Stranger in Paradise Read Free Page B

duty, deadlines, and making a living were a million miles away. She took a sip of her wine, determined to establish her office space. Pulling aside all but one of the thick pine dining chairs, she shoved the table against the wall and lined the remaining chairs in the foyer. A table lamp from the living room became her desk light, giving it a warm, inviting look. From her portfolio, she pulled out her “inspiration” board—a trifold presentation board with scores of pictures of settings, houses, men and women, and other pictures she used to visualize her stories.
    She stepped back and polished off her drink, and sat down in the overstuffed chair near the window overlooking the lake. She sighed, leaned her head back, and drank in the lull of the crickets’ night song. Barely able to see beyond the window, she was reminded of how dark it was at night without the bonfires dotting the beach. The snap of a twig caused her to jump and she bolted upright, mentally blaming her agent for planting seeds of concern in her head. Determined to face them and the raccoon she felt certain she’d find, she opened the patio door and stepped out onto the small deck at the back of the cabin.
    A large span of lawn stretched between her property and the next cabin over a hundred yards away, veiled by a shallow forest of tall pine leading to the water’s edge. Dark clouds hovered near the moon, playing peek-a-boo with the water, teasing her senses with a brief illumination of the dark water before it disappeared, leaving the world beyond pitch black. A movement from the corner of her eye caused her to step back, stumbling over one of the deck chairs in the process.
    “Are you okay?” It was definitely a male voice—a slow talking, butter-on- hot-biscuits male voice. Clearly not from Minnesota. As she recovered, Kacey looked up to see the epitome of “tall, dark, and handsome” leaning his forearms on her balcony railing. Given that he was indirectly the cause of her irrational fear and now a sore ankle, she wasn’t as gracious as she probably could have been. She backed toward the door.
    “Guess I’ll see you around?” He remained within a leap of landing on her patio. Kacey fished for the doorknob, easing open the door as she kept her eyes locked on his.
    “Doubtful, but I might offer that if you know what’s good for you, you won’t go sneaking around here in the dark. Someone is liable to call you in.”
    “And what would interest me enough around here to take that risk?” he stated dryly.
    She paused at the door, debating how to respond.
    “I’m sorry, my name is Zack. I didn’t catch your name, are you…?”
    She flipped on the porch light, pleased when he shielded his eyes. Only then did she get a good look at him. His face was rugged, not that of a younger man. He looked seasoned—like a firefighter or perhaps someone who’d served in the military. He grinned, and those pearly whites were a show stopper, even in the dark.
    Oh, especially in the dark, her muse noted.
    Regaining her senses, Kacey forced her gaze from his mouth. “That’s because I didn’t give it to you.” She stepped inside and closed the screen door between them.
    “Listen, I just wondered if--”
    “If you’re not gone in two seconds, I’m calling security.” She locked the glass door and waited a moment to make sure he’d left.
    He tapped the thick carved cedar railing and disappeared around the side of the house. Kacey debated whether to call the front desk. Deciding that if his intent were to do harm, he’d have taken advantage of her vulnerability. Since he seemed more social, she decided that maybe he’d partied a bit too much and lost his way back to his cabin. She secured the lock and shut the canvas drapes printed with silhouettes of moose and canoes, blocking the view. The picture windows that, in the daylight offered an impressive view of the lakeshore now seemed ominous. She hastily lowered the blinds, cocooning against the