Orchid Beach (Holly Barker 1)

Daisy lay down and rested her head on her paws, watching them.

“Good dog,” Jackson said, struggling with Holly’s jeans.

“I hope to god you’ve got a condom,” she said as he laid her on the soft bed, “because I foolishly didn’t bring anything.”

“Not to worry,” he said.

And she didn’t.

CHAPTER

24

H olly heard the surf before she opened her eyes. Then she sat straight up in bed. Work! She fell back. Saturday, thank God. She reached for Jackson as she had done several times during the night, but he was not there.

Daisy came and nuzzled her, poking her nose under Holly’s arm and lifting so that she could get underneath.

Holly heard the rattle of pots from downstairs, so she got up, washed her face, took Jackson’s terry-cloth robe from a hook on the back of the door and padded barefoot downstairs. Jackson was scrambling eggs.

“Good afternoon,” he said.

“Afternoon? What time is it?”

“Just past ten. That’s afternoon for me.”

“You’re not working today, are you?” she asked.

“Nope. I’m spending the day with you.”

“Good call,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind.

He turned and embraced her. “You feel better on this side of me.”

“Mmmm,” she agreed.

“Dog food under the sink,” he said. “I was hoping Daisy would be here for breakfast.”

Holly fed the dog and let her out.

“Eggs are ready,” Jackson called. He put the eggs, with bacon, toast and orange juice, on the table, then set down a pot of freshly made coffee. “Hope you’re hungry.”

“You bet,” she said, digging in.

“You’re a girl with a healthy appetite.”

“I’m not a girl, but you’re right about the appetite.”

“You’re a girl to me.”

“I’ll take that in the best possible light,” she said.

“What do you normally do in the mornings?”

“I run, then I work. Normally. What do you do?”

“The writer Max Shulman once said that exercise destroys the tissues; I’ve never forgotten that.”

“You don’t enjoy exercise?”