Read Online All A Heart Needs B&N by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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he was cooler than he used to be.
After fending off a series of questions about which hot musician he'd met recently, he made his way down the hall and into the big country-style kitchen. He came to an abrupt halt, his pulse jumping as he saw Jessica standing by the doors leading out to the back deck. She was talking to his brother, Drew, and Drew's girlfriend, Ria. Jessica laughed at something Drew said, her face lighting up with amusement.
Jessica was happy in San Francisco, he thought. And it wasn't just the city making her smile, but also his family. She'd been through hard times in her life, and she'd often felt alone. But she wasn't alone now. She'd landed in the middle of his crazy, loving family. And while he didn't always see the value of being one of so many, for Jessica it appeared to be a good thing.
Jessica looked away from Drew, her gaze meeting his. Her smile made his heart beat faster, and as much as he wanted to look away, he couldn't seem to look anywhere else but at her.
"Really, Sean?"
"What?" he asked, turning to see Emma at his side. She had a very smug smile on her face.
"If you're going to pull off this just friends thing with Jessica, you're really going to have stop looking at her like she's your favorite flavor of ice cream."
"You're imagining things."
"I don't think I am."
"Where's Nicole?" he asked, changing the subject. "I want to wish her a happy birthday."
"Last time I saw her, she was out on the deck with Mom and Dad."
"Then maybe I'll get some food first."
"Chicken," she teased.
"Actually, that chicken looks good," he retorted, heading to the buffet on the kitchen table. A plate of chicken wings was calling his name.
Emma followed him across the room. She grabbed a carrot and munched on it as she said, "Why were you so late?"
"I was working."
"On what? Are you writing a new song?"
"That was part of it," he said as he loaded up his plate.
"Part of what?"
"Why do you have so many questions?" he asked, taking a bite out of a spicy chicken wing.
"Why do you have so few answers? Sometimes I think your musician gig is just a cover. Maybe you're in the CIA and that's why you're so mysterious."
He grinned. "That would be something. And, wow, do you still have a big imagination."
"Are you criticizing my wife?" Max interrupted, putting an arm around Emma's shoulders. "Do I need to defend her?" he added with a grin.
"Sean thinks my imagination is too big," Emma said.
Max smiled. "I think it's just perfect." He finished his words with a kiss on her cheek. And then he whispered something into her ear.
Emma's cheeks turned pink. "Max, stop it."
"Yeah, stop it," Sean echoed. "You two should get a room."
"We have one," Max said. "Unfortunately, we're not going to be in it for a while. I have to go down to the station, Em. We just located our witness."
"Well, that's good news."
"Can you get a ride home from someone?"
"Absolutely. I'll walk you out."
As Max and Emma left, Jessica walked over.
"Hi," she said softly, a sparkle in her brown eyes.
"Hey." He set his half-empty plate down on the table, his appetite deserting him.
Silence fell between them, as he searched for something to say, but when Jessica was near, he couldn't seem to find words. He got too caught up in her big, brown eyes, her soft, sexy mouth, and lips that were way too inviting. But he wasn't going to kiss her. Not here. Not in front of his family. Not anywhere, he added firmly, giving himself a mental kick. Jessica was off limits. He had to stop thinking of her in a sexual way. He had to stop now.
"Sean?" she queried, her voice a little rough, her eyes questioning. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. Did you get moved in?" he asked, proud that he'd managed to string a couple of words together.
"I got our bedrooms set up, and the kitchen, too. That was a big job."
"You look tired," he said, noting the shadows under her eyes.
"I didn't sleep very well last night. Too many odd little noises."
"Really?" he asked,
After fending off a series of questions about which hot musician he'd met recently, he made his way down the hall and into the big country-style kitchen. He came to an abrupt halt, his pulse jumping as he saw Jessica standing by the doors leading out to the back deck. She was talking to his brother, Drew, and Drew's girlfriend, Ria. Jessica laughed at something Drew said, her face lighting up with amusement.
Jessica was happy in San Francisco, he thought. And it wasn't just the city making her smile, but also his family. She'd been through hard times in her life, and she'd often felt alone. But she wasn't alone now. She'd landed in the middle of his crazy, loving family. And while he didn't always see the value of being one of so many, for Jessica it appeared to be a good thing.
Jessica looked away from Drew, her gaze meeting his. Her smile made his heart beat faster, and as much as he wanted to look away, he couldn't seem to look anywhere else but at her.
"Really, Sean?"
"What?" he asked, turning to see Emma at his side. She had a very smug smile on her face.
"If you're going to pull off this just friends thing with Jessica, you're really going to have stop looking at her like she's your favorite flavor of ice cream."
"You're imagining things."
"I don't think I am."
"Where's Nicole?" he asked, changing the subject. "I want to wish her a happy birthday."
"Last time I saw her, she was out on the deck with Mom and Dad."
"Then maybe I'll get some food first."
"Chicken," she teased.
"Actually, that chicken looks good," he retorted, heading to the buffet on the kitchen table. A plate of chicken wings was calling his name.
Emma followed him across the room. She grabbed a carrot and munched on it as she said, "Why were you so late?"
"I was working."
"On what? Are you writing a new song?"
"That was part of it," he said as he loaded up his plate.
"Part of what?"
"Why do you have so many questions?" he asked, taking a bite out of a spicy chicken wing.
"Why do you have so few answers? Sometimes I think your musician gig is just a cover. Maybe you're in the CIA and that's why you're so mysterious."
He grinned. "That would be something. And, wow, do you still have a big imagination."
"Are you criticizing my wife?" Max interrupted, putting an arm around Emma's shoulders. "Do I need to defend her?" he added with a grin.
"Sean thinks my imagination is too big," Emma said.
Max smiled. "I think it's just perfect." He finished his words with a kiss on her cheek. And then he whispered something into her ear.
Emma's cheeks turned pink. "Max, stop it."
"Yeah, stop it," Sean echoed. "You two should get a room."
"We have one," Max said. "Unfortunately, we're not going to be in it for a while. I have to go down to the station, Em. We just located our witness."
"Well, that's good news."
"Can you get a ride home from someone?"
"Absolutely. I'll walk you out."
As Max and Emma left, Jessica walked over.
"Hi," she said softly, a sparkle in her brown eyes.
"Hey." He set his half-empty plate down on the table, his appetite deserting him.
Silence fell between them, as he searched for something to say, but when Jessica was near, he couldn't seem to find words. He got too caught up in her big, brown eyes, her soft, sexy mouth, and lips that were way too inviting. But he wasn't going to kiss her. Not here. Not in front of his family. Not anywhere, he added firmly, giving himself a mental kick. Jessica was off limits. He had to stop thinking of her in a sexual way. He had to stop now.
"Sean?" she queried, her voice a little rough, her eyes questioning. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. Did you get moved in?" he asked, proud that he'd managed to string a couple of words together.
"I got our bedrooms set up, and the kitchen, too. That was a big job."
"You look tired," he said, noting the shadows under her eyes.
"I didn't sleep very well last night. Too many odd little noises."
"Really?" he asked,
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