Convincing Lina: A Bachelor of Shell Cove Novel (The Bachelors of Shell Cove Romance Book 2) by Siera London

“Now, you have everything.” She entered the restaurant, hips swaying to an inaudible beat made just for her.  
    Gideon watched as men, young and old, fixed on Lina’s feminine stride. Those gorgeous legs carried her away from him. She’d said that he had everything. Smiling.  
    “Not yet, but I will.”

      Her heart beat faster than the lead drummer at a rock concert. Her entree wasn’t the only thing steaming hot at the dinner table. At his touch, her body transformed into an overheated chocolate fountain without a shut off switch. He made her feel desirable and special. It was a sobering thought, as all her man problems started with those emotions. She could not like Gideon. As she walked away from the table, she renewed her chant in earnest. Do not like him. Do not fall for him. Please let a unibrow troll replace Gideon in the next five minutes , she begged the universe.
    She tried to look unaffected by his charm, focus on the musical score and the buzz of conversation around them, but her blood pressure rose with each visual caress. Gideon was a gentleman, but with a raw edginess that appealed to her on a primal level. The way he swept her into his arms and held her close, had her body pulsing with need. If Jace tried that move, they would both be on the floor, with him writhing in pain. She rounded the stone waterfall sculpture leading to the ladies’ room. She opened her purse, approached the mirror, and reached for a make-up compact, while regarding her appearance. Beauty looked back at her. Beauty that men admired, craved, but never claimed. Would Gideon be any different? Her heart couldn’t pay the cost to find out. When she returned to the table, she would put as much distance as physically and emotionally possible between the two of them. Numb was her goal. Let it happen, but do not feel it. Yes.  
    The banging at the door had her jumping for the ceiling. She did a quick check of her surroundings before looking in her purse. Keys-check, wallet-check, lipstick-check, pepper spray-check. Purse in hand, she took a deep breath, steeling her resolve to handle the rest of dinner in cool detachment. She collided with a wall of muscle as soon as she exited the door. Her feet had stopped, but the force of the impact had her body moving backward. This wasn’t going to be pretty. She closed her eyes readying herself to make contact with the stone floor. An arm wrapped around her waist pulling her up short.  
    Gideon.
    She instinctively grabbed hold of his shoulders, needing to hold onto something solid. Her nose was in the hollow of his neck and she took a deep steadying breath. He smelled of warmed cedar on a breezy summer day. Her mouth watered as his scent filled her nostrils.  
    “Thank you,” she said on a breathy note. She allowed her head to rest on his shoulder as his scent and body heat co-mingled into a sensual cocktail.  
    “I’ve got you, sweetness.” His hand stroked along her spine in a soothing gesture.
    “I didn’t see you standing there. It was my fault.” His cheek pressed against her temple.
    “Shh, it’s not your fault. You weren’t expecting me to be at the door.”  
    She laughed. “That is true. I don’t remember inviting you with me to the ladies’ room.” Through her palms resting on his chest wall she could feel the rumble of his laughter.
    “You left the table fifteen minutes ago. That’s an invitation to chase in my neck of the woods.” She released his shoulder, to look up at him.
    “Neck of the woods? I haven’t heard that term in years. What part of the country are you originally from?”  
    “I was born and raised in West Virginia.”  
    “Big city or small town West Virginia?” He raised an eyebrow at her line of questioning.  
    “They are one in the same in mountaineer country.”
    “You didn’t answer my question.”
    “I did, trust me. Now, allow me to escort you back to your seat. You garner a lot of attention, Lina.”
    She stiffened. Had