Gulf Breeze - Softcover

Hill, Gerri

Softcover

ISBN 10: 193151397X ISBN 13: 9781931513975

Publisher: Bella Books, 2003

Synopsis

Dr. Carly Cambridge, wildlife biologist, returns to the Texas Gulf Coast to manage the latest Habitats for Nature project, restoring the woods and wetlands to their natural state.

She is devoted to the environmental cause with a passion usually reserved for a lover—something she hasn’t had since a disastrous love affair ten years earlier. Having sworn off women and relationships, Carly is perfectly content to live her life alone while she focuses on her latest project.

Wildlife photographer Pat Ryan is duped into volunteering her talents to the cause, but she wants no part of the overzealous Dr. Cambridge.

While they spend most of their time sparring and bickering, an early season hurricane finds them fighting nature—instead of each other—to save the wetlands and the birds that brought them together.

Soon Carly finds her heart opening, little by little, and struggles to ignore the feelings that are growing between them. And Pat, always searching for that certain someone to take her breath away, can’t believe for a moment that the woman she’s been waiting for could possibly be Carly.

About this title

About the Author

Gerri Hill has thirty published works, including the 2014 GCLS winner The Midnight Moon, 2011, 2012 and 2013 winners Devil’s Rock, Hell’s Highway and Snow Falls, and the 2009 GCLS winner Partners, the last book in the popular Hunter Series, as well as the 2013 Lambda finalist At Seventeen. Gerri lives in south-central Texas, only a few hours from the Gulf Coast, a place that has inspired many of her books. With her partner, Diane, they share their life with two Australian Shepherd’s—Casey and Cooper—and a couple of furry felines.

From the Inside Flap

"What makes you think you can do that?"

Pat grinned. "Because I m the one with the camera."

The smile that Carly flashed caused Pat s heart to stop. She slowly lowered the camera, her eyes searching and finding Carly s. "Jesus, you are so beautiful," she whispered.

Carly watched as Pat stepped closer, but she was powerless to move. Her eyes dropped to Pat s lips, knowing without a doubt that she could not say no to this woman. When she raised her eyes again, there was no doubting the look in Pat s blue ones. She reached for Pat even before Pat stopped walking. Their mouths fought for control.

Carly whimpered when Pat s tongue moved past her lips and danced with her own for the first time. She needed no encouragement from Pat as her lower body molded itself to the other woman. And God, it felt so good to be held and kissed this way. She crushed Pat to her, her arms holding Pat tightly against her body.

They drew apart, their breathing ragged. Carly opened her eyes, looking into Pat s. So blue. She wanted to drown there. She pulled Pat s mouth to hers again, softer, gentler now. The fury of their first kiss was absent as they explored each other with gentle tongues.

Finally, Carly pulled away, separating herself from Pat.

"You drive me absolutely crazy, you know that, don t you?" Carly asked.

"You could pretend you re smashed and I m a stranger and you won t know my name in the morning," Pat suggested quietly.

"You know I can t do that. You re not a stranger and I m not going to use you to satisfy my . . . hunger."

"Please, use me," Pat whispered.

Carly reached out a hand and touched Pat s face.

"I would never."

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Carly watched as Pat Ryan shoved sunglasses on, covering those beautiful eyes. Beautiful? Where did that come from? She pulled away, moving down the dirt road to the bay.

"We ll extend this road into the woods. It s so grown up in places, the oak mottes have nearly disappeared with all the brush. We ll make a loop around the marshes and have places for people to stop and watch the wildlife, but most of the marshes will be off limits to the public."

"If it s off limits to the public, what s to draw them here?" Pat asked.

"We re not a resort or State Park," Carly said sharply. "This preserve is for the wildlife, not people."

Pat turned and looked at Dr. Cambridge, raising one eyebrow above her sunglasses. "But, if I m not allowed to see the wildlife, why should I donate money?"

"Perhaps you should try the zoo, then," she said curtly.

Pat laughed and it caught Carly by surprise.

"Is that what you ll tell your donors?"

"Most of our donors understand the purpose of this preserve. And they ll still see plenty of wildlife. Ducks and shorebirds are not usually disturbed by a few cars and people milling about. And the deer will become accustomed to cars, too. Once they get past the fear of being hunted, that is."

"If that s the case, then why limit access?"

Carly sighed, exasperated. Was she a photographer or a politician?

"We re not a publicly funded preserve," she said slowly. "It s technically private land. We re making it accessible to the public for their enjoyment, but we don t have to."

"You re making it publicly accessible so you ll get donations. If it were to be strictly private, no one would give you money."

"Look, Ms. Ryan, obviously you don t understand the concept behind Habitats For Nature. Native land is scarce. And this," she said, waving her hands around her, "is hardly native anymore. The marshes have been drained. Cattle have grazed here on imported grass. The natural landscape has been changed to suit man s needs. The ducks and shorebirds have disappeared. Our main concern is returning this land to its natural state. With the help of donors, yes. People who love this land and want it restored. For that, we re willing to open it up, minimally, to the public."

An environmental nutcase, Pat mused. Why couldn t she have been an old Dr. Cambridge? Pat flicked her eyes over the small woman sitting beside her. Her blonde hair looked like it was in need of a cut and she had it tucked behind her ears. Her arms and legs were tanned and she noticed the fingers that drummed against the steering wheel impatiently. She was too damn cute to be an environmental wacko.

"I apologize, Dr. Cambridge. What do I know about it? I m just a photographer."

"Can I ask you something, Ms. Ryan?"

"Of course."

"Why did you volunteer for this?"

Pat cleared her throat and grinned.

"Well, I didn t exactly volunteer. It seems my aunt volunteered my services without asking."

Carly stared, her mouth opening slightly. Rachel Yearwood had come to her, saying her niece had graciously offered her services, free of charge, all for the benefit of the preserve.

"I see."

"I m not really into all this nature stuff," Pat admitted.

Great. Just great. Could she even take pictures?

"You are a photographer, right?"

"Yes, of course."

Carly nodded. "Well, if you were coerced into this, I ll understand if you bail out now. In fact, we probably would do better paying someone. At least then, they might actually care about what they shoot."

"Hey, look. I make my living shooting wildlife. Forgive me if I m not political about it."

Carly let out her breath, her impatience with this woman growing thin. "Ms. Ryan, we all have different agendas in life. Ours, apparently, don t seem to cross paths. However, we are in need of a photographer and our budget doesn t exactly allow us to hire one. If you re not able to do this, perhaps you know someone in your profession who might be willing to lend a helping hand. Time is what we don t have. Our resources will run out by the end of summer without new donations. We re planning on starting on our mailing lists by mid-May, at the latest and we would like to have a brochure put together by then."

"I didn t say I wouldn t work for you, Dr. Cambridge. I promised Aunt Rachel," Pat said. "Just don t expect me to go door-to-door with you, looking for donations."

"Fair enough. We do appreciate your sacrifice," she said.

Pat laughed again, surprising Carly for the second time.

She had intended her comment to be an insult. Apparently, this woman was too thick-skinned to even realize it.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bella Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 193151397X
• ISBN 13: 9781931513975
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 276