Sand and Sin Read Free

grateful for the near-dark surroundings. His mind reran last night’s events with the film ending as he tried to call TJ’s place. He sat up in bed with a groan. The large room had a wide, low ceiling. A huge TV with a game system sat at the end of the room near the stairs. A room over the garage? But whose?
    He threw off the covers. He was naked except for his black boxer briefs. His jeans and T-shirt lay neatly folded beside his leather jacket on the sofa in front of the big screen. His phone sat on the table beside the bed.
    Who had put the clean bandage on his thigh? Nothing about the room gave evidence to the owner of the house. Or whom he might have slept with. Nix that. As messed up as he’d been, equipment failure was highly likely.
    He found a pair of sweats next to his bloodstained jeans and tugged them on. They were so loose, he had to tighten the inner drawstring. His stomached growled. Hell, he hadn’t finished the super-sized burger at the Trident.
    Peri. He smiled. At least part of his wish had been answered on his first night back―to spend time with a beautiful woman. If he hadn’t passed out, he might have talked her into changing his celibate status.
    Time to thank whomever had taken pity on his slack ass. Descending the steps, he inhaled the sweet smell of bacon. He expected to find TJ’s woman or Phil as he turned the corner.
    Eyes as big as a doe’s bore into him and his heart stopped.
    Snug jean shorts curved around Peri’s shapely rear. Her legs were long enough to wrap around his neck and her spaghetti tank dipped low, revealing a bounty of tanned cleavage. “Morning, sleeping beauty.” She grabbed a coffee mug off a rack and filled it to the brim.
    Hung over and thirsty, he swallowed over what felt like cotton. “Thanks. Is there a head nearby?” Knowing he’d put her out, he gave her a tentative smile.
    She pointed to a door toward the stairs.
    He gulped some coffee before he headed there. Behind the closed door, he relieved the pressure in his bladder. Afterward is cock remained on salute, trying to impress the woman in the kitchen.
    A hangover with a hard-on. Sick fuck. He had to admit the combination was a first for him, but his dick had a mind of its own after months of no attention but his hand.
    Afterward, he splashed some water on his face, rinsed out his mouth, and washed his hands.
    The smell of biscuits led him back to the kitchen. “Sorry about last night.”
    A pile of light, wavy hair bobbed on top of her head as she turned bacon in the skillet. “No problem, but usually my boarders provide some handyman services, so I might put you to work.” She pointed the tongs at him.
    He nearly choked on his coffee. “Funny. You really rent the room over the garage to sailors?”
    “Only those I know. I wouldn’t have brought you home if you weren’t a friend of TJ’s. Then again, you were pretty helpless.”
    He coughed. “Not what I wanted to hear.”
    She finished scrambling eggs and motioned to a seat at the counter. Beyond the bay window an in-ground pool looked uninviting in its rich shade of green.
    “Eat up.” A plate piled high with eggs, bacon, and biscuits slid in front of him.
    He forked down several mouthfuls, trying to remember table manners over his growling stomach. The dull throb behind his eyes started to wane. “This is smack-your-mama good. Geez, woman, is there anything you can’t do? Cook, bartend, and pick-up strays.”
    Her pouty lips rolled together as though she fought a smile. She sat next to him. “I already told you I’m picky about my strays.”
    “What’s with the pool?” He glanced to the backyard.
    “Single mom working full time and I don’t know how to rebuild a pump.” She passed him the butter for his biscuit while chewing a piece of bacon.
    “Then you couldn’t have picked up a better stray. I’m used to learning on the fly.”
    “And the very reason I only take in boarders who are special ops.” She sipped on her coffee.