Christmas Ever After (Puffin Island 3)

She’d told herself it was just sex. That they had nothing in common. But it was hard to pretend a relationship was just about sex when you both had your clothes on and you’d just had the best night of your life.

“Why aren’t you eating? Are you ill?” He pushed his bowl of extra fries toward her and she forced herself to take one because one sure way of alerting him to the fact that something was wrong was not to eat.

“I’m starving.” She reached for her burger. “While we eat tell me more about your favorite paintings.”

“I HATE TO SAY I told you so, but I told you so.” Kirsti sneaked into Ryan’s office. “I’m a genius. Not only do I make the best cappuccino on the island, but I can predict people’s relationship future. I am going to set up a dating agency.”

“There aren’t enough single people living on the island to keep you busy so if I were you I’d keep making your incredible cappuccino.” Ryan glanced up from the spreadsheet. “What were you right about?”

“Alec with Skylar. I told you back in the summer they’d be perfect together. And you dismissed me.”

Ryan put his pen down. “They’re not serious.”

“Not yet maybe, but they will be.”

“I hate to break this to you but it’s just sex, Kirsti.”

“Yeah? Because it wasn’t sex that stopped them both from noticing me when I delivered their food a moment ago. I was thinking of sounding a foghorn to get their attention and then decided the food could wait.”

Resigned to not getting any work done until the conversation was concluded to Kirsti’s satisfaction, Ryan sat back in his chair. “So they were too absorbed in each other to notice you? That doesn’t mean anything except that they need to get a room.”

“You’re missing the point. They were talking.”

“It happens.”

“Really talking, about—” she stumbled “—I don’t know, some painting or other that I’ve never heard of. Naval art. And I don’t think it had anything to do with strategic body piercing.” She nodded sagely. “I didn’t even know there was such a thing, but the two of them were so deep in conversation Napoleon himself could have walked right in here stark naked with Joséphine and neither of them would have noticed. So what’s going on, R

yan? How did they get from naught to naughty in a few weeks?”

“They bumped into each other in London and spent some time together, that’s all. I don’t know the details.”

“Then ask!”

“It’s none of my business.”

“Of course it’s your business. Alec is your friend and he was glowering around here like a bad storm warning all summer. And the summer before that come to think of it. In fact as long as I’ve known him. Unless it’s his divorce that’s finally making him smile, I’d say Sky has had a positive effect on him. He looked happy, Ryan.”

“Of course he’s happy. He’s having crazy, no-strings-attached sex with a stunning blonde. Men are simple creatures.”

“So it would seem.” She sighed. “Because for a very smart guy, you’re clueless.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ALEC LIT THE woodstove while outside the wind howled and screamed around the cottage.

The National Weather Service had issued a storm warning that put the whole island on alert.

He wasn’t worried. He had everything he needed in the event of a loss of power and even the prospect of sharing his space with another person wasn’t bothering him.

Providing that person was Sky.

They’d been on the island for a week and she’d proved herself to be easy company.

She worked as hard as he did, was careful never to invade his space and didn’t disturb him if he was in his study.

The fact that he still couldn’t concentrate wasn’t her fault.

He put in working hours, but spent most of them staring out of the window trying to think about the American Revolution and not the way Sky’s face lit up when he talked or the way her slender curves fit perfectly against him.