Read Online Tangled Love on Pelican Point (Island County Series Book 3) by Karice Bolton - Free Book Online

contradictions and complications.”
    “Sounds about right.”
    I was less than a foot away from him and felt the air between us fill with the impossible.
    “Why do I get the feeling that even if I had wanted the other, I’d be out of luck?” His eyes pinned me in place, and I refused to move my gaze from his.
    “Because you’re an excellent judge of character, and I’m not that easy.”

 
     
     
    “I’m just going to put this out there.” I took a sip of my chocolate milkshake and stared at Anthony.
    “Shoot.”
    “I’m really not sure of your intentions.” I sat back in the booth at Norma’s and waited for his answer.
    We’d already placed our orders, and I noticed several booths of people glancing in Anthony’s direction. It wasn’t every day that Fireweed Island had someone famous roaming around.
    “Intentions?” His brows furrowed as the server, Liz, delivered our cheeseburgers. Her gaze lingered on Anthony a second too long before leaving the table, and I nodded, gesturing toward her.
    “Yes. Intentions.” I leaned forward, lowering my voice. “You can’t even get a cheeseburger without someone noticing you. You have plenty of. . . .” I paused for a beat. “Options.”
    “Which is why I don’t leave the house much.” He picked up a fry, and I glanced around Norma’s while I tried to rephrase my question.
    The place hadn’t changed for decades. The cafe was decorated like a beach shack and had been that way ever since I could remember. Wooden starfish clung to the walls, and rope-wrapped chandeliers dangled over each booth. Liz was busy texting in the corner of the restaurant, probably telling her friends who happened to stumble into Norma’s on her shift, and I brought my gaze back to his.
    Anthony took a bite of his burger and put it back in the basket. “That hits the spot. But what do you mean by intentions?”
    “I’m curious why you’re being so nice to me, why you stopped by my apartment to deliver flowers, and why you gave two thoughts about my Etsy store.” I rolled my napkin between my fingers and nervously waited for his answer.
    “Nice to you?” He shook his head. “Should I not be? Is there something about you I don’t know? And maybe I’ve been away from Fireweed too long, but I thought women liked flowers.”
    I dipped a fry in ranch dressing and took a bite.
    “That’s not what I mean. Why think twice about me?” I couldn’t believe I was asking the question.
    “I find you extremely interesting.”
    “Hardly,” I scoffed, moving on to my burger. “I’ve seen what you spend your time doing in LA, and it isn’t staying inside, painting signs, or admiring coffee tables.”
    “You can’t believe everything you see and read in the tabloids.” He looked like he was trying to hide a smile.
    “Pictures don’t lie.” I ignored his observation.
    “They may not lie, but they can mislead.” The spark in his eyes was infectious. I think he got a kick out of the fact that I looked him up.
    I rolled my eyes. “So back to your intentions. You’re leaving the island in a few days and might pop back when you get ready to put your house up for sale. So why bother with the hassle?”
    “Not many people tell me to shut the door on my own music. I’ve told you before. I like your honesty.”
    “If I had known it was your song, I wouldn’t have been honest.”
    His smile deepened, and it literally felt like the world had reversed course. I could see why women across the country fell at his feet.
    “Maybe I’d like a texting buddy. But first, you’d need to learn how to reply to messages. Or maybe when I do come back to town, I’d like to know more people than just my brother and his fiancée. It gets old really quickly. Or maybe I like that I can talk to you with ease. Or maybe I’m just a typical guy and find you extremely attractive. But I’m inclined to think that it’s because I find you refreshing.”
    I shook my head. “I’m not buying it. You