âI donât want to fall in love with you, Liam.â
The shock of her words knocked him back half a step. He ran a hand across the back of his neck. âI donât know how to answer that. And besides, I donât think youâre in much danger. According to someone I know, Iâm bossy and uptight and judgmental and I have a king complex.â
âDonât forget arrogant.â
He held out his hands. âSee? You have nothing to worry about.â
They continued walking, but his mind was not on the magnificent scenery. Had Zoe been expecting some sort of reciprocal response on his part after she made her veiled statement about having feelings for him? Had he hurt her by remaining silent? And did he want her to love him? Did he want to love her?
* * *
A Not-So-Innocent Seduction
is part of The Kavanaghs of Silver Glen series:
In the mountains of North Carolina, one family discovers that wealth means nothing without love
JANICE MAYNARD is a USA TODAY bestselling author who lives in beautiful east Tennessee with her husband. She holds a BA from Emory and Henry College and an MA from East Tennessee State University. In 2002 Janice left a fifteen-year career as an elementary school teacher to pursue writing full-time. Now her first love is creating sexy, character-driven, contemporary romance stories.
Janice loves to travel and enjoys using those experiences as settings for books. Hearing from readers is one of the best perks of the job! Visit her website, www.janicemaynard.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
One
Zoe Chamberlainâs vintage Volkswagen van, aqua and white with yellow daisies stenciled on the doors, rolled to a halt in the scenic vista pull-off and gave up the ghost. She wasnât too surprised. The engine had been rebuilt three times. But like knowing an aging pet was living on borrowed time, it was hard to imagine letting go.
More than anything or anyone else, BessieâZoeâs VW busâwas the constant in a life that rarely stayed the same from one week to the next. Apparently, Bessie had decided that Silver Glen, North Carolina, was Zoeâs next stop.
Zoe stepped out of the van, yawning and stretching, enjoying the cool morning air and the April sunshine. At her feet, spread out in a narrow valley between two mountainsides, lay a charming town. From this distance the houses and businesses looked like an alpine postcard. Switzerland in miniature.
Unfortunately, the quaint village did not have taxi service. As she scrolled through the options on her phoneâs search function, she grimaced. Her only choice for transportation appeared to be the Silver Beeches Lodge, a pricey hotel that offered shuttle service. Presumably, they had in mind trips back and forth to the nearest airport, but Zoe had no doubts about her ability to wrangle a ride.
A nomadic lifestyle meant getting along with all sorts of people in all manner of places. Zoe could blarney with the best of them. And sheâd been told that her smile could melt the hardest of curmudgeons.
So here she was again. A new town. A new set of problems to handle. In her heart of hearts she knew this couldnât go on much longer. She was tired of running. And her recent illness had taken more out of her than she first realized. The excitement of seeing new horizons every weekâsometimes every morningâwas beginning to pall. Though she tried to ignore it, a feeling of yearning grew ever stronger. Yearning to put down roots, to feel a part of something bigger than she was.
She had used a quest for adventure as justification for her cowardice. Yes, she had seen the world. And yes, travel was broadening. But the truth was, her past was going to catch up with her. If not here, then in the next place.
It was time to face her demons and take a stand, but she wasnât ready yet. First, she needed rest and time to recoup. Making such a change would be scary.
The town below seemed incredibly peaceful. At this moment in her life, peace was a commodity to be craved. Maybe Silver Glen could offer her that. First on the agenda would be leisure and complete recovery. Once she was back on her feet, both in mind and body, sheâd be ready for whatever happened. Hopefully.
She patted Bessieâs fender and sighed. âWell, old girl. I guess this is where Iâm hanging my hat for a little while. Iâll get you towed as soon as I can. In the meantime, enjoy the view.â
* * *
Liam Kavanagh spotted the slender blonde the moment she set foot in the lobby. She would be hard to miss under any circumstances, but carrying a guitar case and wearing a multicolored cotton skirt that swished around her ankles, she looked like a 1960s love child returning from an outdoor rock concert. The bounce in her step and the upward curve of her lips gave her a girl-next-door appeal.