Read Online A Passion Denied by Julie Lessman - Free Book Online Page A

Tabor get a hold of you last week?” Collin strolled in behind him. He wrestled a section of the paper from Brady’s lap before he plopped on the other side. “Said she wanted to thank you for designing the program for her ladies’ auxiliary. Hate to tell ya, ol’ buddy, but I think she’s gunning for ya. Says you have a real . . . let’s see, what did she call it? ‘A real flair for design.’ ” He grinned. “I’m guessing she’s got a flair for design herself—involving you and her unmarried daughter.”
    Brady chuckled and adjusted the newspaper in his lap, refusing to give Collin the satisfaction of a glance. He rattled the page and scanned the headlines. “She did. And she does. Invited me to dinner next week.”
    “I swear, you could eat out every night of the week if you had a mind to. You going?”
    Brady grunted and turned the page. “Nope. Can’t afford the indigestion.”
    “Gotta be better than loneliness.”
    Brady shot him a one-sided smile. “That was your problem, Collin, not mine. I don’t need a woman to make me happy.” Collin laughed. “No, I guess not. I gotta give it to you, though. You’re a stronger man than me, that’s for sure. Before Faith, I couldn’t say no to save my soul. And here you are, a flesh-and-blood male with enough females batting their eyes to cause a stiff breeze, and temptation is not even a word in your vocabulary. I’d like to know how you do it. I’d market it and make a small fortune.”
    Brady grinned and snapped his paper back up. “It’s called willpower, ol’ buddy, something you knew almost nothing about before Faith. While I, on the other hand, have perfected it to a fine art, steeled by the grace of God and the power of prayer.”
    “Brady, can we talk?”
    He glanced up, and the taste of his words soured in his mouth. His hands began to sweat, adhering to the newspaper. Beth stared down at him with violet-hued eyes fringed with sooty lashes that seemed longer from this angle. He glanced at Collin out of the corner of his eye, then shoved the paper aside. He rose to his feet and swallowed the dread that cleaved to his throat. “Sure, Beth, where?”
    She nodded toward the porch, then clutched her arms around her waist in that little-girl way she had when she was nervous. Only this time, the motion produced a slight swell of her breasts, revealing a hint of a cleft at the low-scooped dress. “It’s pretty out. Can we sit on the swing?”
    “Sure, but you’ll need something warm, little buddy. It’s chilly.” He averted his gaze, determined to ignore both the heat crawling up his neck and Collin’s annoying grin. He licked his dry lips and strode straight for the coat rack, plucking his jacket off with way too much force. He searched for Beth’s warm coat, but found only her thin wrap.
    He held it while she slipped it on. She smiled over her shoulder. “Thanks, Brady.”
    He opened the front door and waited patiently, pretending his heart wasn’t hammering triple time in his chest. Fine. We need to talk anyway. The sooner, the better.
    The porch was dark except for a soft wash of moonlight that cast distorted shadows as he leaned against the railing. He crossed his arms and waited while she settled on the swing with a soft swish of her skirt. She patted the seat beside her. “Why don’t you sit here? This could take awhile, and I want you to be comfortable.”
    Comfortable? With her scent as clean as lilacs in rain and her burgeoning body obscuring the little girl he once knew? He sucked in a full breath and stood up straight, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his trousers. Exhaling, he positioned himself on the far right of the swing, determined to ignore the wood of the beveled handle as it sliced into his waist. He shifted to face her and draped an arm along the back of the swing. “So, what’s on your mind, little buddy?”
    She bit her lip and scooted close enough that he could feel her body shivering. “Do you