Read The Sound of Consequence (Puget Sound ~ Alive With Love Book 1) for Free Online Page B

have kissed her forever if not for the waiting van and his sense of duty.
    When he let her go, she stood there for a few moments with her eyes still closed. He gave himself a mental high five for kissing her into a dreamy state. His arrogance might get the best of him, but he was sure she wouldn’t walk away now. Not after a kiss like that. Especially since she had kissed him back with the same intensity.
    As her eyes opened, he pulled his multi-ride ferry pass out of his pocket and handed it to her. He wouldn’t need it for the trip back to Seattle and she could use it to get back on later. “You know where I live. You know when I ride this ferry. Your fare is paid with that pass. It’s your move.”
    She took the pass, offering no indication of her intent, not a nod, not even a smile. So he pressed his lips to hers.
    “Promise me you’ll be here tonight.”
    “Maybe,” she whispered. “I won’t promise anything. Maybe I’ll be here.” She pulled away and headed for the ferry. Reluctantly, Owen raced for the van.
    Someone swung open the rear door as he approached and when he got in, he found Bryan occupying his usual seat in the back. His buddy rented an apartment on Bremerton’s waterfront, close to the terminal, so he took advantage of the free shuttle. There were two other commuters from Seattle in the van.
    “Dude, was that who I think it was?” Bryan asked, backhanding Owen on the shoulder.
    Owen, nodded, unable to contain his huge smile.
    “Serious? How’d you find her?” Puget Sound covered a big area and Seattle was a busy city. Owen knew his friend was skeptical about him finding her again.
    “She was right there, on the ferry this morning. It was strange. When I was out on the main deck, I had this strange feeling when I was out there. I know this sounds crazy, but it’s like I could sense she was there. I turned around and looked up at the top deck and there she was, eyes closed, smiling, breathing in the morning air.”
    “Dude, you sound like a chick,” Bryan said, backhanding him on the shoulder again.
    “I know.” Owen dropped his shoulders and shook his head. “Hell, this is crazy. I haven’t been able to get her out of my head since Starbucks…then again after the club. And then…there she was…on the ferry.”
    “And you just let her go again.”
    Owen sighed. “Like I need reminding of that.”
    He looked out the back window of the van as it traveled away from the terminal. He had no idea whether she’d be there tonight. All he could do was hope and trust fate. It couldn’t be a coincidence that they’d run into each other three times in the past week. He just prayed that she believed in fate, too. “She’s gotta be on the ferry tonight. Dammit, she’s gotta be.”

Chapter 3                         
    It was almost nine o’clock when Stacie got back to the condo. Riding the ferry all day wasn’t going to help her find inspiration, not with the distraction that this morning’s chance encounter conjured up.
    Owen Landry, she repeated over and over in her head. He had a nice name. It suited him and his sexy Cajun everything. And those lips of his. In Bremerton she’d allowed herself to indulge in one last kiss. Then Stacie would put him out of her mind forever. Never mind the fact that her girl parts were still tingly and she was already thinking about meeting him on the ferry tonight.
    Jenny stood near the sink pouring coffee when Stacie walked into the kitchen. Green stilettos sat on the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the dining area. The shoes were just a shade lighter than Owen’s dark eyes. Stacie sighed quietly, unable to put the man out of her head.
    Jenny looked fantastic in a slate gray pants suit. She was the same height as Stacie, but the black pinstripes made her look taller, even in bare feet. Since Jenny walked the ten blocks to her office, Stacie knew the stilettos would find their way into Jenny’s bag before she