Read Online Moonlight on Monterey Bay by Sally Goldenbaum - Free Book Online

front of the hat. Her hair, dark and worn loose, wisped about her face and hung down over her shoulders and back in shiny black ripples. The top part of her dress fit closely and he could see the rise and fall of her breasts beneath the scalloped neck. He couldn’t see the dress, except for the top, but it looked silky and old-fashioned in a muted floral print. She was certainly unique, he mused as he waited for Eleanor to return from the rest room. She didn’t fit the professional-woman image; in fact she didn’t fit into any standard image, at least none he was familiar with.
    “Shall we go in?” Eleanor asked, coming up behind him and touching his elbow.
    As they approached the table Joseph stood, but not before Maddie caught the sparkle in his eyes as he welcomed Eleanor. She was instantly glad she had come. Seeing Joseph smile that way was worth anything, even an evening with Sam Eastland.
    “Hello,” Sam said, coming up behind Eleanor and extending his hand to Joseph. “Eleanor has said goodthings about you and your firm. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He looked over at Maddie. “Hello, Maddie.”
    Maddie nodded and smiled politely. Polite. Nice. Gracious. Lord, it was going to be a long night!
    “Did the house send out any more vibrations?” Sam asked as he took the chair next to Eleanor’s. He flagged a waiter and ordered drinks for himself and Eleanor.
    Maddie couldn’t read between his words, but the half smile that lifted his lips—oh, those darn lips!—made her shift in the chair. She lifted her elbows to the white tablecloth, rested her chin in her hands, and smiled pleasantly. “Actually, no. No more vibrations. Something must have happened to deaden the air currents, because that next day—after you were there—there wasn’t much electricity. Nothing but dusty air. A shame.”
    “I see.” Sam’s crooked smile stayed in place as he listened to Maddie trying to negate the kiss they’d shared with her double talk. Conversation with her was like playing chess, and oddly pleasurable as well. And it didn’t matter what she said. There was no doubt the kiss had aroused her. He had felt it in his fingers, in the quiver of her supple body as she pressed against him. His Scotch and water arrived. As he sipped it he realized that absurdly he was enjoying himself.
    “We have some paint samples you might want to look at, Sam,” Joseph said.
    “Paint?”
    “Paint colors for the beach house, Sam,” Eleanor said.
    “Anything is fine.”
    “Well, you might want to take a look as long as you’re here,” Joseph said. “But that’s shoptalk and it’ll wait until after dinner.” He flagged a young waiter and the conversation switched to fish specials and the fine wine selection.
    Maddie sat back in her chair and listened while Joseph and Sam discovered they shared a passion for sailing and at one time had lived in the same town in northern California. By the time they got around to the Key lime pie, the writing was on the wall. No matter how many flaws Maddie saw in Sam Eastland’s character, they were going to be swept away in broad generous gestures by Joseph’s obvious liking for the man.
    Maddie toyed with the stem of her empty wineglass and listened to the light talk. Sam was solicitous of Eleanor in a way that surprised Maddie. There was light teasing between them, but running beneath it was a river of affection.
    “Maddie has a wonderful flair for fresh design,” Joseph was saying, “as well as an unusual way of approaching projects.”
    Maddie tuned back in at the mention of her name. She noticed the look that passed over Sam’s face, the slight lifting of his smile, the laughter in his eyes,and she knew exactly which unusual approach he was remembering. At first it annoyed her, and then she decided it was a waste of energy. If he wanted to sit there after a fine dinner of soft-shell crab and think about her naked, that was certainly his prerogative. She lifted her chin, tilted