Longing for Love by Marie Force Page A

staring at his legs, she forced her gaze off him and out to the busy harbor. Why did she have to react to him the way she had since the night she met him at Luke’s house last fall? Every time he came around, she felt edgy and off-kilter the way she had when Matt—
    No. Do not go there. Do not think about him. Do not .  
    As much as she never wanted to think about her ex-boyfriend again, she couldn't help but draw comparisons between two handsome, successful attorneys who walked around like they owned every room they stepped into, as if they were entitled to take whatever they wanted and discard that which they didn’t. She’d already been discarded once and had no desire to let that happen again.
    “How do you like living on the island?” he asked after a long stretch of silence.
    Kara had never wished more for customers to give her something else to do besides talk to Dan Torrington. “What’s not to like?”
    “I couldn’t agree more. I love it here. It’s so quiet and peaceful compared to what I’m used to.”
    “Anything is quiet and peaceful compared to LA.”
    Damn it, she’d made him smile again. She had to watch out for that. Those damned dimples popped up with no warning and distracted her from her mission to get rid of him.  
    “Not all of LA is frenetic and crazy. It has its charming areas, too.”
    “I’ll have to take your word for that.”
    “Ever been there?”
    She shook her head.
    “You should come out some time. I’ll show you the nice parts you don’t get to see on TV.”
    God, he was so much like Matt. He didn’t look anything like Matt, but his entire act was right out of Matt’s manifesto. Effortless charm and that whole aw-shucks-I-have-no-idea-I’m-ridiculously-hot thing were their trademarks. She’d been sucked in once before by that routine, and it wasn’t about to happen again, no matter how appealing she might find him.  
    Kara reached into her bag and pulled out the book she’d started the night before—anything to distract her from giving too much thought to why he’d decided to fixate on her. She thought he’d have something to say about her burying her nose in a book, but he sat quietly, taking in the scenery and adding to his already impressive tan. Not that she was watching him or anything. No, she was reading and enjoying the story. Or she had been until she read the same sentence for the fourth time.
    Since she refused to let him know how distracting he was, she continued to pretend to read for at least ten more minutes before a customer finally showed up. Thank goodness!  
    “Trouble you for a ride?” the man asked. He too was young and handsome, but he didn’t have dimples, and he didn’t make Kara feel anxious or on guard the way Dan did.  
    “Sure thing. Hop aboard.” When he was settled, she said, “Where to?”
    He pointed to the northeastern corner of the pond.
    Kara tossed off the lines and backed the launch out of the slip, using a combination of throttle and rudder to turn the boat in a tight area. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dan watching with interest and what might’ve been admiration. She told herself she wasn’t showing off for him. Of course she wasn’t. Why would she show off in front of a man who annoyed her and who she was determined to resist, even if he was often quite irresistible?
    On the way through the anchorage, she chatted with the boat owner about the upcoming Gansett Island Race Week activities, the weather, the sailing conditions, her favorite restaurant on the island, and the small New York town where the man lived.  
    As they got closer to his navy blue sailboat, Kara made a wide turn and brought the launch right in next to the boat, reaching for a stanchion to hold her boat in close enough for the man to disembark.
    “Thanks a lot for the ride.” He’s actually quite cute , she thought. “Hope to see you again before I leave.”
    “Good luck with the races.”
    “Thanks.”
    As they pulled away,