One Night More Read Free Page A

your alter ego is a news reporter? Sort of fitting, don’t you think?”
    She laughed too, a light, trilling sound that shot through Galen’s blood like liquid fire. “You’re right,” she said. “It’s perfect. And totally not made up.”
    “Of course not.” Galen didn’t trust easily. Deception was unforgivable and honesty was his number-one ground rule. But something about this girl made him feel at ease. “Let’s agree, just because we’re not using names doesn’t mean we can’t be totally honest. No bullshit.”
    “No bullshit,” she agreed with a nod. “Hometown?”
    “Coos Bay,” he said.
    “I love it there,” she said. “My dad’s cousin has a house in Seal Rock, we used to drive down to Coos Bay when I was a kid. I bet my small town beats yours, though. I grew up in Cascade, Idaho.”
    “Never heard of it,” Galen said with a laugh. “But it can’t be that much smaller.”
    “Oh, it is,” she said. “Maybe a thousand people. I’m pretty sure there are more bodies packed into the Lloyd Center on a busy weekend.”
    “What do people do to pass the time in Cascade, Idaho?” Galen asked. “Churn butter and mend fences?”
    “I said it was a small town, not a pioneer town.” She screwed her face up into a cute grimace. “There’s plenty to do. Ski, hike, camp, swim. Fish and hunt if you’re into it. Soak up the summer sun. There are a couple of lakes, a ski resort, and trailheads everywhere. Hot springs, hidden places that only the locals know about. Lots of tourist traffic in the summer. It’s not so bad.”
    “Sounds great,” Galen said. Really, it didn’t seem too different from Coos Bay. Though the economy focused more on balance between commercial fishing and tourism, the town saw its fair share of summer visitors. “I used to fish from the jetty all the time when I was a kid. I still hike when I get the chance, and honestly, I’d rather rough it in a tent than order room service any day.” He’d spent almost every summer in the lush rain forests surrounding Coos Bay camping with his family before his parents had separated. “Siblings?”
    “Only child,” she said.
    “One older sister,” he countered. “She’s getting ready to open a bakery not far from here.”
    “I always wished I had a sister.” Her mouth turned up into a soft smile that melted something inside Galen’s chest. “Do you guys look alike?”
    He shrugged. “If I said yes, she’d probably take it as an insult.”
    She gave him an appraising look. “If you share the same gene pool, I doubt that.”
    Galen smiled at the compliment and took a small step toward her. He didn’t want to come on too strong, but damn, his body all but urged him to get closer. She took a deep breath and slowly raised her eyes to his until their gazes were locked. “Girlfriend?” she ventured, her voice cracking in an adorable show of nervousness.
    He chuckled. “Single.”
     
     
    She must be way drunker than she’d thought. Sure, Harper was a lightweight, but never in a million years would she be so brazen with a guy, which forced her to conclude that she’d wandered past being a little tipsy. Still, she wasn’t so drunk that she couldn’t think straight or make logical decisions. Her stomach had been in a constant state of acrobatics for the past hour, and every time their eyes met, Harper broke out into delicious chills. And if their physical chemistry wasn’t enough to have her acting like a smitten high school girl, the easy flow of their conversation was sure doing the trick.
    Maybe Sophie was right. Luck was definitely on her side tonight. Not only was her mysterious hero drop-dead gorgeous, he was easygoing, charming, and funny, and had a raw, sexy edge that turned her insides to Jell-O. Add to that the fact that they shared similar interests . . . he was almost too good to be true. Harper knew that she should cut him loose now before he did something to shatter the illusion. In the past, the men