Sea of Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, Book 4) Contemporary Romance (28 page)

Savannah touched Pratt’s shoulder. She narrowed her beautiful hazel eyes and set them on Jack. Her smile remained on her lips, but behind the facade, he saw a challenge. His pulse sped up.

“Why don’t we just call him John for now?” she suggested in a firm, nonnegotiable tone.

What the hell are you doing and why?
As he pondered her motives, he couldn’t help but notice the way her jeans clung to her lean legs and curved over her hips, then dipped in at the waist. And the damned tank top she wore was now spotted with perspiration and clinging to her breasts.

Look away. Look. Fucking. Away
.

His eyes would not listen to his mind, and he stared right back. “This is my show and I run it my way. He’s part of the team or he’s out,” Jack said.

Savannah took a step forward and pulled her shoulders back. “What are you gonna do? Fly us all back to the airport and return our money?”

He met the challenge in her eyes with his own heated stare. “Yes.”

SAVANNAH’S CHEST CONSTRICTED, and a fist tightened in her stomach as goddamn Jack Remington stared her down with his black-as-night eyes. He looked like Chris Hemsworth and acted like Alec Baldwin. A wild combination of sweet and bad boy that sent a flutter of sensual excitement through her. She was not going to look away. She’d gone up against meaner wolves than him in the courtroom. She crossed her arms and planted her legs like her brother Rex might do. She’d mastered the Braden stance for the courtroom and on the rare occasion of going head-to-head with some asshole on the subway. She could do it just as well as her brothers, even if her legs were feeling a tad rubbery at the moment.

Remington didn’t budge. His face was a stone mask of clenched muscles and strength. Savannah felt the worried gaze of the others upon her. She was just about to give in when Pratt stepped forward.

“Pratt, okay? I’m Pratt Smith. Twenty-eight, an artist, and I’m here to…hell…I don’t know. Do something different for a few days. Now can we get on with it?” He looked away from the group.

Jack’s stare had not wavered from Savannah’s, and she knew that if she was the first to look away, just like in court, he’d win. She remained steadfast, though it was difficult not to allow her eyes to drift to the muscles that bulged in his arms.

Pratt picked up his backpack and headed for the woods. Jack grabbed Pratt’s arm and held tight, finally disengaging from his eye lock with Savannah.

“No one hits that trail ahead of me,” Jack said.

Savannah fumed. It was one thing to gain control of a situation and another to be an asshole all the time. Obviously, Pratt was going through something emotional. Why couldn’t ice-hearted Jack see that? Jack wasn’t her problem to fix, and by the sound of him, he needed a lot of fixing.
I’m here to fix myself. That’s enough of a challenge
.

“We have safety instructions to go over, itineraries, and guidelines. Settle down, and let’s get started.” For the next hour, Jack explained the danger of the mountains—including everything from wild animals and poisonous plants to treacherous cliffs and harsh weather. “You will each carry your gear and your tents. If you can’t carry them, you won’t have them to use. If you don’t like the food, then you’ll drop a few pounds while you’re here. Memorize the laws of three. A person can live only three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food. Got that?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Now, for the rules. Rule number one: Never put anything in your mouth without clearing it with me first. Rule number two…”

As he explained the guidelines, trail safety, trail hygiene, and other details Savannah was sure were important, she couldn’t concentrate. She couldn’t help but scrutinize their leader. He spoke with a deep, commanding voice—one that made her wonder what it might sound like in a dark bedroom. No matter who or what he looked at, whether it was one of the others in the group or a plant he was pointing out, his gaze was so intense that it made Savannah shiver. Attached to his belt was a long leather sheath with a black knife handle sticking out of the top.
Danger.
That’s what came to mind when Savannah looked at Jack Remington. Even as she drank in every inch of his rock-hard body, he never shifted his eyes in her direction. In fact, he hadn’t looked at her since the one quick inspection he’d given her when she’d first come around the plane. Savannah was used to men taking a second glance at her. At five nine, she was hard to miss, but to not even garner a second glance? That rubbed her in all the wrong ways.

“How far are we walking today?” she asked.

Jack answered while looking at Aiden. “Three miles, and the only one that’s allowed to get tired is Aiden, and if he does, as we discussed”—Jack lifted his eyes to Lou and Lou nodded—“his mother or father will have to carry him.” He put a large hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “You hear that, buddy? If you get tired, your parents will have to carry you, and that’s a hard job, getting up this mountain, so can you be strong?”

Aiden nodded.

Jack’s cheeks lifted, and his smile brightened his eyes and softened his harsh edges. “Of course you can.”

Maybe you do have a softer side
.

He addressed Elizabeth and Lou. “There’s no cell service up here. We talked about this, and you know the risks. It’s your job to keep track of Aiden at all times, not mine or anyone else’s. Got it?”

So much for the softer side. You really are a jerk
.

Ten minutes later, they were making their way through the dense woods. Though they entered through what looked like a trail, the flattened landscape had faded fast, and Savannah had no idea how Jack could possibly know where they were headed. They were in the midst of two hundred thousand acres with no cell phone service with a guy who didn’t know empathy from apathy. How on earth would she heal herself when being led by someone like him? She reminded herself that one of the main reasons she’d chosen this particular camp was that there would be no cellular service. If Connor couldn’t reach her, he couldn’t try to lure her back.
Whether Jack’s a jerk or not, I’m going to succeed, and when I get home, I’ll be stronger for it
.

She’d never been particularly lucky in love, and after watching four out of five of her brothers find their forever loves over the recent months, she longed for more. If her brothers knew how Connor had treated her, they wouldn’t care that she was a thirty-four-year-old woman who could take care of herself. They would go after him without an ounce of hesitation—then they’d console her. It was after the consoling that worried her, when they’d look at her with pity in their eyes, not understanding how their bullheaded, smart-ass sister could ever allow a man to treat her that way. That was why she never told them.
It’s complicated
. That had been her stance on her relationship with Connor.

Other attorneys had gone so far as to call her Bulldog Braden because she was relentless in the pursuit of right and wrong.
So why can’t I be that relentless when it comes to my heart?
This trip was supposed to help her climb back into the armor she’d once worn and never allow herself to be treated that way again. She eyed Jack Remington as he pushed through thick branches and stomped over fallen trees. His muscles glistened against the afternoon sun.
So what if he’s hot? He’s probably a bigger ass than Connor
. And if she read the shadows in his eyes correctly, he was also dangerous.
A bad combination for a girl on the rebound
. She thought about the article that had made this weekend sound like the perfect remedy for
women who had lost their edge.
Stupid article. There was no doubt that this trip was a mistake.

A big, giant mistake
.

(End of Sneak Peek)

To continue reading, be sure to pick up the next

LOVE IN BLOOM release:

BURSTING WITH LOVE,
The Bradens
, Book Five

Love in Bloom Series,
Book Eight

“Contemporary romance at its hottest.

Each Braden sibling left me craving the next.

Sensual, sexy, and satisfying."

 —
Bestselling author Keri Nola, LMHC 
(
on
THE BRADENS)

LOVE IN BLOOM is a contemporary
romance series

 
Check online retailers for availability

SNOW SISTERS

Sisters in Love

Sisters in Bloom

Sisters in White

THE BRADENS

Lovers at Heart

Destined for Love

Friendship on Fire

Sea of Love

Bursting with Love

Hearts at Play

COMING SOON

THE REMINGTONS

Game of Love

Stroke of Love

Slope of Love

Flames of Love

Read, Write, Love

It takes a community to raise a book, and I’d like to thank my readers for believing in me and the many bloggers who have been there every step of the way to encourage me and spread the word about my books in the reading community. To the members of Team Pay-it-Forward, thank you for supporting me in good times and bad, and hugs of gratitude to my World Literary Café “sisters,” for always having my back.

Special thanks goes to Charles “Bud” Dougherty, for sharing his knowledge of boating with me. All errors and creative liberties are mine and not a reflection on Bud. Bud, thank you for being so generous with your time. Denise Collier, you are always willing to reach out and help, not just me but many others as well. Thank you for sharing your diving experience with me. I learned a lot about doing something that I would never be brave enough to try. Keri Nola, your guidance with the psychological side of Lacy’s fears was tremendously helpful. Thank you.

Kristen Weber and Penina Lopez, I swear you are made of patience and the keenest sets of eyes around. Thank you for steering me in the right direction and helping my work shine. Jenna Bagnini, Juliette Hill, and Marlene Engel, you are my last sets of eyes on my manuscripts, and I’m sure my readers appreciate you as much as I do. Thank you for your time and attention to detail.

To my hunky hero husband, Les, and my children, as always, your patience and continued understanding of my crazy work schedule and weird conversations with people who exist only in my head is greatly appreciated. I love that you hash out plots and story lines with me when I know you’d rather be watching
Dr. Who
. Thank you each for being who you are. I love you.

Melissa Foster is a
New York Times
&
USA Today
bestselling and award-winning author. Her books have been recommended by
USA Today's
book blog,
Hagerstown Magazine
,
The Patriot
, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, and the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa hosts Aspiring Authors contests for children, and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC.

Visit Melissa on her website, or chat with her on The Women's Nest or social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Melissa’s books are available at most online retailers.

www.MelissaFoster.com