Kiss of a Stranger (Lost Coast Harbor #1) by Lily Danes, Eve Kincaid Page A

come back later.” Gabe brushed past her, heading for town.
    “You can come inside,” Bree called. “Your stuff’s already here.”
    Gabe barely heard her. He was already pulling up his mental map of the town and identifying the most likely restaurant for date night.
    Declan Donnelly was nice. He was handsome, too, with his dark blond hair and blue eyes. Though he worked at a bookstore all day, it looked like he took decent care of his body. His broad shoulders filled out the Oxford shirt quite well.
    The problem was he was wearing an Oxford shirt instead of a Henley, his cheeks were clean-shaven, and there wasn’t a tattoo in sight.
    Declan was one of six Donnelly children, and he was the only one the town didn’t refer to as a Donnelly Devil. While the other five had a talent for reinterpreting the law to suit their needs, the man before her was a respectable business owner. He attended city council meetings and was involved in town events. He was well-read and confident, and he kept the conversation going with ease. Declan was as far from her ex as it was possible to be, which was exactly why she’d agreed to go out with him.
    The man’s smiles were warm—but never hot—and his eyes were attentive and kind. He was so wonderfully, perfectly safe. They’d never crossed paths much, despite both living in Lost Coast Harbor for most of their lives. Declan was several years older than she was, enough that he was in college when she started high school, and by the time he returned from grad school, she was already married to Charlie.
    Book clubs had sprung up all over town when Declan Donnelly opened his bookstore, and many women had developed a newfound passion for reading. He didn’t lack for female attention, and Maddie was lucky as hell to have attracted his attention after all this time.
    So why did she spend the entire night wishing he was someone else?
    He was charming and funny, and he seemed kind, but her thoughts kept returning to memories of Gabe. The way he looked in a towel, and those tattoos she wanted to trace with her finger—or maybe her tongue. She wanted to discover every black line and learn what each one meant. When Declan brushed her arm while holding her chair for her, she flashed to Gabe drawing small circles on her wrist, a tiny touch she felt through her entire body.
    It was ridiculous. After everything she’d been through, Gabe should repulse her. She should be bolting the door against him, not wondering what he looked like without the towel.
    The date lasted for hours, or at least it felt like it did. Declan walked her home, of course. He was a gentleman through and through.
    When they reached her steps, she fidgeted. It had been so long since she’d ended a date, Maddie couldn’t remember the protocol. There was no sign Declan felt as awkward as she did, but she was still caught by surprise when he leaned down and brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth. Not quite a proper kiss, but it wasn’t a platonic peck on the cheek, either.
    “I had a good time.” He smiled. His teeth were even, his mouth full. His eyes held a hint of disappointment, but she was probably imagining that.
    Why the hell couldn’t she muster the tiniest bit of interest?
    Because his face had no scars. His body didn’t tell stories of risks taken and battles faced. He was just a normal guy, and try as she might, that wasn’t what she wanted.
    “Maybe we can do this again?” He still smiled, but for the first time his voice was a little strained.
    “Maybe.” It took all her restraint not to bolt for the front door.
    Declan gave her a single nod, then turned and walked back to town.
    As soon as he was out of earshot, she released the breath she’d been holding.
    “That doesn’t sound like the blissful sigh of a night well spent.”
    Maddie’s heart leapt, and she turned to face the man on her front porch. The voice had come from the bench on the far left side. Gabe leaned forward, his elbows