Read Online A Not-So-Innocent Seduction by Janice Maynard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janice Maynard
Ads: Link
him? Could anyone who looked like Zoe and who approached life with such reckless abandon avoid the kind of men who took advantage?
“You don’t believe me.”
The hurt in her eyes made him feel guilty, particularly since her quiet accusation was well-founded. “I want to believe you,” he said. “But have you looked in a mirror? Men notice people like you.”
“You’d be surprised how well I fly under the radar when I want to. But I understand. You don’t know me. And even though you want me, in your gut you think it might be a mistake. You’re torn, because you want to kiss me, and that might lead to something else, but you have a family and a hotel to protect. Have I summed it up?”
“I’d like to point out that you were the one who changed her mind about sex. Not me.”
“Only because I share some of your reservations. Will you take me at my word if I say I have plenty of money to pay my bill? That I’m not a scam artist? Or a criminal of any kind?”
He shifted from one foot to the other, unhappy with the direction the conversation was taking, but reluctant to miss this chance for clarification. “You sleep in the back of your van.”
She flushed from her throat to her hairline. Anger? Guilt? He didn’t know. A maelstrom of emotions flowed across her expressive features. “Wow. Does everybody in town report to you? Are you some kind of king on the hill?” The sarcasm would have been far more cutting if not for the wobble in her voice.
Weighing his words, he spoke carefully. “My buddy, Gary, is a single dad who struggles to make ends meet. He asked my opinion about whether or not I thought you would stiff him for the repair charges.”
Now the color in her cheeks faded, replaced by an aura of despondence. “And what did you tell him?”
Liam shrugged. “I said I’d cover the bill if there was a problem.” He was pretty sure he had killed any chance he had of ever getting Zoe Chamberlain into bed. At the moment she was looking at him like some wretched creature who had crawled out from under a rock.
She straightened her spine. Moments before, she had been leaning against his fridge, temptation personified. Now her posture defied reproach. “I’ll check out in the morning,” she said softly, her expression bleak. “Good night, Liam.”
Before he could blink, she was out of the kitchen and halfway to his front door. “Wait, damn it,” he said, striding after her, his heart pounding. “Don’t be ridiculous. Be mad at Gary, but don’t be mad at me. I would like to point out, however, that he’s a mechanic, not a shrink. It’s not like he divulged personal information.”
Now her eyes shot blue fire. “Where I sleep is personal information. He had no right to tell you that.”
Oh, hell. “He didn’t exactly tell me. He showed me, Zoe. And you certainly don’t have to explain if you don’t want to. I’m guessing that a handful of the world’s richest people do far stranger things. I know personally at least a couple who clip coupons and keep their money in mattresses.”
“So now you’re calling me crazy, too. Unbelievable.”
“You promised to kiss me,” he said, desperation making him reckless. Zoe was wearing a sky-blue blouse that deepened the color of her eyes. Her hair was a cloud of sunshine that warmed his dull apartment. Though she was so angry with him she quivered with it, he had never wanted anyone more. “Give me another chance,” he pleaded, even knowing in his heart that it was for the best if she walked out. “I didn’t set out to violate your privacy, I swear.” Reason and sense had left the building.
His passionate entreaty at least slowed her down. “You’re not the kind of man to beg,” she said. “It doesn’t sit well on you.”
“Then I won’t beg,” he muttered. “I’ll just do this.” Dragging her into his arms, he found her mouth with a shudder that quaked through him like a powerful rift in the earth’s core.
If she had
“You don’t believe me.”
The hurt in her eyes made him feel guilty, particularly since her quiet accusation was well-founded. “I want to believe you,” he said. “But have you looked in a mirror? Men notice people like you.”
“You’d be surprised how well I fly under the radar when I want to. But I understand. You don’t know me. And even though you want me, in your gut you think it might be a mistake. You’re torn, because you want to kiss me, and that might lead to something else, but you have a family and a hotel to protect. Have I summed it up?”
“I’d like to point out that you were the one who changed her mind about sex. Not me.”
“Only because I share some of your reservations. Will you take me at my word if I say I have plenty of money to pay my bill? That I’m not a scam artist? Or a criminal of any kind?”
He shifted from one foot to the other, unhappy with the direction the conversation was taking, but reluctant to miss this chance for clarification. “You sleep in the back of your van.”
She flushed from her throat to her hairline. Anger? Guilt? He didn’t know. A maelstrom of emotions flowed across her expressive features. “Wow. Does everybody in town report to you? Are you some kind of king on the hill?” The sarcasm would have been far more cutting if not for the wobble in her voice.
Weighing his words, he spoke carefully. “My buddy, Gary, is a single dad who struggles to make ends meet. He asked my opinion about whether or not I thought you would stiff him for the repair charges.”
Now the color in her cheeks faded, replaced by an aura of despondence. “And what did you tell him?”
Liam shrugged. “I said I’d cover the bill if there was a problem.” He was pretty sure he had killed any chance he had of ever getting Zoe Chamberlain into bed. At the moment she was looking at him like some wretched creature who had crawled out from under a rock.
She straightened her spine. Moments before, she had been leaning against his fridge, temptation personified. Now her posture defied reproach. “I’ll check out in the morning,” she said softly, her expression bleak. “Good night, Liam.”
Before he could blink, she was out of the kitchen and halfway to his front door. “Wait, damn it,” he said, striding after her, his heart pounding. “Don’t be ridiculous. Be mad at Gary, but don’t be mad at me. I would like to point out, however, that he’s a mechanic, not a shrink. It’s not like he divulged personal information.”
Now her eyes shot blue fire. “Where I sleep is personal information. He had no right to tell you that.”
Oh, hell. “He didn’t exactly tell me. He showed me, Zoe. And you certainly don’t have to explain if you don’t want to. I’m guessing that a handful of the world’s richest people do far stranger things. I know personally at least a couple who clip coupons and keep their money in mattresses.”
“So now you’re calling me crazy, too. Unbelievable.”
“You promised to kiss me,” he said, desperation making him reckless. Zoe was wearing a sky-blue blouse that deepened the color of her eyes. Her hair was a cloud of sunshine that warmed his dull apartment. Though she was so angry with him she quivered with it, he had never wanted anyone more. “Give me another chance,” he pleaded, even knowing in his heart that it was for the best if she walked out. “I didn’t set out to violate your privacy, I swear.” Reason and sense had left the building.
His passionate entreaty at least slowed her down. “You’re not the kind of man to beg,” she said. “It doesn’t sit well on you.”
“Then I won’t beg,” he muttered. “I’ll just do this.” Dragging her into his arms, he found her mouth with a shudder that quaked through him like a powerful rift in the earth’s core.
If she had
Similar Books
