Evening Stars. Susan Mallery

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СКАЧАТЬ hurried to her bedroom where she locked her door before changing for the second time in fewer than thirty minutes. She left her hair wet, which was exactly what had happened with Dylan. Was it the rain? Should she move to Phoenix?

      Still perplexed by the bizarreness that was her life, she returned to the living room and found Kyle exactly where she’d left him. Only he’d removed his jacket and hung it on the coatrack. Which meant he was wearing a thin sweater that illustrated the man enjoyed working out.

      Even damp he was pretty, she thought, taking in the square jaw, dark blond hair and blue eyes. He was about six feet, maybe six one, lean, but strong. She knew the latter because he’d caught her without gasping for air.

      “Why are you here?” she asked pointing to the sofa. “Everything okay with your family?”

      He looked up, scanning her face. “I’m not here for help, Nina. I’m here for you.”

      “Yeah. Okay, then. Have a seat.”

      When they were sitting across from each other, she drew in a breath. First things, first, she thought. “Thank you for saving my life.”

      “You’re welcome.”

      “I doubt the fall would have actually killed me, but I would have been hurt.”

      “That’s true.”

      He was staring at her as if trying to memorize her features. The intensity wasn’t scary, it was just strange.

      “So, what brings you to Blackberry Island?” she asked.

      “You.”

      “You keep saying stuff like that. What does it mean? I haven’t seen you in forever. Kyle, you did get over your crush, didn’t you?”

      “If I say yes, will that make you feel better?”

      “A little.”

      He leaned back against the sofa and stretched his arm along the back cushions. The relaxed, open posture of a man who was supremely confident.

      “I got over you, but I never forgot you,” he told her. “I remember everything about you, Nina. You were my dream girl.”

      “You were twelve.” He’d also been persistent, she thought, remembering him re-creating the scene from Say Anything, and standing outside of her house with a boom box. Only it had been about six in the morning, on a Sunday. The neighbors hadn’t been amused.

      “Making you the older woman.” The grin returned. “You were so hot. You used to wear these really short shorts and when you bent over to pick up my sister—”

      She held up her hand. “You were twelve,” she repeated, wondering if anything about this conversation was illegal.

      Back then she’d done her best to ignore him, while taking care of his baby sister. Kyle had been a friendly kid. When he wasn’t trying to convince her to run off with him, he’d been busy hanging out in his room or having friends over. Normal stuff.

      “How long ago was that? How old are you now?”

      “Twenty-six.”

      “So, fourteen years ago. I was sixteen. I was saving money for college.”

      “I know. I kept telling you to wait for me, but you didn’t listen.”

      “Do you blame me?”

      “No. Back then the age difference was too big. I figured that out eventually. After we moved away, I really missed you. But then I got to high school and discovered girls my own age.” Humor brightened his eyes.

      “Uh-huh. So much for me being ‘the one.’”

      “You were, but I thought it best to practice so that I would be—” he coughed “—ready for you.”

      “How generous.”

      “I’m that kind of guy.”

      A player, she thought. Not that it mattered to her. He was still too young. “I know you’re not really here on Blackberry Island because of me. Is your family still in the area?”

      “No. We moved years ago, and they’ve never been back. I’m stationed in Everett.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. “I’m a fighter pilot.”

      She felt her eyes widen. “What?”

      That grin was back. “F18s. I’m doing training. Part of a joint task force. I’m good at what I do. I’m on track to join the Blue Angels.”

      With five simple sentences, he’d started her head spinning. She knew about the Blue Angels. They were stars at air shows all over the country, maybe around the world. Their precision flying was practically the stuff of legends. “You’re a fighter pilot?”

      “Yes. I was offered a couple of different assignments. I picked Everett because of the location. I thought it would be fun to check out the island and see if you were still here.”

      She ignored that. “You fly multimillion-dollar planes?”

      “That’s me. And if the government is willing to trust me with that kind of equipment, you can trust me, too.”

      She chuckled. “Right. Does that line usually work?”

      “All the time.”

      “I apologize for women everywhere.”

      “No need. So, what about you? What do you do?”

      “I’m a nurse.”

      He raised his eyebrows. “So, if I’m hurt, you can take care of me.”

      Which was just like a guy, she thought humorously. “Not everything is about you.”

      “Sure it is. Have dinner with me.”

      “What? No. You’re too young.”

      “It’s only four years and you know you’re curious. We’ll catch up.”

      “We were never friends, Kyle. There’s nothing to catch up on.”

      “Then we’ll get to know each other. I meant what I said. You’re the girl I fantasized about, Nina.” There was that smile. “You’re even better than I remember.”

      She thought about the extra twenty pounds, the wet hair, the lack of makeup. “Are you sure they’re checking your vision regularly?”

      He stood up and crossed to her, then pulled her to her feet. His large hands held hers. His skin was warm, and although she didn’t want to admit it, there was a distinct tingle low in her belly.

      “Nina Wentworth, I have wanted you and been waiting for you for fourteen years. The least you can do is have dinner with me.”

      Her breath actually caught in her throat. She СКАЧАТЬ