Free A Pacific Breeze Hotel by Josie Okuly Page B

you.”
    Felicia gazed deeply into his wide-set gray eyes. These are the eyes of a warrior, a true knight in shining armor, she thought. But no, that wasn’t true. They were the eyes of a decent, honest man who never claimed to be a hero. O’Rourke didn’t have a way with words. He was no Romeo with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a well-worn vocabulary of charming lines in the other. In spite of his brusque manner, he projected a diffident, boyish charm, which had intrigued her from the moment they met. He was her diamond in the rough.
    O’Rourke gazed at her like a puppy that had brought a stick and was waiting for a pat on the head. Felicia knew he was waiting for her answer, and what she said next would determine her future happiness.
    -68-
    Pacific Breeze Hotel
    Her heart slammed against her chest with hard, almost painful, thumps.
    The sound was so loud, she was certain he could hear it.
    She took a deep breath. “In that case, I’d be grateful for a ride home to Phoenix. On one condition.”
    O’Rourke’s brows furrowed and he looked at her questioningly.
    “What?”
    “That you finally tell me your name.” Felicia squeezed his hand. “After all, I can’t spend hours driving through the desert with you and not even know your first name.”
    A look of relief crossed his face. “Oh, my name... My name is Sean. I should have mentioned it before. It’s just that Nolan and I have the same first name so we...”
    “I like it,” she interrupted.
    O’Rourke sighed. “I’m glad.”
    Felicia thought it was a romantic name for a tough guy. It didn’t really go with his stern, rugged features. Or perhaps it did. Felicia intended to discover everything there was to know about the kind-hearted man who lived under the hardboiled facade of Sean O’Rourke.

    The End
    -69-

    Josie A. Okuly

    Josie A. Okuly began writing stories when she received her first diary at the age of nine. In college, she studied history and archaeology as she pursued her dream of becoming an explorer of lost civilizations. She didn't become the next Indiana Jones, but never lost her love of the written word. Years later as a stay-at-home mom, Josie submitted some of her poems and short stories and was delighted when they were accepted for publication.
    Josie's work has appeared in the Adirondack Review, Adoption Week, Anotherealm, Cold Glass Magazine, E Street Journal, Long Story Short, Millennium Shift, Nuvein Magazine, Tapestry, and The Harrow.
    These days, Josie is a wife, mother, substitute teacher, and writer.
    She shares her busy life with her husband Rick, her son Sean, and a spoiled cat named Frodo.
    Visit Josie's website at: www.JosieAOkuly.net

    If you love romantic suspense, you’re sure to enjoy…

    Secrets and Shadows
    Copyright © 2006 Meg Allison
    Available August 22, 2006 from Samhain Publishing Jason Sinclair has to keep his employer’s daughter safe from evil that lurks in the shadows … but he can’t forget the love she once offered.
    Sabrina Layne left her wealthy father years ago, vowing to never return. But she’s back for his funeral and to evade phone calls haunting her nights. Can she avoid another rejection from her first love?
    Jason leads a double life working for the CIA – posing as a chauffeur while uncovering terrorist sympathizers among the elite. Murder in his home town forces him to face the friend he hurt years ago.
    Together they might uncover secrets that lurk in the shadows before another life is lost. But Jason isn’t sure Sabrina will forgive his lies when she learns the full truth.

    Excerpt from Secrets and Shadows by Meg Allison She stared out the window of the low, black Mercedes as countless trees rushed by in the outer beam of the headlights.
    Everything…everything…everything…
    The word echoed through her mind like a mantra. What could one person do with so much wealth?
    “Sabrina?” Jason’s quiet voice stole through the fog in her brain. She turned her head to look at