Searching for Sea Glass: BEST-SELLING AUTHOR (Sea Glass Secrets Book 1) by Teal Wingate Page B

she’d let him get this close, it’d been years before she found her equilibrium. Truthfully, did she ever regain it? No, she hadn’t. That was why she had a dog-eared newspaper clipping of him in her drawer. And why she’d never been able to make herself get rid of his business card. It was like fighting an ocean riptide, this overwhelming attraction to him. Almost impossible to escape. Unless one had the strength of will to do what seemed counterintuitive, to be free. She knew this. She knew what was happening between them would only lead to more pain and sorrow for her in the end.
    But her body just wouldn’t obey. It was as if it recognized him by his touch alone. By the rasping feel of his fingertips. By the searing heat pouring off his sheltering body. By the scratch of the rough shadow of beard on his lean face. Everything in him called to the most elemental parts of her.
    “Say you want this,” he ordered against her throbbing lips. “Say you want this as much as I do, Sunny.”
    Before she could answer, the screen door of the café crashed open. The shock of the loud sound made her turn. Billy ran in. Sunny’s mind registered three things, JD was not letting her go, Billy was staring up at the both of them with wide intelligent eyes, and the man called Sam had strolled in after the child.
     
     

Chapter Five
     
    Why are you holding Sunny like that. Is she sick?” Billy asked. It was an innocent question from an equally innocent child.
    The big man who’d followed him into the café was not so innocent. His snort of derision caused Sunny to blush and try to tear out of JD’s arms. His arms tightened. She was his prisoner.
    “What do you need Sam?” he calmly asked over her head.
    “The little squirt here is getting restless. I thought maybe you’d had time to do what was needed. Apparently I was wrong.”
    “Apparently you were,” JD growled. He released Sunny from his embrace. He walked over to Billy. The tall man crouched down so they were eye level with each other.
    “Are you my daddy?” Billy asked. He was tired. His eyes were very heavy. He had a finger tucked into one corner of his mouth.
    JD looked up at Sunny with a cocked questioning eyebrow. Her eyes begged him not to say anything to the child. His own told her he’d humor her for a while. But just for a while. The little boy was his nephew. He would make sure the child knew it before long.
    “I’m not your dad,” said JD.
    Sunny’s eyes closed in relief. She finally took a normal breath. Then she heard what the man had to say next.
    “But I knew your mother, very well.”
    “My real mom? The one who lives under the rock at the cemetery?” The child perked up. “Her name was Willow. She’s dead.”
    He felt a sting in the vicinity of his heart. He nodded. “I’d heard about that. I was very sorry to learn she’d died.”
    Billy rubbed his eyes. He yawned. “Sunny says she was the most beautiful girl in the whole world. Was she?”
    JD looked up at Sunny. A long pregnant silence fell between them. “No, there is one woman who’s more beautiful. But Willow, she came pretty close.”
    Again Sam snorted. He rolled his eyes. “Come on squirt. Let’s get you ready for bed.” He walked over and hoisted the little boy up onto his wide shoulders. “I think Sunny and JD still have some more talking to do.”
    Sunny snapped out of her passion-induced stupor at the man’s words. The last thing she wanted was to do more ‘talking’ with JD McIntyre. She managed to elude his hands when she sped around him. She caught up with the boy and Sam on the path to her house.
    “Here, let me have him,” she said as she reached up to gather Billy in her arms.
    “I’ll carry him. Just lead the way.” He motioned towards the house.
    “I said give him to me,” she demanded.
    “I heard what you said. But he’s a heavy little rascal. I’ll carry him into his room and get him to the bed.”
    “Who are you?” she asked losing her