Read Online Ocean of Love by Susan D. Taylor - Free Book Online Page A

just
took a step backward.”
    “ No, don’t say that. I
think you play dirty pool. Remember the plans. Why don’t you review
those and I’ll focus on the road.” Bullshit, his gaze traveled over
her body, stopping to study her thighs.
    She hugged her baggy jacket closer. A woman
like Marissa had no reason to wear bulky clothing over her
rambunctious curves. Running along the beach with her, he’d
glimpsed her tiny waist as the wind whipped her clothes against her
body. She might try to camouflage herself in a dark, wool sack, but
he’d already memorized her standing on the sand, shoeless, with her
skirt hiked up a pair of stunning legs. Pressing against her
assured him he wasn’t wrong. Naked, she’d be a vision and an
incredible fit between his hands.
    His little realtor kept herself hidden in so
many ways. She had him more than curious. If only he could get her
to open up to him. Personally. Simple questions were a good start
to discern what made her tick, and how to untie her knots of
refusal.
    He kept his eyes on the road and asked, “So
what made you go into the real estate business?”
    “ I’ve lived in South
Florida almost all my life, so the geography and layout of the city
is second nature. I enjoy working with people. Well, some
people.”
    “ I hope I’m on the list of
positive interactions.” He casually noted her movements as she eyed
him peculiarly, smoothed her hair, and traced an imaginary line
down her neck.
    “ Fishing for compliments?”
She smiled shyly.
    He pressed her to tell him more. “Do you
have any plans beyond real estate?”
    “ I’m going back to school
in the fall. Doing the MBA route at the University of Miami. I’m
all set.” She turned toward the window, her eyes blinking
rapidly.
    He waited, but she didn’t say more. “Don’t
you know? What are you passionate about?”
    His ability to discover invisible gems
heightened. She aroused him on many planes. The predator in him
wanted to mark her as his new, unclaimed territory. He retrained
his sight from her face back to the road. She kept her hair tightly
back, wore dark glasses, and dressed like his Aunt Melinda. She
attempted to hide in plain sight.
    Well not anymore. She was well within his
sights. An apt, sexy target and one he wasn’t about to let go. This
was his hunt, his challenge, and this was the part that excited
him. To tease out the details, unearthing the boundaries, and
discover all aspects of his lush little treasure drove him
onward.
    He admired the reflection
of Marissa in the windshield. She dreamily rubbed her hand down her
arm. He faltered in his thoughts. His
little treasure. His reward had always
been to savor the pièce de
résistance in uncovering the unknown. The
moment his investors and buyers were given the opportunity to share
his vision. Only with her, he didn’t want to share his find. That
fact began to unfold within his awareness similar to a revelation.
A world of difference, and had him gripping the steering
wheel.
    “ Tell me more about you.
Besides that one-sentence history you tried to run by me earlier.
Where are you from exactly? South Florida encompasses many cities.
Which one?”
    She gazed back at him as though he were
pushing his luck. He took this ruffle in her composure for evidence
he was getting closer to something secret. What would she have to
keep hidden? She liked her privacy. He’d already experienced the
fireball under her unflappable, stately veneer. That had to be what
she kept locked away. He clenched his jaw, imagining Marissa hot
and wild. What would it take to unleash her? Now, that was the big
question perplexing him down to the core.
    “ What does that have to do
with business? I perceive you’re purposely taking a wrong turn here
in teaching trust.”
    “ I appreciate knowing with
whom I’m working. Is there a problem?” he asked, sucking in his
amusement and hunger for an answer.
    “ No, I remember this is
supposed to be trust-building.” She