Read Online Stranded With Her Ex by Jill Sorenson - Free Book Online Page A

show you around the lighthouse, and take you out to the blinds, where they do research, but the best way to see the Steller is by boat.”
    Her eyes brightened with interest. At certain times, she was so beautiful it pained him to look at her. “Will Jason go?” she asked, her excitement at viewing wildlife in their natural habitat tempered only by her distaste for being alone in his company.
    “Yeah, sure,” he said, forcing a smile.
    She smiled back at him. “Okay, then. That would be great. Thanks.”
    “Great,” he muttered, raking a hand through his hair. Just great.
    As soon as she disappeared into the room she shared with Taryn, he went down the hall, his jaw clenched. What was he thinking? He wasn’t the welcoming committee. He didn’t even want Daniela to stay here.
    Not just for her own good. For his.
    He hadn’t mentioned this to Jason, but her panic attacks could be extremely debilitating. After the accident, he’d watched her withdraw from reality on numerous occasions, almost to the point of becoming unresponsive.
    Her nightmares were no less troubling. She’d bloodied his nose during one of the worst episodes. He’d gripped her wrists tightly, trying to calm her down, and she’d gone ballistic, screaming for him to let her go. From then on, he’d taken the hits without complaint. In a sad, dysfunctional way, her glancing blows were better than nothing.
    It was the only time she touched him.
    Pushing aside the memories, which were best left in the past—like his relationship with Daniela—he put on his boots, ignoring Jason’s amused expression. Downstairs, Elizabeth was sitting at the table, drinking coffee and reading, a pair of stretchy black gloves covering her slender hands.
    “Morning,” she murmured, not bothering to glance up.
    “Good morning,” he replied, ducking into the kitchen.
    Still unsettled by the chance encounter with Dani, he located his portable mug in the kitchen cabinet and filled it to the brim with hot coffee. His knee-jerk sexual response to her was a simple matter of compatible physical chemistry.
    Hard to predict, impossible to control.
    It didn’t mean he was doomed to pine for her forever. He just needed to rewire his system. Reprogram his thinking. Engage with other women.
    Other women. Like Elizabeth.
    On his way out the door, he paused, studying the pretty redhead in a new light. Although he found her attractive, Sean had never been curious about her sexually. He stared at her for a moment now, trying to drum up some interest. She wasn’t built like Daniela, but neither was she skinny. He appreciated curves on women, and he could see that she had her share.
    She had a nice figure. He just wasn’t eager to explore it. The idea of sleeping with her didn’t tempt him half as much as the faint scent of Daniela’s toothpaste.
    “What’s wrong?” she asked, noticing his perusal. She smoothed her hand down the front of her sweater, as if checking for crumbs.
    “Nothing,” he said, dragging his mind out of the gutter. “What are you up to today?”
    “I’m going to the bird blind to collect waste samples. That’s why I’m dressed in these old rags.” She smiled ruefully. “Ready to get bombarded.”
    “Oh.” Smiling back at her, he took a sip of coffee. Before now, he’d thought she was a little too reserved. After one harmless confession, she seemed much more down to earth. Or maybe imagining her naked had done the trick. “You look fine to me.”
    She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thanks.”
    “Where are you from?”
    “Florida, originally. Daytona Beach.”
    “Shark central.”
    Her eyes darkened. “Yes. There are more incidental attacks there than anywhere else in the world. More people in the water.”
    Sean warmed up to the subject. “Ever had a run-in?”
    “No. I don’t swim.”
    “You’re joking.”
    She shook her head.
    “Well, you have to learn. What if you fell off a boat, or—”
    “Around here? Drowning would