Stranger on the Shore (Mirabelle Harbor, Book 4) (30 page)

Ellen and Jared had sent me a beautiful “Welcome to Your New Home” basket, overflowing with sweet goodies that all of us could enjoy after we’d gotten everything into the condo. My sister wasn’t pregnant yet, but the two of them were hopeful, and I was keeping my fingers and toes crossed for them.

Kathryn and Sid had been quite supportive of my decision to stay in Sarasota, and they were already planning a visit over their Christmas break. They told me they were going to drive down and we’d get to spend at least two weeks together. I couldn’t wait. They were still happily engaged and I hadn’t heard any talk lately about having the wedding at the end of the school year, which was a relief. So all was going well in that regard, too.

Joy had refused several of Peter’s invitations to meet for lunch or even a drink, but she was at least willing to speak with him (briefly) again. (Sometimes.)

“That’s big progress,” Gil said about the situation.

And thanks to Abby, I’d gotten a part-time job at the place she worked, Floriday Excursions. Mostly organizational tasks, data entry, and answering the phone, but it kept me solvent enough to cover rent. The owners said there might even be more weekly hours available soon, and I really enjoyed getting to talk with new people and work in the Circle near my friends.

As for Gil, he and I had been together throughout all of August, and I felt our relationship was continuing to progress steadily. He understood and agreed with my reasoning for needing my own place initially, but he’d already hinted that my next move should be with him. We’d take it one season at a time. I liked where we were headed, though.

“This was left in the foyer. Is that where you want it, Marianna?” Lorelei asked me, holding a mid-sized cardboard box.

Even from half a room away, I could hear the faint but familiar ticking coming from inside. I smiled. “No. Bring that one in here. Thank you.”

She did. I peeled off the packing tape, opened the box, and removed the top item—my peachy conch-shell clock that Ellen gave me so long ago. Now it was back on the Sunshine Coast, where it had been made. I released it from the bubble wrap and set it in the middle of the kitchen table—a perfect decoration for my new place.

“It looks at home here,” I told my friends.

Gil put his arm around me, pulled me near him, and whispered, “It does. And so do you.”

––––––––

~END~

**UP NEXT: Look for Sharlene Michaelsen’s unexpected romance with Declan Night, as well as Abby’s return to Mirabelle Harbor, in
One Night Love Affair
—coming soon!**

If you enjoyed this novel by Marilyn Brant

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www.MarilynBrant.com

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The Mirabelle Harbor Stories (sexy contemporary romance series, connected characters but stand-alone stories)

Look for all the books in the
MIRABELLE HARBOR
series!

Book One:
Take a Chance on Me
-
Chance & Nia

Book Two:
The One That I Want
-
Julia & Dane

Book Three:
You Give Love a Bad Name
-
Blake & Vicky

Book Four:
Stranger on the Shore
-
Marianna & Gil

Bonus Novella:
Going For It
(a Mirabelle Harbor and Sapphire Falls crossover story, only available through Kindle Worlds) -
Trevor & Tina Marie

... and more, coming soon!!

Stand-Alone Women’s Fiction Novels (contemporary romantic women’s fiction)

According to Jane

Friday Mornings at Nine

A Summer in Europe

Mystery Novels (coming-of-age romantic mystery)

The Road to You
(Young Adult version)

The Road and Beyond (an expanded book-club version of The Road to You)
(Women’s Fiction version)

Romantic Novella (sexy contemporary romance)

All About Us
(an Abbott Springs novella)

Nonfiction (parenting essays)

Wanderlust in Suburbia and Other Reflections on Motherhood

The Sweet Temptations Collection (sexy contemporary romance series, stand-alone stories)

On Any Given Sundae

Double Dipping

Holiday Man

The Sweet Temptations Collection
(3-Book Set for the Series)

The Perfect Pair (sweet romantic comedy series, connected characters but stand-alone stories)

Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match

Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet

The Perfect Pair
(2-Book Set for the Series)

M
arilyn Brant has been told she writes with honesty, liveliness and wit (descriptors she’s grown terribly fond of) about complex, intelligent women—like her friends—and their significant personal relationships. Although her favorite pursuits undoubtedly involve books, she proves she’s not just a literary snob by confessing her lifelong fascination (read: obsession) with popular music, especially from the ‘70s and ‘80s, most flavors of ice cream, and a variety of sensuous body lotions/oils.

As a former teacher, library staff member, freelance magazine writer, and national book reviewer, Marilyn has spent much of her life lost in literature. She is the
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling and award-winning author of twelve novels and three novellas to date, and a lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. The Illinois Association of Teachers of English (IATE) selected her as their 2013 Author of the Year.

Her debut coming-of-age novel,
ACCORDING TO JANE
(Kensington, 2009), featuring the ghost of Jane Austen giving a young woman dating advice, won the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart Award and the Booksellers’ Best, and it was named one of the “Top 100 Romance Novels of All Time” by Buzzle.com. Her second novel,
FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE
(Kensington, 2010), was a Doubleday and Book-of-the-Month Club pick in women’s fiction.
A SUMMER IN EUROPE
(Kensington, 2011) was featured in the Literary Guild and BOMC2, and it became a Top 20 Bestseller in Fiction and Literature for the Rhapsody Book Club. The Polish translation of the novel was released in June 2013.

She’s also a #1 Kindle bestseller, who writes fun and flirty romantic comedies, like her stories in
THE SWEET TEMPTATIONS COLLECTION
, that involve sweet treats, unexpected love, and large doses of humor.
THE ROAD TO YOU
—a coming-of-age romantic mystery—was selected as one of the Top 20 Best Books of the Year (December 2013) by The Reading Frenzy. Now she’s at work on the “Mirabelle Harbor” romance series: Look for books
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, THE ONE THAT I WANT, YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME, STRANGER ON THE SHORE
, and more! And be sure to check out her short story, “When Life Imitates Art,” in RWA’s upcoming anthology,
SECOND CHANCES
(tentative title), edited by international bestselling author Sylvia Day.

Marilyn currently lives in the Chicago suburbs with her family. When she isn't reading her friends’ books or watching old movies, she’s working on her next novel, eating chocolate indiscriminately, and hiding from the laundry.

Please visit her website:
www.MarilynBrant.com
.

If you enjoyed STRANGER ON THE SHORE (Book 4) from Marilyn’s
Mirabelle Harbor
series, check out this excerpt below from TAKE A CHANCE ON ME (Book 1), and the story summaries for THE ONE THAT I WANT (Book 2) and YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME (Book 3), all of which are available now! And please keep an eye out for other stand-alone stories in the series, including Sharlene Michaelsen & Declan Night’s romance—ONE NIGHT LOVE AFFAIR (Book 5)—coming soon!

Description and an Excerpt from TAKE A CHANCE ON ME (Book 1) - Out Now!

W
elcome to Mirabelle Harbor! In this scenic suburb on Chicago’s North Shore, overlooking the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan, the Michaelsen family has made their home for generations. Although their parents and grandparents are now gone, siblings Derek, Blake, Sharlene, and the twins—Chandler and Chance—all have fond memories of growing up in town, and most still live there.

Chance Michaelsen, the youngest member of the family (by two minutes) and the quietest (by far), is a dedicated twenty-eight-year-old personal trainer at the local gym. While he might not say much, Chance has made it clear that he’s not a fan of toxic people, unhealthy habits, or sharing too many of his emotions. With anybody.

Enter Antonia “Nia” Pappayiannis—the prettiest member of the loudest and most overly demonstrative family in town. They’re also the owners of The Gala, a Greek restaurant and bakery known for its decadent pastries and located just a few steps from Chance’s gym. He considers their entire family business to be the enemy of good health, but he can’t quite shake his attraction to Nia, who doesn’t seem nearly as impressed with him or his sculpted physique as most of the women around Mirabelle Harbor.

Unfortunately, between her doctor’s orders and the interfering ways of Chance’s crazy-making ex-girlfriend, who just happens to be one of Nia’s long-time friends, Chance gets assigned to be Nia’s fitness coach for the month. Pure torture. And if his ex weren’t already causing enough problems, he also has to deal with Nia’s current boyfriend—some hotshot Chicago CEO who talks big but, in Chance’s opinion, is as fake as a Styrofoam barbell.

The road to romance is going to be a rocky one, and though Nia has her doubts about getting involved, Chance has a well-developed competitive streak and might just be willing to give it a shot...if he can convince her to do the same.

In matters of the heart, would you risk it all? TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, a Mirabelle Harbor story.

From the Novel
:

I couldn’t dismiss Chance’s gaze. He was watching my every movement, noticing each inch of exposed skin, which wasn’t much on my side, really. The white towels gave comprehensive coverage. They were jumbo sized, so only my shoulders, arms, lower thighs, calves, and feet were visible.

But Chance took in every bit, and I squirmed under that level of scrutiny.

We sat in silence for a long time.

Finally, he cleared his throat. “So, Nia, is Grant Jordan still your boyfriend?”

I shook my head. I hadn’t said any official breakup words to Grant, which would really be more like, “Hey, I don’t think we should hang out for a few hours during the weekend anymore.” Our relationship had hardly been the stuff of soulmates. But, after tonight, I knew I didn’t want to go back to Grant’s large but lonely mansion.

“My parents liked him a lot, though,” I explained to Chance. “They’ll be disappointed.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Are
you
disappointed?”

“No.”

He abruptly stood up and walked over to me. With no shirt fabric as a shield, there was nothing that could camouflage his incredibly buff upper body. Bet he did more than torso twists to get that six pack, huh? Even more than wanting to touch him, though, I wanted to know what he was thinking. My attention kept getting drawn back to his face. To his inquisitive hazel eyes.

He stood in front of me and pulled me to standing. “Turn around,” he whispered.

“Why?” I murmured, glancing at the door. There was an oval sliver of a window where people walking by could peek in on us, if they were so inclined.

“I’m going to rub your shoulders,” he said simply. “Don’t worry. I’ll stop anytime you want, but now’s the best time to loosen those tight muscles. You can lean against the wall for balance.”

There was almost nothing in the world I wanted more than to feel Chance’s hands on my skin. Between his nearness to me, my anticipation of his touch, and the blazing temperature of the sauna, I could only take quick, shallow breaths but, nevertheless, I turned around.

From the very second his fingertips connected with the top of my shoulders, it was all I could do not to gasp or moan. He had magic hands, that man. A grip that was strong, firm, but not pinching. My neck and shoulders had never felt better.

I could only imagine what he could do to my back if I were to throw the towel on the floor and let him rub whatever he wanted, or wherever he wanted. Aunt Helen would be evoking all kinds of prayers to the blessed Virgin if she knew what I was thinking.

“You really missed your calling,” I managed to say.

Chance made that low chuckling sound that sent a bolt of desire from my ears to my toenails. “I have some background in deep tissue and Swedish massage,” he told me. “Board certified, actually. But I’m very selective in choosing my clientele for that service.”

The air in the sauna must have hit about three thousand degrees when he spoke. I was burning up. But he continued to rub only above the towel line. Nothing remotely inappropriate. And his self-control made me want to scream, “Go lower! Push the towel down, Chance. Tell me you want me half as much as I want you.”