Read Queen’s Knight (Invitation to Eden) for Free Online Page B

Outside, the sun was about to set, bathing the room in a rich orange glow. Her belly rumbled, reminding her she’d only had breakfast that morning, and prompting her to step inside a little more.
    A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, and then there was Evan. Relief surged through her, and she gave him a wide smile.
    “My god,” he breathed, taking her hand, “you look stunning.”
    “Blame Rose for it,” she blurted out, suddenly nervous. He’d seen her already in far less thanks to that bikini, but she felt her skin tingle every time he looked at her. “She insisted that, if I was going on a real date, I had to dress the part.”
    “I’ll make sure to kiss the woman the next time I see her,” Evan said, grinning when Dani giggled. “Come on, I have something to show you.”
    Dani followed behind him, the low heels making her wobble. She was used to boots with a great deal more support than the strappy heels. The entire outfit belonged to Maria, one of Rose’s coworkers. She’d been more than happy to help make over the tomboyish Dani, and wore roughly the same size.
    She tugged again at the dress. Roughly sometimes meant making concessions to proper fit. Evan, however, didn’t seem to mind.
    He led her outside onto the patio overlooking the water. Far below them, the water seemed to lap against the sandy beach, and off to the left a group was finishing up their golf game. The pier looked so tiny from this distance, the ferryboat docked for the evening.
    The table to which he led her was set for a date, with a long candle and red rose in the center. Dani bit her lip to hide a smile at the romantic gesture, and sat down as Evan held her chair for her.
    Well, hell. If the date kept on going like this, he might ruin her to the crummy dates she’d grown used to all those years.
    “I hope you don’t mind,” Evan said, taking his seat, “but when I asked the chef here what dish you liked, he said he already knew what to do, so I went with his recommendations.”
    Chef James was one of the best cooks Dani had ever met, and she nodded, her mouth starting to water. “If he has a plan for a meal, it’s going to be incredible.” She fidgeted with her dress, pulling the napkin free and settling it on her lap. “So, um, what did you want to talk about?”
    The waiter chose then to bring the wine, pouring it into their glasses. Not too surprisingly, it tasted wonderful, but she’d yet to have anything less than fantastic from the island.
    “I’d like to hear the stories you teased me about,” he said, leaning forward.
    “Oh man,” Dani groaned, “where do I even start? I’ve been travelling on and off for nearly four years now, most of the time I’m super boring.”
    “Somehow, I doubt that.”
    Dani cocked her head to the side and studied the man before her. She’d seen that yearning before, that eagerness for her stories. Years ago, Dani herself had been the avid listener, wishing she’d inherited the adventurous gene in her family. Up until she’d left home, she had always believed that belonged solely to her brother James.
    “All right,” she said slowly, wracking her brains for a good story. Then she grinned. “Let me tell you about the dolphins of Ometepe Island.”
    *
    A n hour later, Dani was still talking, and Evan couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun.
    “Suddenly Nick came around the corner and almost ran into this llama with his bike. I heard him over the intercoms cursing but I didn’t understand what about because he was speaking Russian.” She giggled at the memory. “By the time I get there, the llama had already spat on the face shield of his helmet and trotted away to find the rest of its herd.”
    “I thought you did most of your riding solo.”
    Dani shrugged. “Sometimes over the more treacherous bits, it’s nice to partner up with folks who are going the same way as you. I stay in a lot of hostels when I can afford it, and you