Read Online Love at Last (Last Frontier Lodge #2) by J.H. Croix - Free Book Online Page A

quickly checked the mail and tucked it in her purse. On the way out, she was looking down when she heard her name. When her eyes lifted, they collided with Garrett. He stood near the end of the aisle where her post office box was, leaning against the wall. His jacket hung loose. He had one hand tucked in his pocket. It tugged his jeans down just enough to reveal a glimpse of his muscled abs. A curl of lust slid through her veins.
    He arched a brow, his blue eyes teasing. “Do I get a hello?”
    Too late, she realized she’d been silent for a beat too long. “Oh, right. Hello,” she offered. More flustered than usual after her call with Terry, she couldn’t think of what to say next.
    Garrett saved her with a question. “So where are we going tonight?” His slow smile sent her belly somersaulting.
    “I thought maybe we could go to the Boathouse. Have you been there before?”
    He shook his head slowly. “I haven’t been anywhere other than the lodge and Misty Mountain.”
    “It might not be like what you’re used to in Seattle, but the Boathouse has some good food.”
    “Seattle leans toward trendy, but trendy doesn’t always mean amazing food. Your cooking is as good as anything you could find in Seattle.”
    His quick compliment made her smile and then blush. He chuckled. “Don’t tell me I’m the first person who’s ever told you you’re a damn good chef.”
    She shook her head rapidly. “No, but Diamond Creek’s just a tiny corner of the world.”
    “Trust me, the big city’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” His eyes, darkening to navy, coasted over her. Her breath became short and her pulse skittered.
    “The Boathouse sounds perfect. Do you want me to pick you up?” he asked.
    Taking her father at his word, she’d told him she was going out for the night with friends. She could have Garrett pick her up and not worry about too many questions. “Sounds good. Six o’clock?”
    “You got it.”  
    He pushed away from the wall and closed the distance between them. Before she could form a thought, he leaned over and nudged her chin up with his knuckles and kissed her. She was coming to learn that kisses with Garrett were dangerous. His lips caught hers, softly at first, shifting to rough and deep in seconds. His kisses wiped thought clean from her mind, sent sensations rolling through her hot and fast and made her melt inside and out. By the time he pulled away, she was practically a puddle. Her panties were soaked with desire and her nipples were so tight, they ached.
    He held still, a fraction of space between their lips. “You make me crazy,” he whispered roughly.
    A laugh bubbled out of her and she nodded, flushing madly. He made her crazy too, but the second her brain kicked into gear, she had to remember to get a grip.
    He nipped at her lip and then dropped another soft kiss before taking a deliberate step back. “See you at six,” he said.
    Someone came around the corner. Delia suddenly remembered where they were. That’s how bad it was with Garrett. In the last few moments, it was as if they were alone in the world—nothing and no one existed but them and the desire shimmering in the air around them.
    She glanced up and met his eyes, which held a hint of frustration as if it strained him to hold back. “See you then.” She clutched the mail to her chest and walked past him, hurrying out to her car.
    As she drove home, her mind bounced between anticipation about Garrett and the call from Terry. Just because Terry was a jerk didn’t mean his parents were, but she didn’t know them. By the time she considered trying to track them down, she realized she didn’t know how to reach anyone in his family. She didn’t even have names for his parents. Looking back, she felt a twinge of guilt, but she swatted it away. She couldn’t be responsible for everything, especially when Terry had made it abundantly clear he wanted nothing to do with Nick.
    She forced her mind off that worry and