Romance on the Edge 01 - Hooked

about that.”
    Heat infused his body. She turned and made her way to the fire and the group conversing around the open flames. Those very flames might as well have been licking down his spine. He followed and set the cooler where Nikolai indicated.
    “Like the looks of my granddaughter, don’t ya?” Nikolai said.
    “What’s not to like?” Then he remembered who he was talking to. “That is, Sonya seems like a very nice woman.”
    Nikolai chuckled and slapped him on the back. “Passion is a necessity of life, and Sonya has passion. She just needs the right man. You the right man, Garrett Hunt?”
    Hell if he knew. It wouldn’t be a stretch to be the right man for her, right now .

    Over the flames, Sonya observed Garrett talking to Gramps as he roasted a hotdog over the fire. The lowering sun highlighted the spiky ends of his short hair. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to put her hands on him. A distraction this summer wouldn’t benefit her situation. She was juggling too many balls in the air to add another.
    Unless it was just sex.
    Now there was a thought. Maybe that’s what she needed to take the edge off. Lord knew it had been a while. Garrett definitely looked as though he could satisfy that need.
    Aidan dropped onto the log next to her. “See something you like?”
    She flicked a glance at him. “Got something to say?”
    “Don’t make me jealous, Sonya.”
    The warning sent a trickle of unease snaking around her insides. “I don’t make you anything. It’s up to you, what you feel.” Just like it was up to her what she felt, and she refused to let Aidan make her feel intimidated.
    “What do you want from me?” Aidan asked.
    She tried not to be swayed by the hurt shining in his eyes. “I don’t want anything from you, Aidan. I thought I made that clear.”
    “By the end of fishing, I will change your mind.” He rose and moved toward his pretty cousin, Lana, who Peter was trying his best to impress.
    As she watched him go, a pang of sadness intruded. No, he wouldn’t change her mind. Garrett moved into her view, holding a plate loaded with food, and she gladly focused on him.
    “Mind if I take this seat?” he asked.
    Maybe a distraction was just what she needed. “Please.”
    “You going to eat?” He took a big bite out of his mustard-coated dog, leaving a smudge of yellow at the corner of his lips. She wanted to lick it off.
    He wiped at the mustard with his napkin and paused, catching her gaze. “What?”
    “Hmm?”
    “You were staring.”
    “Was I?”
    “Definitely.”
    Wow, it was getting hot. She’d have to move away from the campfire. “I guess I’m hungrier than I thought.” His eyes widened over her words and she quickly excused herself to get some food before she helped herself to him.
    Grams held out a roasting stick when Sonya walked over to her. “You seem to be hitting it off with Garrett.” She pointed to Gramps who was retelling the story of when he’d bested a bear on this very beach to Wes, Peter, and Lana. They’d all heard it before, but never tired of it. “Nikky will be pleased.”
    Sonya skewered a hotdog with her stick. “Let’s keep it between us. It’ll just swell his head.”
    Grams laughed and handed her a plate with a serving of baked beans, potato salad, canned fruit cocktail, and a bun just how she liked it, smothered with relish and mustard. “You want onions with that?” she asked with a knowing smile.
    “Not tonight.”
    “He does look like he knows how to make a woman’s toes curl.”
    “ Grams.”
    “I’m not so old that I don’t appreciate a fine looking man.”
    Sonya took her plate and went back to Garrett. She set her plate between them. Better to be on the safe side. This attraction was coming on too hot. Needed to cool it down. A glance at Aidan glaring at the two of them reminded her of what happened when she didn’t take time to think.
    “So, where you from, Garrett?” she asked. Best way to start thinking was to begin finding out information. The man could be married for heaven sakes. Though she doubted it. He didn’t have that “caught” look about him.
    “Presently, Homer.”
    “Homer’s nice. Scenic. Some great halibut fishing to be had.”
    “It’s that all right.” A shadow crossed over his features. He pointed to her hotdog sizzling in the fire. “Might want to pull that back.”
    “I like them blistered.” She rotated her dog and then asked, “Married?”
    “No.” He coughed.