on her research for a couple of hours and kept thoughts of Nick and his close proximity at bay. When her eyelids began to droop and she couldn’t hold back the yawn any longer, she packed her notes up ready for her return to work in the morning. Looking around for Luney, she realized the cat was still outside.
Lissy went to the door to let her inside; there was no sign of the cat.
Don’t tell me another female has fallen for the irresistible professor , she thought with disgust. Pulling on her boots and grabbing a thick coat off the laundry hook, she went out to the veranda, softly calling to the missing feline.
Damn cat , she thought as she moved across the lawn, the frost crunching under her boots. Standing by the fence, she stood still and continued to call Luney. A sliver of light appeared on the back veranda; Nick’s back door opened and the light shining from inside the cottage silhouetted his tall figure.
She eased back into the shadows near the fence. The old swing seat on the veranda creaked as Nick settled into it. The chill wind blowing from the mountains sent a flurry of dry leaves skittering across the path near the gate. If she stayed outside much longer, she would freeze.
A streak of white movement near the fence alerted her to Luney’s whereabouts and the mad cat sat down at Lissy’s feet, meowing loudly. Knowing that Nick would see her as she crossed the lawn to go back in, she gathered the folds of her coat with as much dignity as she could muster and strode out across the grass, calling the cat to follow her up the back steps.
Nick was sitting legs outstretched, arms akimbo, looking relaxed. He reached out and grabbed her hand as she attempted to slip past him.
“Melissa, we need to talk.”
“What about?” Her words were clipped and she pulled away from him, trying to escape the warmth of the fingers grasping hers.
“Living here together, working together, setting some ground rules.”
“I don’t need any rules. Living here was fine until you rode into town on your stupid motorcycle.” She glared at him.
“You can’t stay bunkered down in your half of the cottage forever. This is the first time you’ve been outside all weekend.”
“Been spying on me? You keep to your side, I’ll keep to mine. I’m sure we’ll pass occasionally in the corridors at the university, but that’s it. You think I’m so clever? Well, I am. Clever enough to keep out of your way.” He stood up and let her hand go, burying his own hands in the deep pockets of his coat. Lissy backed away from him and turned toward her door.
“Lissy—”
“No, Nick. Don’t you dare call me that. You want rules.
Well, first rule is you call me Melissa or Dr. McIntyre.
Second, you keep your distance from me. Third, you keep your hands off me.”
She bent down and picked up Luney, who was winding around her
“Traitor,” she murmured when Luney ran to Nick as he carried boxes across the back garden.
Lissy worked hard at regaining her equilibrium on Sunday. She kept herself busy cleaning out cupboards and avoiding her new neighbor. Each time his face appeared in her mind—as it did with regularity—she deliberately blocked him from her thoughts. By the time darkness fell, she had calmed down and as the night chill slipped in, she split some kindling on the veranda. As soon as she had a fire going, she indulged in a hot bubble bath and put on her flannel Mickey Mouse pajamas.
“Okay, time for work,” Lissy muttered as she opened her briefcase and read over the research notes she had left unfinished before going to Gramp’s funeral. Even though she was aware of an occasional noise through the wall, she managed to concentrate on her research for a couple of hours and kept thoughts of Nick and his close proximity at bay. When her eyelids began to droop and she couldn’t hold back the yawn any longer, she packed her notes up ready for her return to work in the morning. Looking around for Luney, she realized the cat was still outside.
Lissy went to the door to let her inside; there was no sign of the cat.
Don’t tell me another female has fallen for the irresistible professor , she thought with disgust. Pulling on her boots and grabbing a thick coat off the laundry hook, she went out to the veranda, softly calling to the missing feline.
Damn cat , she thought as she moved across the lawn, the frost crunching under her boots. Standing by the fence, she stood still and continued to call Luney. A sliver of light appeared on the back veranda; Nick’s back door opened and the light shining from inside the cottage silhouetted his tall figure.
She eased back into the shadows near the fence. The old swing seat on the veranda creaked as Nick settled into it. The chill wind blowing from the mountains sent a flurry of dry leaves skittering across the path near the gate. If she stayed outside much longer, she would freeze.
A streak of white movement near the fence alerted her to Luney’s whereabouts and the mad cat sat down at Lissy’s feet, meowing loudly. Knowing that Nick would see her as she crossed the lawn to go back in, she gathered the folds of her coat with as much dignity as she could muster and strode out across the grass, calling the cat to follow her up the back steps.
Nick was sitting legs outstretched, arms akimbo, looking relaxed. He reached out and grabbed her hand as she attempted to slip past him.
“Melissa, we need to talk.”
“What about?” Her words were clipped and she pulled away from him, trying to escape the warmth of the fingers grasping hers.
“Living here together, working together, setting some ground rules.”
“I don’t need any rules. Living here was fine until you rode into town on your stupid motorcycle.” She glared at him.
“You can’t stay bunkered down in your half of the cottage forever. This is the first time you’ve been outside all weekend.”
“Been spying on me? You keep to your side, I’ll keep to mine. I’m sure we’ll pass occasionally in the corridors at the university, but that’s it. You think I’m so clever? Well, I am. Clever enough to keep out of your way.” He stood up and let her hand go, burying his own hands in the deep pockets of his coat. Lissy backed away from him and turned toward her door.
“Lissy—”
“No, Nick. Don’t you dare call me that. You want rules.
Well, first rule is you call me Melissa or Dr. McIntyre.
Second, you keep your distance from me. Third, you keep your hands off me.”
She bent down and picked up Luney, who was winding around her
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