Mission: Seduction Read Free Page A

to do the one thing that always soothed her.
    It only took a moment for her feet to hit the warm sand. Curling her toes, she watched as the waves broke over the sandbar. The motion of the water was the balm she needed.
    Running, she dove with her board into the first wave.
    Home.
    * * *
    R AFE STARED AS Kelly surfed one wave after another. The way she maneuvered the surfboard with such ease made him curious as to how someone so slim could tame the churning ocean. At first, he thought she must have to really focus on what she was doing, but she did it all so smoothly and controlled, she was clearly a natural.
    When she hit the beach, she frowned and headed again into the surf.
    Rafe didn’t know her, but he did know human nature and she was worried about something.
    That bothered him. She was such a kind soul. He’d recognized that about her from the instant they’d met. That and the fact that she’d welcomed him to her resort without a second thought. There was an immediate connection between them, one that disturbed Rafe because of its strength. The pull toward her was something that should only come after knowing a person for months, not minutes.
    What amazed him the most was how fast he was over his initial disappointment of Mimi not being there to greet him.
    Stop it.
    He kicked his feet and swam back to shore. Once there, he claimed the towel he’d brought with him and sat down on the sand.
    Had she felt the same awareness? Just because Kelly had been nice to him was no reason for him to think she might be interested in him.
    Give it up.
    You’re here to hang out with her sister.
    â€œThose look like some deep thoughts,” Kelly said. She stood before him with her board stuck in the sand. How had she snuck up on him like that?
    Great, marine, just great.
    â€œNot so deep, I promise. You’re a great surfer. I mean, I don’t know much about the sport, but you ride those man-crushing waves like a pro.” Rafe had stayed in shallow water to avoid the large swells, which rolled in higher by the minute.
    â€œI am,” she said.
    He gave her a questioning look.
    â€œA pro,” she said, and laughed. “I surf professionally on the circuit. At least, I did until a few months ago before I decided to hit Pause for a bit and buy this place.” She nodded toward the resort.
    If she made enough to afford this luxury spot, she had to have done pretty well as an athlete.
    Rafe chastised himself for staring at her. Bikini bottoms with tiny red bows at the hips flattered her long, tanned legs. Her flat stomach was slightly ripped with muscles, just enough to show she wasn’t afraid of a good workout.
    Rafe cleared his throat as he stood up. The interest in her toned-in-every-way body had to stop. He searched his brain to recall what they’d been talking about. “Why did you hit Pause?”
    She pursed her lips. “Maybe that’s the wrong expression. I think of it as a long vacation. To reevaluate what I want to do next with my life.” She shifted from one foot to the other. “I’ve been traveling the world from one competition to the next since I was sixteen. Burnouts happen a lot in my sport. And to be honest, I was heading that way. I forgot my love for surfing and I wanted to remember why I’m addicted to those waves. And it’s helped. A month’s gone by and I’m already anticipating the next big meet.
    â€œListen to me. I sound like some confused chick trying to find herself.”
    â€œNo, you don’t,” Rafe said quickly. “I love being an active marine and serving, but there are some days I want to give it all a rest and be a farmer or something.”
    She grinned. Her amusement pleased him. “You don’t seem like the farmer type.”
    â€œThat would be kind of funny, since I don’t know a thing about it,” he admitted. “But some job where you work with your hands and you’re alone out