Island Fantasy. Kayla Perrin

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СКАЧАТЬ she’d left off and resumed reading the book. In the story, another young woman’s body had just been discovered with a slashed throat and several knife wounds. There wasn’t a hint of a love story in sight.

      Exactly what Shayna needed.

      But even with the gore on the pages to occupy her mind, she was all too aware of the sexy stranger a couple of lounge chairs away. For some reason, her eyes kept surreptitiously flitting in his direction. He and the two other men were talking and laughing. Red Stripe beer bottles were on the table between their chairs.

      She noticed all the details. That of the three men, the one she’d first seen had the best body. His shoulders were muscular, his pecs clearly defined. He looked to be related to the man on his right. That man was older, and he had a ring of extra weight around his waist. But he was still attractive, if not as sexy as his brother or cousin—or whoever the undeniably sexy man was.

      The man’s gaze wandered in her direction, and Shayna quickly held her book higher, making it seem as though her nose had been buried in her story the entire time.

      She turned her gaze toward the sprawling pool. Why on earth was this man commanding so much of her attention? For goodness’ sake, he was married.

      Of course I’m checking him out, Shayna told herself a moment later. She did nothing if not people watch. Her role as a novelist demanded it. She was constantly checking out people, watching their faces as they spoke, their body language as they interacted. Storing every detail in her brain for future use.

      She was simply cataloging the details of the man’s incredible body for a description in an upcoming story.

      Of course that was why she was so intrigued by him. The realization made her sigh with relief.

      She went back to her story and continued reading the descriptively brutal passage of the body at the crime scene. And when she heard the scream, she almost thought it came from her imagination.

      But when the second frail scream sounded, this time crying out “Daddy!” Shayna jerked her eyes up from the pages of the book. In the pool before her, near a small round island that boasted grass and a palm tree, she saw the little girl struggling to stay afloat.

      Shayna bolted into action. The pool was fashioned after a beach, where you walked right in from the shallow shore. Shayna sprinted right into the water, dress and all, moving as fast as she could to get to the little girl. She was aware of the commotion around her, but she blocked it out. Blocked it out until she reached the little girl and pulled her into the safety of her arms.

      No sooner than she had the crying child, someone was reaching for the girl. Shayna quickly looked to her left. The sexy man and the two other men were there, but it was the brother or cousin who was taking the little girl from Shayna’s arms.

      “Daddy!” The girl coughed. “Daddy!”

      The man enveloped the little girl in an embrace. It was the same little girl who’d been so eager to get to the pool when Shayna had been heading in for breakfast. Shayna gazed down at the two older boys and three older girls in the pool, probably between the ages of six and eight. Their small faces were marred with concern.

      “How did she get over here, Isaiah?” the man holding the crying young girl demanded.

      “I don’t know—she just—”

      It was the younger of the two boys who’d spoken, and he looked like he was going to cry.

      “It’s all right.” The voice was just as sexy as the man. Shayna tried her best not to look at him. “You called for our help. That was smart. Very smart.”

      Isaiah nodded bravely, and the sexy man clamped his hand down on his shoulder in a gesture of support.

      And that’s when Shayna realized she shouldn’t still be standing there. That she was observing—intruding—when she should have moved back already.

      She turned and started walking away. She didn’t get more than two steps before she felt a hand on her arm.

      “Hey,” came the deep voice. Shayna turned, her heart thundering as she did. Piercing brown eyes met and held her gaze. “Thank you.”

      “You don’t have to thank me. I did what anyone else would do.”

      “No, thank you,” the man insisted. “My niece was drowning—and we can’t thank you enough for your quick action.”

      His niece?

      “Yes, thank you.” The man holding the little girl spoke now. The young girl, maybe three, was wailing and coughing. More frightened than anything else, Shayna knew.

      But thank God she was okay.

      “You’re welcome,” Shayna said. “I’m glad I could help.”

      Then she headed back to her lounge chair. Her dress was soaking from the chest down, and she pulled it over her head. That’s when she noticed him. Walking toward her.

      The look in his eyes made her stomach flutter, which was completely inappropriate. Even if he wasn’t the young girl’s father as she’d assumed, he was likely still the father of at least one of the children. Or at the very least, married to one of the three women who were nowhere in sight.

      Shayna pretended not to notice him and instead concentrated on laying her dress over the back of the chair to air it out.

      “Sorry you got your dress wet,” the man said.

      “It’s perfectly okay,” Shayna told him, hoping her voice was as flat as possible. “It’ll dry.”

      The man was near her now, only a couple of feet away. He extended his hand, “I’m Donovan.”

      Shayna hesitated. She almost didn’t say her name. What was the point? But she decided that simply stating her name was not an invitation to begin an affair.

      “I’m Shayna.”

      “Nice name.”

      Shayna almost rolled her eyes, but she didn’t. Instead she glanced around, looking to see where the three women were. She’d assumed they’d gone for a bathroom break or perhaps to the nearby bar.

      She saw no one.

      “I’m sorry,” Donovan said. “Are you expecting someone?”

      “No. Just…checking the place out.” She paused a beat. “Which children are yours?”

      Donovan seemed momentarily confused. Then he said, “Oh. None. But I’m a proud uncle.”

      “Are you trying?” The question came from Shayna’s lips before she could stop it. It was none of her business, of course, but she was trying—as eloquently as possible—to let this man know that she wasn’t the least bit interested in someone who was married.

      “Trying to have children?” Donovan once again sounded surprised at her question.

      “You seem to be a very loving family,” she said, gesturing to the children and other men. “And you’re clearly an attentive uncle. СКАЧАТЬ