Read Online Miami, Mistletoe & Murder (Red Stone Security #4) by Katie Reus - Free Book Online Page A

action soothed her as she slid an arm around his waist. She didn’t have a claim on him, but it was nice he was making it clear that they were…something.
    “Olga, this is Noel, my…” Travis shifted uncomfortably and she didn’t blame him.
    “Friend,” Noel finished for him. She had no clue what they were and now wasn’t the time to define it.
    The woman’s grin was genuine as she held out a hand. “Friend, huh? You own the coffee shop, right?”
    Blinking, Noel nodded as she shook the woman’s hand. Clearly Travis had talked about her if this woman knew that much. That had to be good. “Uh, yeah.”
    “Honey!” The woman’s husband or boyfriend shouted, looking stressed and ready to pull his hair out.
    Olga cringed. “Sorry, gotta run, but we’ll talk later.” She gave Travis a mischievous smile and a polite one for Noel before she hurried away. Her heavy looking boots thudded loudly as she ran and scooped up one of the boys.
    When she was out of earshot, Travis picked up the blanket, but quickly resumed his grip around her shoulders. “Olga was my high school girlfriend.”
    The way he said it, it was clear there were no lingering romantic feelings. Or Noel really hoped there weren’t. She’d seen nothing but friendship between either of them when the woman had hugged him. It had been only a brief introduction, but after having a friend stab her in the back, she’d gotten pretty good at reading people.
    “You guys still talk a lot?” Okay, she couldn’t resist asking.
    Travis shrugged. “Once a month, mostly by email, sometimes on the phone. She and Jay always invite me over for the holidays. That’s her husband.”
    Noel wanted to ask if he was going over this year, but didn’t have the courage. Christmas was right around the corner and even though things between them were so new, the thought of spending the holiday with him sounded like perfection. And that scared her. She’d never gotten so wrapped up in a man this quickly. She liked to take things slow, to be careful who she dated. “So…you told her about me or is she a really good guesser?”
    He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “Your name might have come up a time or two in the past few months. She’s been after me to ask you out since I first mentioned my…interest.”
    “Interest, huh?” Her entire body flared to life at that one word.
    Travis snorted. “You about knocked me off my feet the first time I saw you. I had some very dirty thoughts about what I’d like to do to you behind the coffee bar.”
    Oh. Well, damn. “Same here, well, minus the dirty part. I’m sure my fantasies are a little tamer, but you were impossibly sexy and all mysterious looking. Always wearing those dark suits which seemed at total odds to the tattoos peeking out. I couldn’t figure you out.” And she still hadn’t.
    “You still think I’m sexy?”
    Now she snorted. “Still? How about even sexier. Every time I look at you…” She trailed off, feeling self-conscious. She hated playing games and she’d spent enough time around guys to know they hated it too, but just laying everything out there without any pretense made her feel vulnerable.
    “You gonna finish that thought?” he asked as they reached her car, his expression open and hungry. For her.
    Biting her bottom lip, she looked up at him. Screw it. Honesty was the best policy, right? “I get wet.” Maybe not every time, but it was damn close.
    A shudder rolled through his big, broad body and his eyes heated. “Keep talking like that and I’ll forget any good intentions I’m holding onto.”
    “Good.” She didn’t want him to hold anything back. Normally it took her a lot longer to even consider sleeping with a man but she knew things between her and Travis would be heating up a lot sooner than later. And she couldn’t wait.

Chapter 8
    Travis stood at Noel’s front door with her. He’d never been more torn in his life over anything. She hadn’t said the words,