Free A Very Daring Christmas (The Tavonesi Series Book 8) by Pamela Aares

it away with the back of his hand. “But I think she got the picture. And her boyfriend seemed to be a little clearer on the concept of danger. He knew the kid could’ve drowned.” He held out his hand and wriggled his fingers. “Surf contest?”
    “You’re soaked.” She motioned toward his shoes and sopping wet pant legs. “And what about lunch? Protein?”
    “Lunch will keep.”
    He shucked off his wet running shoes and peeled off his sport socks. When he pulled his shirt over his head, she hoped the leap of her pulse didn’t register in her throat.
    Maybe it was adrenaline from the near disaster he’d averted.
    Right .
    “This will dry.” He spread the shirt on the blanket. “Let’s head over. I need to walk off some steam.”
    He unfolded from his crouch and stood above her. At the sight of perfectly tanned washboard abs and the fine line of hair running down and dipping below the buckle of his jeans, she flushed. Steam was exactly the right word for the sizzle bubbling in her veins.
    “I know I said this before, but you’re good with kids.” It was the only image she could force into her mind to tamp down her racing impulses.
    He tilted his head and gave her a look much like the puppy had as it had watched Brody bite into the cookie. A look that unless she was totally deluded had taste me written all over it. God, she’d never felt energy like this. Shiny man, shiny man. Very , very shiny man.
    And real, too. Considerate. Maybe even responsible.
    And if she didn’t get a grip, she was doomed. She already liked him way too much.
    “Kids? I can’t even manage a dog.”
    “Maybe you’re underestimating yourself.”
    “I’m leaving the family gene-pool legacy up to my sister,” he said. “She’s suited for parenthood. I’d require a brain transplant to be ready for anything like Brody.” He held out his hand, inviting her to take it.
    She clasped his hand and let him pull her to her feet. But once upright, the energy snapping through her at the contact had her pulling her hand away.
    A thought curled into her mind, unformed but nagging—maybe this was the nearly uncontrollable, powerful energy that had shot her mother into the arms of four different husbands and countless boyfriends, unraveling their family life and leaving Cameron in the hands of nannies.
    She hadn’t ever had much compassion for her mother. But meeting Jake had shown her that perhaps there were energies in life that didn’t bend to the power of will, that didn’t give a hoot in hell for boundaries and well-laid plans. Maybe such an energy just pulled and tugged a person forward until they found love. The love everyone had a right to, but that so many people gave up on before they found.
    Still, her flaming and failed relationship with Elliott was all the reminder she needed to know that until she got her head on right, falling for someone would be a recipe for disaster.
    The beach was more populated up toward the pier, and they weaved their way through the slowly thickening crowd. The loudspeakers from the tented judging stand blared out a reggae beat. A group of women in skimpy thong-style bathing suits paraded past them. Cameron bet that half those suits had never had a drop of seawater on them, but she had to admit they were spot-on gorgeous. As were the women wearing them. She saw Jake eyeing a particularly buxom redhead.
    Jealousy was an emotion she fought hard to overcome. Elliott had played on her insecurities. Toying with her heart was just one of the many ways he’d tried to have power over her. And she sure shouldn’t be feeling jealous now—she had no claim on Jake’s attentions.
    When the redhead caught his eye, he turned away and slipped his arm around Cameron’s waist.
    Had he felt her roiling emotions? She hoped not.
    Sabrina had once told her that her brother and the guys like him who were baseball stars had a keen awareness of bodies and could read minds by reading body language, something like a