Determined Kisses (Love in Sandy Beach Book 4) Read online

  Determined Kisses

  Love in Sandy Beach

  Book 4

  {Ethan and Hazel}

  Jessica Gray

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, and places in this book exist only within the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons or locations is purely coincidental.

  Determined Kisses – Love in Sandy Beach, Book 4

  All Rights Reserved

  Copyright © 2015 Jessica Gray

  This book is copyrighted and protected by copyright laws.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission from the author.

  All characters, names, and places in this book exist only within the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons or locations is purely coincidental.

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Preview Explosion of Love

  More Books by Jessica

  Chapter 1

  Hazel Mendes was exhausted. Physically and mentally. She’d just completed the grueling three-day drive from her hometown in Montana to Sandy Beach, Wisconsin.

  She exited her vehicle and walked down to the shore. Her tiredness hung like a weight around her neck, dragging her down, and she felt so alone, she wondered if she’d ever feel right again. She wrapped her arms around herself, both to ward off the breeze, and in an attempt to connect with herself.

  The sounds of the waves filtered into her thoughts, almost hypnotic in their consistency. She let them lull her into a trance-like state, not thinking, just being. She’d been thinking for far too long; now she wanted everything to go away.

  She took off her shoes and stepped forward, feeling the sand and the cold water beneath her feet. Her gaze remained on the horizon, but without seeing the beauty of it. She took another few steps, the waves lightly foaming around her ankles. And still she moved forward.

  One step. Two steps.

  Hazel was oblivious to the fact that she walked deeper and deeper into the water, oblivious to the chill or the light wind whipping around her. It wasn’t until she was almost waist deep in the water that the surroundings started to register in her brain.

  Her sodden sweater pulled her down, almost anchoring her in place. The muddy lake bottom sucked at her feet, and suddenly the effort to take another step was too much. She stopped.

  The cold began to seep into her consciousness, causing her to shiver, but she didn’t care. She looked toward the horizon, wishing with all her heart that her mother would come back.

  Three months. It had been three months since her mother had taken her last breath and left this pain-ridden world. Three months where Hazel had simply gone through the motions of being alive.

  Thoughts of her mother brought the searing pain of loss back like a fist to her gut. She missed her so much. A wave of loneliness swamped her and she swayed slightly as her body rocked in the waves.

  Her face was wet with tears as they fell from her eyes. If I just keep walking, it could all end. This pain could go away and I could be with Mom again.

  She’d never thought of taking her own life before, but in this moment, it seemed so easy. Just a little further into the lake…

  “Hey! Are you alright?”

  The sound of a deep, masculine voice penetrated the fog of her brain. She slowly turned her head and saw a tall dark-haired man standing on the shore, watching her anxiously. He seemed worried about something. He must be worried about me.

  Hazel responded his question with a shouted “Yes,” while her soul was screaming, No. I’m not all right. Nothing’s ever going to be all right ever again. Nothing is ever going to make this pain go away.

  She closed her eyes for a moment and willed him away. It would be too embarrassing to have to answer to him about what she was doing. But when she opened her eyes, he was still there. More of a presence and more handsome than before.

  Fatigue and cold overwhelmed her, and she knew she should move back to the shore. That would be the logical and prudent thing to do, and would stop the stranger from worrying about her.

  But her legs wouldn’t obey her mind. It was as if she was frozen in place, her feet cemented to the lake bottom, her body unable to move. She tried once again to lift her left foot, but nothing happened. Her muscles had cramped in the cold water, and her immobility had done the rest.

  The voice drew nearer. “Lady, what are you doing?”

  What am I doing? Hazel blinked at the horizon, her mind racing with everything she still needed to do. She needed to find a place to sleep tonight. She allowed her eyes to close once more. The truck was almost out of fuel. She needed to…

  “Hey,” the sexy voice called to her, now much closer than before. She opened her eyes and turned her head toward the sound. The voice belonged to the most attractive man she’d ever seen.

  Tipping her head back, she estimated he was almost a foot taller than her own 5'5". Her eyes met a pair of worried dark brown eyes. They reminded her of melted chocolate, and the wavy locks of his dark brown hair falling across his forehead had her fingers itching to run through them.

  She quickly raised her hands to her face, trying to wipe the tears away, but they kept flowing from a never-ending spring. It didn’t help at all. She inwardly cringed at the thought of the disaster her face must look like. Reddened and swelled-up eyes, and a running nose. No, she wasn’t a pretty crier.

  The stranger offered her a handkerchief without saying a word and she took it to wipe her nose. She dropped her hands and noticed that he was standing in the water next to her, fully clothed. Just like her.

  “I’m Ethan Paxton, by the way,” he said and held his hand out to her.

  She shook his hand and could only mumble as she fought not to drown in the depths of his caring eyes. “Hazel Mendes. Nice to meet you.”

  Nice to meet you? You’re standing waist deep in the water, fully dressed, your feet sinking into the mud. And you’re exchanging niceties with the hottest man you’ve seen in forever as if you were in a nightclub?

  The entire situation was nothing short of hilarious.

  He gave her an amused look, the corner of his lip quirking upwards and drawing her attention. “Admiring the lake?”

  Chapter 2

  Damn perfect, Ethan muttered to himself. She’s absolutely perfect. From far away her shining beauty had caught his eye, but that couldn’t hold a candle to her awesomeness close up.

  She looked so fragile, and yet he sensed an inner strength, born of extreme hardship and suffering. Beside his huge frame she seemed tiny, the top of her head barely reaching his chin. And thin. Much too thin for his likin
g.

  But it was the faint bruising beneath her eyes, speaking of sleepless nights, emotional pain, and an inner desperation, that got to him. Everything about her awakened an urge in him to protect and comfort her.

  Unable to hold her gaze any longer, he let his eyes travel over the rest of her facial features and below. He realized his mistake as soon as his glance dropped below her collarbones. Her soaked cardigan sweater hung from her thin frame, exposing a thin white blouse. A very thin and wet white blouse plastered against her chest, baring her breasts to his hungry gaze. Enticing breasts made to be touched by a loving man’s hands.

  His body responded to the sight and it took all of his will power to drag his eyes away from her chest and refocus on her face. Her immensely cute face. He took a deep breath and then released it.

  Her face showed the remnants of her tears, and yet it was strikingly beautiful. The sadness in her eyes ate at him, and he was surprised to find himself wanting to make her pain go away. Her wavy long black hair reached almost to her waist, and the ends dangled in the water as it sloshed around them.

  His eyes traveled across her forehead and down to her lips. Ruby red lips that he wanted to kiss. Man, get your head where it’s supposed to be. This is not the time for seduction.

  She’d been standing in the water for quite a while, and he was worried she’d do something stupid. That was why he’d called out to her.

  He’d had no intention of joining her. Especially not fully clothed. But when she’d turned and glanced at him, her face and posture had mesmerized him. Like a siren of mythology, she had lured him toward her.

  All he’d taken time to do was kick off his shoes and remove his socks before striding into the lake after her.

  Now she stood beside him, shivering violently, and the signs of her pain evident on her face. His heart ached for her, and he felt a kinship with her that made no sense. No sense at all.

  After taking his time to study every feature of her face, he felt he already knew her on a level so deep that it defied logic. As if during his entire thirty-two years on earth, he’d been waiting for this exact moment. To meet her.

  The words of an ancient Greek myth his mother used to recite reverberated through his head–

  The first humans were created with four arms, four legs, and four eyes… they had two noses and two mouths and their happiness terrified Zeus… The Greek god got angry and split each human in half and left them to wander aimlessly around the mortal world searching for their other half… their one true soul mate.

  Ethan couldn’t explain how or why this woman affected him so much, but he knew he’d come face-to-face with his other half.

  “You’re cold. Let’s get out of here.”

  Hazel nodded, but then shook her head and gave him a wry grin. “I can’t move. My feet seem to be stuck to the bottom.”

  He took a step closer to her, towered over her, but she didn’t shy away; she simply tipped her head back and continued to watch him. “Allow me?”

  Hazel nodded, her eyes wide open, and it made his heart burst. The need to protect her took first place above everything else. He swooped her into his arms and carried her out of the cold water, heading for the shore.

  She turned into his arms, seeking out his warmth. Her arms tucked beneath his own, and her breasts pressed enticingly again his own fabric-covered chest. When she laid her head against his shoulder and turned her head away from the breeze, her lips touched the side of his neck and his body went from banked embers to a roaring fire.

  Shivers of heat rushed through his body, and it was all he could do to keep walking out of the water. He wanted to stop and kiss her senseless, but he just kept walking.

  Even when they’d reached the shore, he couldn’t make himself put her down. Not yet. Her small body felt so right, so perfect in his arms.

  Ethan wasn’t the soft type. Never had been. He had worked hard for his image as the tough boy, but with her his heart melted with one single look and all he wanted was to wipe out the pain in her face.

  His feelings towards her confused the hell out of him. She’d touched a part that had been reserved exclusively for family.

  He turned her slightly, pressing her more fully against him and then allowing her legs to drop so that he was holding her up simply by the pressure he applied around her ribs. His left hand dropped down, molding her body to his own from chest to hips. Her taut nipples pressing against his thin shirt had his manhood springing forward, despite the freezing water he’d just immersed himself in.

  Ethan, man! Get it together. She’s going to think you’re a maniac. Sex is the last thing either of you needs right now. She needs a hot beverage, and you need a cold shower.

  Ethan normally didn’t listen to the little voices in his head, but this time the voice was right on. He slowly let her slide down his body, steadying her until she found her footing and took a small step back from him. The sense of loss threatened to overwhelm him.

  Chapter 3

  Hazel’s feet touched the ground, and she was thankful he kept hold of her while her feet and legs decided to cooperate.

  The sexy stranger had simply carried her out of the water. And instead of being embarrassed or awkward, she’d felt so good. Safe. She’d felt safe in his arms, so much so she’d actually laid her head on his shoulder, like a little child.

  During this short moment, all had been right in her world. No sorrows. No worry. No stress.

  When was the last time she’d been sorrow-free? She searched her memory to find a moment like that, and it occurred to her it had been a long time.

  A very long time.

  No, she hadn’t been sorrow-free since her mother became sick. Two and a half years ago. She shut down those thoughts; she was too tired, too cold to go down that road.

  His soothing voice broke through her thoughts. “I haven’t seen you around here before. Where are you staying?”

  She shook her head into his shoulder and clung tighter to him. Despite wretchedly freezing, she could feel heat rushing through her body when she noticed her tight nipples crushing against his chest. No doubt he felt them as well.

  Of course her nipples were tight from the cold—right? But then, why did long-forgotten parts of her body react to his nearness in a way she wasn’t prepared or even willing to acknowledge?

  Ethan didn’t seem to notice her discomfiture and hugged her closer, while he continued speaking. “You need to change into dry clothes and warm up. Where can I take you?”

  Excellent question. Where? To my car? Hazel had arrived in Sandy Beach a few hours previously, with nothing more than two suitcases and twenty-five dollars in her pocket.

  She’d left her hometown to escape the memories of her mother. Escape the pain. And to start over with a new life. A life of being alone. Of having no one but herself to take care of.

  Here, in the tourist town of Sandy Beach she’d find a new job and get her life back on track. But for now, she just needed a place to hunker down for the night. Truck it is.

  It wouldn’t be the first time she’d spent the night in the back of the old beat-up Toyota. The red paint had long since faded across the hood, the once white decorative stripes were barely visible, and the only thing good about the vehicle were the tires.

  The interior was cracked vinyl, but Hazel had tucked a blanket around the bench seat, providing both comfort and relief from the bite of the vinyl seats. As far as homes went, it wasn’t much to be proud of, but it would have to do.

  At least until she got her first paycheck, from the new job she was hopefully going to secure tomorrow. Hazel was a hairdresser and a darn good one at that.

  She’d come to Sandy Beach, figuring that since it was a tourist place, she’d be sure to find something quickly. She hoped. It had to be a devil’s deal if none of the hair salons where she’d arranged for an interview tomorrow would offer her a job.

  “Hazel?” Ethan’s voice asked again. “Where are you staying?”

  “I…
uhm, well… I haven’t…”

  He looked at her with those dark chocolate eyes, so full of worry and tenderness, and she had the strangest urge to simply hand over the reins to her life to this virtual stranger and ask, Please make everything alright. Like she had done with her mother, when she was still a kid. Her mother would have stroked her hair and answered, “Don’t worry, sweetheart, everything will be alright.”

  But she couldn’t do that now. Not since that fateful day, when she wasn’t a kid anymore and her mother had told her she was sick. With cancer. That day had changed her whole life. And nothing had been alright anymore after that day.

  With her mother gone, she was now alone in this world.

  His soft velvety voice brought her back to the present. “You don’t have a place to stay, do you?”

  “No, I mean yes. Of course I do. It’s just I arrived here a few hours ago and haven’t had the time to look for a hotel room yet. But I’ll do so right now.”

  “Looking like a wet cat and shivering like hell? You think this is a good idea?” An amused smile tugged at his lips, but his voice remained soft and caring. Too caring. Too sexy.

  Why on earth did her stupid insides heat up at the sound of his voice?

  She struggled to put some distance between them, but her shaky legs almost gave way under her. Every cell in her body ached and felt icy.

  She couldn’t talk. She couldn’t even think of the words to say. His presence had caused her mind to go completely blank.

  As if he sensed her difficulty, he softened his voice. “Where’s your suitcase?”

  “In my car,” she managed through chattering teeth.

  He smiled at her in encouragement. “And where’s your car?”

  “Down there,” She pointed behind her and his mouth broke into a heartwarming grin. What exactly was so funny about her comment?

  “I doubt that, because there’s only water for miles on end.”