Barbara Elsborg Finding the Right One (pdf)

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Will had left her in the hotel room without telling her why. And what had he just done?
Left Imo with no explanation. His grin faded.
* * * * *
When Stefan saw Imo walk into the taverna alone he wondered what the fuck
Will had done. News of the parasailing incident had spread fast. Will had saved her life
and carried her from the beach, but what had happened next? Stefan hoped they d had
mad, passionate sex to celebrate. Except if they had, by the look of it, Will had fucked
up.
Dimitri ushered her to a table facing the water. Before the empty chair next to her
was whisked away, Stefan strode over.
On your own? he asked, lowering his backside onto the seat.
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Finding the Right One
Whoa, Imo yelped and he sprang up. Are you blind? You nearly squashed my
friend.
Stefan sat down. Ha ha. Where s Will?
How should I know?
Stefan couldn t discern from the tone whether Will had pissed her off or
disappointed her. Probably both.
Mind if we join you? Liz said, dragging a chair over to sit between him and Imo.
Karen sat on his other side.
Whereas Stefan was obliged to be generous to every guest, he saw the way Imo s
mouth tightened and jumped to his feet. Why don t we all sit together? Dimitri!
Stefan helped the taverna owner and a couple of the waiters arrange several tables
to seat all his guests and employees in a long line. He made sure Imo sat at the other
end of the table from the four women. A pure coincidence the only free seat for him
happened to be opposite her. But the glare from Karen and scowl from Liz told him
he d pay.
Got the weather forecast for tomorrow, skipper? Roger Bigley asked from the far
end.
I ll check it before the morning briefing but it looks like more of the same. High
pressure. Blue skies. Wind picking up in the afternoon.
Good thing you didn t need your life raft today, Ralph, one of his skippers, said
with a smirk.
Stefan ignored him. He ignored the comments about the wayward fenders too,
aware of Imo pushing moussaka around her plate.
I heard about the parasailing. Are you okay? Stefan asked.
Embarrassed. I should have known better than to try. I m not very sporty.
How was your first day sailing? Stefan asked. Live up to your expectations?
Ah, well I didn t actually know this was a sailing holiday.
Stefan paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. What did you think it was?
Two weeks in Greece with me doing nothing more energetic than rolling off a sun
lounger into a swimming pool. She gestured toward the sea. Though that s a pretty
big pool.
She smiled and Stefan felt his pulse jump. If it hadn t been for Will, he d have made
a move. This one was different.
What happened to Leo? Stefan watched her face. It was the name of the guy
who d been booked to come with her.
Changed his mind.
Boyfriend?
Once upon a time.
Until you encountered a flying giraffe?
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Barbara Elsborg
She laughed. Something like that.
Stefan had hoped she d walked into a door. The thought that a guy might have hit
her sent adrenaline rushing around his body to fire every nerve into a fury. Women
were to be looked after and cherished, never abused. His mother had made sure all her
sons understood that. I m glad you decided to come.
Even though I m completely crap at everything?
He filled up her wineglass. I doubt that very much. I ve just not found what you re
good at yet.
Stefan cursed himself as he said that. Couldn t he talk to a pretty woman without
flirting?
Ralph leaned over to put two lengths of slender rope in front of each of them. Knot
contest. Boat points. You re already in negative equity after the life raft and fenders.
Oh no we re not, Stefan said. Though the over and outs that came from your
boat s VHF today are adding up and they definitely count.
Ralph rolled his eyes. I can t tell you how many times I told her not to say out
unless it was the end of the transmission. I ve sworn to tape Diane s mouth shut. Her
husband said he d provide the tape. It doesn t help when his name s Roger either. Every
bloody boat in the flotilla kept calling with some excuse to say, Roger, Roger.
He moved down the table distributing the rope and Stefan shot Imo an encouraging
smile. Scoot around here. You can watch what I do with my hands. Fuck and again.
She almost choked on her wine.
What? Stefan put on his most innocent look.
It s okay. I ve been practicing.
Practice on me, Stefan wanted to say. She had beautiful fingers, long and slender, the
nails topped with pink polish. When she d arrived in her pink suit and high heels,
pulling that case, she had no idea what she d let herself in for. In more ways than one.
Fuck Will, Stefan thought. The guy had perfected the art of wallowing in misery and
Stefan was running out of ways to help him. If he did fancy Imo, maybe a bit of jealousy
would work a miracle. If he didn t then Stefan could be the beneficiary of his hard work.
Not so hard, he thought looking at Imo. Maybe he should lay off Karen and Liz
because once the training was over and Imo came out with him and George, the
engineer, she might be less willing to succumb if he d spent six days fooling around
with the other two.
Imo looked across at him. Do you think Will s going to come tonight?
That one question told Stefan everything. He clutched his heart. You re immune to
my charms. Oh the pain.
I had an injection against cheeky Greeks before I came out, Imo said. Along with
one for swine flu.
That makes me feel better.
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Finding the Right One
So do you think Will might come? she asked.
Stefan wished Will was there because he wanted to strangle him for walking away
from yet another interested woman. But this time, Stefan did something he d never
done before and opened his mouth when normally he d have closed it.
He s been hurt, Stefan said. It s complicated.
And now he s hurt me as well, Imo thought.
Ready? Ralph shouted. Hands up when you ve tied the knot. Skippers to check.
Ready. Steady. Bowline.
Imo handled the thin pieces of rope without thinking what she was doing. Who d
hurt Will? How?
Reef knot, Ralph called.
Had he come out here to hide, a bit like her, and never gone home?
Clove hitch.
He d wanted her, Imo knew he had, only something had scared him off.
Bowline on a bight.
Sheet bend.
Round turn and two half hitches.
Fucking hell, Imo. You ve done every one of those right, Stefan said.
Who s left in? Ralph shouted.
Stefan yanked up her hand and wouldn t let her pull it down. A guy at the far end
of the table had his hand up. Imo didn t like competitions. She preferred to stay in the
background because there was always a point at which she d end up looking stupid.
She jerked her fingers from Stefan s grip.
Carrick bend, Ralph said. I m going to run out of knots in a minute.
Is that right? she asked Stefan.
He nodded.
Monkey s paw, Ralph called.
Bloody hell, Stefan said with groan. I can t do that one.
Imo balled a small piece of her paper napkin and tucked it into the core of the ball
before tightening it up. She dangled the complex knot from her finger.
Ten points to the Argo, Ralph said. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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