Free Through The Lens (Creative Hearts Book 1) by K.M. Jackson Page A

flower, it was just too much. He was making it so hard to walk away.  
    Not that she’d ever walked away before. Eric had left her, just like all the rest. And though part of her knew that Eric wasn’t the one, him leaving her still pissed her off. She thought he was safe—a corporate accountant who seemed relatively stable. What did she know? In the end, even he wanted someone better than her. A more put-together version of what she could give. Someone more pert and pretty and polished. So very corporate with her heels, size-two pencil skirts and weave flowing down her back. All the things Mika was not. She sighed softy. A grimace she knew she’d pay for with deep wrinkles in the years to come furrowed her brow. But there was no burning ache over Eric, just a wince of pain at being the rejected one. At not being good enough. That’s what hurt the most. The not measuring up.  
    She hugged herself tighter, pulling her knees close to her chest, and leaned her head back on the couch while she looked out the window at the waxing moon. It was an old story, an old emotion she should know well from her own mother. She knew the pain of being left. Saw the hurt in her mother’s eyes each time she’d asked when her father was coming home. She learned quickly not to ask anymore. He’d moved on. To a new family and wife. One that measured up better than they had.
    Mika breathed in the smell of the sea. Even though Ale was a few feet away, she could still feel him over her, inside her. She tuned her breathing to his, wishing for a moment that the night would go on forever. Daylight would mean time passing and the real world inching closer, and that was the last thing she wanted right now in this beautiful paradise.  
    She turned as Alejandro shifted onto his stomach, looking like a perfectly bronzed David exhibiting his backside under the moonlight. She sucked in a breath. Yeah, daylight meant morning, and morning meant responsibilities. All things that would come way too soon.

Chapter 6

    Heat rushed to her cheeks as Mika opened her eyes and was face to—well, not face ...with a certain part of Alejandro’s anatomy. “You’re up,” she said.
    “I am,” he replied, not bothering to cover his nakedness as he stood before her in all his glory.
    She pulled the blanket tightly around her shoulders and feigned looking around for her cell phone. “What time is it? I’d better get to my room and get dressed. I wouldn’t want Tai walking in on this and, um, getting the wrong idea.”
    She quickly stood to leave, but Ale blocked her way, surprising her by taking her by both arms. “And what idea would that be? That you slept on this couch all night? I woke up reaching for you.”  
    She started to sidestep him and paused. Did he say he had reached for her? She inwardly shook herself. No, today was a new day, and last night was last night. Fantasy over.  
    Ale looked at her long and hard, questions in his eyes. “So what was with the couch?” He ran his fingers gently up her arm.  
    Did she flinch? She hoped she didn’t, but the quick narrowing of his eyes told her she did. Crap. She had it all worked out last night, having told herself this morning would be easier, but it sure didn’t feel like it. Not with him so near, so big and so naked. And what was with that? In all their years together, he’d never struck her as the exhibitionist type.
    She stepped back out of his embrace. “Would you mind putting on some pants? Then we can talk.”
    Ale shrugged, moving toward his luggage. He pulled out a pair of boxer briefs and tugged them on. “Sorry if my nakedness is bothering you so much. It didn’t seem to last night.”  
    “Well, that was last night, and today the game is over. It’s time to get back to normal.” She tried hard to sound cool, but she knew she was missing the mark terribly. Her voice may have even squeaked a bit.  
    He turned toward her. His look seared with dark fire, and he opened his mouth to