Free Breaker's Passion by Julie Cannon Page A

of awareness.
    She was confused, concerned that she was suffering from a midlife crisis or emotional breakdown. She had been under tremendous pressure the last few years with her job. As the first female president at Embers College she was under immense scrutiny, even after seven years in the position. Not all the members of the board of trustees had voted for her selection to the post. Every day was a challenge, every decision second-guessed, and that didn’t even count the conflicts with the faculty. Some days she wondered why she had ever wanted the job.
    She had loved being a teacher, sharing her knowledge and love of history with students eager to learn everything possible about the subject. Young minds that were quick, insightful, and constantly questioning had kept her on her toes. Now she felt like she was always a half-step behind where she should be. The paperwork was endless, staff meetings long, and the petty squabbles between the faculty members tedious. The constant fund-raising and glad-handing with alumni and benefactors made her nauseous, like little more than a used-car salesman at times. It was supposedly lonely at the top, and now that she was there she knew exactly what that meant. Nobody wanted to be up there with you.
    The job had taken a toll on her personal life as well. Her days of casual affairs had ended. She simply didn’t have the time and, frankly, rarely had the interest. When she was a faculty member, she hadn’t lived in the closet, but she never took a date to a professional event either. In the first year or two it didn’t matter. She was so engrossed in her new role she barely had time to do her laundry, let alone have the energy to have sex. But what was her excuse after that?
    Maybe that was it. She finally sat down at the small table in the corner of the patio. Maybe being in a place she had never been, on a vacation she desperately needed, had kicked-started her libido. People on vacation often did things they normally wouldn’t even imagine. Especially in a tropical paradise like Maui. Reality didn’t seem to exist in all this beauty. Was that starting to transform her into a woman she’d never seen? More important, was she afraid of her or did she like her?

    “May I join you?”
    Elizabeth thought the person in her peripheral vision was her waiter, but when the familiar voice sounded she turned and looked into dark, inquiring eyes. Colby was dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and an orange tank top, both pressed mercilessly. She had just taken a bite of eggs Benedict, her mouth too full to answer. Instead she motioned Colby to the chair across from her. Before she had a chance to speak, the waiter had offered Colby coffee and asked if she needed a menu.
    Her throat suddenly dry, she had trouble swallowing her breakfast and took a drink of her orange juice. Colby was looking at her as if to ask, “Am I invited to stay for breakfast?” She nodded to that question as well. Colby ordered orange juice and oatmeal as the waiter filled her coffee cup. Finally her mouth was clear enough to speak without seeming rude.
    “Good morning. How was your swim?” She realized what she had said a second too late. She didn’t want Colby to know she’d been watching her in the water. The expression of mild interest on Colby’s face told her she had failed miserably.
    “Great. You should have joined me.”
    Colby’s voice was low and almost a whisper, causing a chill to dance down her spine. “Thanks, but I’m not much of a morning person.” Unless it was waking up with Colby next to her.
    “That’s a shame. The water’s perfect. Maybe I’ll change your mind someday.” Colby took her answer almost as a challenge.
    She smiled. She knew herself too well. “I doubt that. I don’t do much before two cups of coffee, one if I’m running late.” She took another bite of her breakfast as Colby waved for a refill.
    “Ah, I remember what that was like,” Colby countered before she