Read Love Bites: A Sugar City Novella (Entangled Bliss) for Free Online

the world who he could not have any kind of relationship with. Of course, as dumb luck would have it, she was also the one woman in the world who stirred something in him he’d thought was dead.
    “This here,” he pointed at the computer, “is a Macbook.” He was going for charm. That usually worked when he wanted someone off his back. Sharona on her back, however…has a nice ring.
    “Hilarious.” She rolled her eyes, loosening up. “I’ve got a list of items I’d like to go through with you. I know how much they cost to buy and repair, but I’ll need to understand their importance and significance. For example…” She swiped a finger across her tablet again. “What is the Bose Nautical Sonar LX?”
    One of the most complicated pieces of equipment we have aboard, he wanted to say . So don’t touch it . “In layman’s terms,” he said instead, after a deep breath, “it measures sound against movement under water.”
    “What is its necessity in regards to this project?”
    She slid on a pair of reading glasses, looking not only sexy but smart.
    “What do you know about this part of the ocean?” he asked.
    She didn’t reply for a moment. “Well, from what I understand, it’s deep. Past the reef and up the coastline, it drops off. Isn’t that where the sharks…”
    Jeff nodded. “Yes, where we’re going is a common area for great whites.” He swiveled around in his chair to face her. “They love cool, deep water. And murky. Hard to track when they go farther than a certain depth. We need special equipment.”
    “I see.” She typed with one finger while chewing her bottom lip. “Deep water,” she said like she was talking to herself.
    “They love warm, shallow water, too,” he added. “In fact, sharks can be found in just about any body of water at any time of year. They’re pretty much unavoidable.”
    He noticed her shudder. “Do you have a problem with sharks, Ms. Blaire?”
    She held her tablet close to her chest and started twirling the rings on her fingers. She had three on each hand; she’d worn none last night. “I’ll admit it’s an irrational fear. I blame Peter Benchely.”
    Jeff couldn’t help smiling. “I reckon he did give sharks an unfair rep.”
    She nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. Jeff felt the desire to hold her and protect her from whatever made her afraid. Where had that come from?
    Pax started to laugh, mockingly. “You’re afraid of sharks ?” he said. “Better wear a life jacket, then. Not that it’ll do much good.” He closed his computer, grinned at her, then walked out onto the deck, humming the theme song to Jaws as he left.
    Jeff felt like punching him. Those movies weren’t the only culprits for giving great whites a bad name.
    “Sharks are like any other creature,” he said to her. “They’re on this planet to live and thrive in their own territory. It’s only when man started infringing on that territory that the troubles began. If someone broke into your house, wouldn’t your instinct be to protect it?”
    “I don’t have rows of razor-sharp teeth, a double-jointed jaw, and speeds up to twenty-five miles per hour,” she pointed out.
    Jeff wanted to laugh. At least she knew a thing or two about great whites. “I guess I’m lucky you don’t.”
    She pushed her glasses up on her nose. “I don’t plan on getting anywhere near them,” she added. “I’ll be fine as long as I can keep my equilibrium under control. I sometimes get a little…seasick.”
    “Yet you took an assignment that puts you in open ocean?”
    She turned to stare out the window. “That’s a long story.”
    She was being intriguing again. Like last night. Mysterious. Jeff didn’t like that. Then again, he really liked it.
    Unable to control his curiosity, he asked, “So you didn’t volunteer for this job?”
    “I’m sent where I’m needed,” she said but then began worrying on her bottom lip. “Actually, I did ask for the next assignment that