she could still stand upright. Although she’d tried to minimize the effects of his kiss, it left her feelingas though she’d never been kissed before. Her entire body had been overwhelmed by a feeling of rightness . Now all she felt was the crushing weight of confusion. She shouldn’t be feeling any of these things for Mark. A CPA! An almost-engaged CPA, to boot.
“And was your curiosity satisfied?” he asked. His blue eyes probed.
“Uh…yes. And yours?”
“Yes,” he muttered, but he was frowning again.
The kid from the rental agency leaped out of the truck and loaded Shelly’s moped into the back. “You’re not supposed to get the engine wet,” he scolded. “It’s in the rental agreement. You’ll have to pay a fine.”
Shelly nodded. She didn’t have an excuse; she doubted the agency would accept her trying to escape Mark as a legitimate reason for damaging one of their vehicles.
Mark drove his moped, while Shelly got into the pickup’s cab and rode silently down the long stretch of beach.
Shelly went to the office to deal with her fine and was surprised to find Mark waiting for her when she’d finished. “You hungry?” he asked in an offhand invitation.
“Uh…” She would’ve thought he’d be anxious to see the last of her.
“Good,” he said immediately, not giving her a chance to reply. He grasped her elbow firmly as he led her to a nearby fish-and-chips stand. Shelly couldn’t recall any other time a man had taken her elbow. Her first reaction was to object to what she considered an outdatedgesture but she was surprised to find it oddly comforting, even pleasant.
They ordered their fish and chips, then carried the small baskets to a picnic table.
“I should’ve paid for my own,” she said once they were seated, feeling vaguely guilty that he’d paid for both meals. Janice might be the jealous type, and Shelly didn’t want her to hear about this.
His eyes met hers, steady and direct. “When I ask you to join me, I pick up the bill.”
Any argument she had vanished before it reached her lips.
After that, Shelly concentrated on her fish and chips, which were fresh and absolutely delicious. Mark seemed equally preoccupied with his meal.
“What brought you to the beach today?” Shelly asked, finishing the last few French fries in her basket. Perhaps if they could determine what had brought them both to a lonely stretch of beach two hours from Seattle, they might be able to figure out how they’d happened upon each other once more.
“I have a beach house here. After tax time I generally try to get away for a few days. I like to come down here and relax.”
“I had no idea.” She found it inordinately important that he understand she hadn’t somehow managed to stalk him across the state. Their meeting was pure coincidence…again.
“Don’t worry about it, Shelly. You couldn’t possiblyhave known about the beach house or that I intended to be here today. I didn’t know it myself until this morning.”
Shelly suddenly wished Mark hadn’t kissed her. Everything was becoming far too complicated.
“You’re very talented,” he told her out of the blue. “I bought one of your DVDs the other day.”
“How’d you know what I do?” Shelly felt flustered by his praise; she was at a complete loss to understand why it meant so much to her.
“I saw it on the income tax form and I was curious about your work.”
“Curiosity seems to have gotten us both into trouble,” she said.
Mark grinned, a shameless, irresistible grin. The kind of grin that makes a woman forget all sorts of things. Like the fact that he was practically engaged. And that he was a tall, blue-eyed stranger who, according to Aunt Milly’s letter, would soon become her husband….
Shelly scrambled to her feet, hurrying toward the beach. Mark followed.
“You shouldn’t look at me like that,” she said, her voice soft and bewildered.
“You said it was just a kiss. Was it?”
“Yes,” she
“And was your curiosity satisfied?” he asked. His blue eyes probed.
“Uh…yes. And yours?”
“Yes,” he muttered, but he was frowning again.
The kid from the rental agency leaped out of the truck and loaded Shelly’s moped into the back. “You’re not supposed to get the engine wet,” he scolded. “It’s in the rental agreement. You’ll have to pay a fine.”
Shelly nodded. She didn’t have an excuse; she doubted the agency would accept her trying to escape Mark as a legitimate reason for damaging one of their vehicles.
Mark drove his moped, while Shelly got into the pickup’s cab and rode silently down the long stretch of beach.
Shelly went to the office to deal with her fine and was surprised to find Mark waiting for her when she’d finished. “You hungry?” he asked in an offhand invitation.
“Uh…” She would’ve thought he’d be anxious to see the last of her.
“Good,” he said immediately, not giving her a chance to reply. He grasped her elbow firmly as he led her to a nearby fish-and-chips stand. Shelly couldn’t recall any other time a man had taken her elbow. Her first reaction was to object to what she considered an outdatedgesture but she was surprised to find it oddly comforting, even pleasant.
They ordered their fish and chips, then carried the small baskets to a picnic table.
“I should’ve paid for my own,” she said once they were seated, feeling vaguely guilty that he’d paid for both meals. Janice might be the jealous type, and Shelly didn’t want her to hear about this.
His eyes met hers, steady and direct. “When I ask you to join me, I pick up the bill.”
Any argument she had vanished before it reached her lips.
After that, Shelly concentrated on her fish and chips, which were fresh and absolutely delicious. Mark seemed equally preoccupied with his meal.
“What brought you to the beach today?” Shelly asked, finishing the last few French fries in her basket. Perhaps if they could determine what had brought them both to a lonely stretch of beach two hours from Seattle, they might be able to figure out how they’d happened upon each other once more.
“I have a beach house here. After tax time I generally try to get away for a few days. I like to come down here and relax.”
“I had no idea.” She found it inordinately important that he understand she hadn’t somehow managed to stalk him across the state. Their meeting was pure coincidence…again.
“Don’t worry about it, Shelly. You couldn’t possiblyhave known about the beach house or that I intended to be here today. I didn’t know it myself until this morning.”
Shelly suddenly wished Mark hadn’t kissed her. Everything was becoming far too complicated.
“You’re very talented,” he told her out of the blue. “I bought one of your DVDs the other day.”
“How’d you know what I do?” Shelly felt flustered by his praise; she was at a complete loss to understand why it meant so much to her.
“I saw it on the income tax form and I was curious about your work.”
“Curiosity seems to have gotten us both into trouble,” she said.
Mark grinned, a shameless, irresistible grin. The kind of grin that makes a woman forget all sorts of things. Like the fact that he was practically engaged. And that he was a tall, blue-eyed stranger who, according to Aunt Milly’s letter, would soon become her husband….
Shelly scrambled to her feet, hurrying toward the beach. Mark followed.
“You shouldn’t look at me like that,” she said, her voice soft and bewildered.
“You said it was just a kiss. Was it?”
“Yes,” she
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