Read Serpent in Paradise for Free Online Page A

the sea. "Thought you might like to come with me and look
    at some fish," he invited. "There are some beauties around here."
    The remainder of the afternoon was a moment out of time for Amy.
    Together with Jase she explored the fascinating and brilliantly beautiful
    underwater world of the small cove. They sunned themselves on the sand
    between swims and munched sandwiches Jase had brought along.
    But far more fascinating than the aquatic life he was showing her was
    Jase, himself. As the afternoon progressed, he seemed to grow increasingly
    relaxed and easygoing. By the time they climbed back into the Jeep to
    return to town, Amy was almost able to forget that the man she was with
    was a man who made his living running a bar on a distant island in the
    Pacific. This Jase Lassiter was a man she could like—a man who, if he
    lived in San Francisco, she would be willing to date.
    "What are you thinking?" he asked, shifting gears in the Jeep.
    "I was wondering how you ended up here on Saint Clair," she told him
    honestly.
    At once she wished she'd kept her mouth shut. A great deal of the easy,
    lighthearted enthusiasm went out of his face in an instant. "It's a long
    story. One I'm sure you'd find uninspiring."
    "Meaning you don't want to tell me?" she pressed gently.
    "Do you want to tell me what you're doing on Saint Clair?" he tossed
    back. "I'll swap tales if you like."
    "No, thanks." It was her turn to revert to a more distant attitude. "My
    story is a little complicated."
    "Meaning it's none of my business, right?" he clarified grimly.
    "Yes." She spoke very firmly.
    "Then we appear to be at an impasse," Jase noted politely. "I suggest we
    find another topic."
    "Before we manage to ruin the day?" she quipped with a flippancy she
    wasn't really feeling.
    "Exactly. Are you going to come over to The Serpent tonight?"
    "Unless the man I'm waiting for finds me before this evening, yes."
    Jase gave her a laconic smile. "You can sit with me and get the inside
    story on how to run a sleazy Pacific island bar."
    Amy didn't respond to that, knowing he was deliberately goading her
    and also knowing that she probably had no real choice in the matter of
    how she spent the evening in The Serpent. There, she was in his territory.
    If he chose to spend the evening with her, there wasn't much she could do
    about it. And from what she had seen of the clientele the previous night,
    having the owner of the club as an escort probably wasn't a bad idea.
    "Thank you for the invitation," she said demurely.
    "It wasn't precisely an invitation," Jase growled.
    "I'm aware of that. I was trying to pretend you meant it as such."
    "Because it makes it easier for you to acquiesce?" The perceptive glance
    he gave her held a baiting quality now, and Amy knew she was being
    punished a little for her refusal to explain her presence on his island.
    "Jase, I'm aware that in The Serpent you give the orders," she said
    quietly.
    He relented, the corner of his mouth crooking upward. "Not a very large
    kingdom, but I am in charge of it."
    "Do you enjoy ruling it?" she flung back, suddenly very interested in the
    answer. Did he truly like being who he was, where he was?
    "I get by." It was clearly all he intended to say about the subject.
    "I'll bet." Amy decided she wasn't nearly so willing to let the subject die.
    Not before she'd made a point. "You're living out every male's private
    fantasy. I'm sure you get by very well."
    He frowned. "Every male's fantasy? Saint Clair? You've got to be
    joking!"
    "Hardly." She waved a negligent hand at the lush tropical surroundings.
    "Here you are running a successful bar in paradise. A life of adventure on
    a tropical island. Miles from the nearest lawn mower, screaming infants
    and nagging wife. What man wouldn't give his soul to trade places with
    you? The perfect life-style. No responsibilities. Just sit back, drink a little
    rum, or maybe a lot of rum, and wait for a passing female tourist to pick
    you up for a night