Read Online Bound to the Bachelor by Sarah Mayberry - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Mayberry
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slid his fingers higher, stroking the tender crease inside her elbow. She gasped, unable to hide her response, her back arching ever-so-slightly as a rush of pure heat rocketed through her, hardening her nipples and tightening her sex.
His pupils dilated, and for a second his grip tightened on her arm. Then he released her, sitting back in his chair, his big body loose and relaxed.
“I rest my case.”
She felt… buffeted. As though she’d just endured a windstorm. She reached for her glass of water and was mortified to see that her hand was shaking. She snatched it back and dropped it into her lap, away from his watchful gaze.
“So, I have sensitive elbows. What’s your point?” she asked.
“You know what my point is.”
She did. For some perverse reason, her body wanted his. Badly. And the feeling was obviously mutual, if the look in Beau’s eyes was anything to go by.
“We have good chemistry,” she said grudgingly.
“Good?” One of his eyebrows arched high.
Okay, it was off the charts. But she wasn’t going to gratify his ego by confirming what he already knew.
“It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m not interested in starting anything,” she said coolly.
She hadn’t been interested for about three years now. Once word had got around Marietta about her former profession, she’d had more than her fair share of hound dogs sniffing around, looking to play out the fantasy of having their own private lap dancer. It hadn’t taken long before she’d wearied of trying to sort the men who were genuinely interested in her from the creeps looking for a thrill or a notch on their belts, and in the end she’d simply given up. Far easier to concentrate on the less painful and fraught aspects of life than to invite constant disappointment into her world.
“That suits me just fine,” Beau said.
She cocked her head as she processed the full implications of what he’d just admitted. “So, let me get this straight – you’ve been a rude jerk to me for nearly five years because you didn’t want to want me?”
“I was never rude.”
“I beg to differ.”
“I kept my distance. That’s all. You didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat yourself, you know.”
“Yeah, because I thought you were judging me for being a stripper, because you treated me like I was radioactive, and if you came too close you were going to turn into Spiderman.”
He frowned. “It’s not my place to judge anyone. I’m hardly a saint. And I can think of a lot less honest professions.”
So could she. Politician, evangelical TV preacher, fortune teller…
“Good to hear,” she said.
They eyed each other.
“Maybe it’s time to call a cease-fire,” he said.
The waitress appeared with their meals then, and Lily held back her response while a platter loaded with a delicious-looking burger and a bowl of steak fries was placed in front of each of them.
“Enjoy your meal,” their waitress said before leaving them to it.
“What would a cease-fire look like?” Lily asked once they were alone again.
He hefted his burger. “I quit avoiding stuff Andie invites me to because you’re going to be there. You do the same.”
She paused with a fry halfway to her mouth. “You do that?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t.”
She ate the fry, then washed it down with a mouthful of the pale ale she’d chosen.
“God, that’s good. And I don’t manage my social calendar around you, Beau Bennett. Never have, never will.”
“Bullshit.”
She gave him a look.
“You didn’t come to the party I threw for Andie’s birthday last year because it was at my place,” he said.
“I was busy.” It was a lie, of course. She’d sidestepped the party because she hadn’t wanted to be on Beau’s home turf.
“Hey, if you don’t think you can handle the heat, we can leave things the way they are.”
She grabbed her burger in both hands. “I can handle the heat, don’t worry.”
She took a huge bite of her burger, only
His pupils dilated, and for a second his grip tightened on her arm. Then he released her, sitting back in his chair, his big body loose and relaxed.
“I rest my case.”
She felt… buffeted. As though she’d just endured a windstorm. She reached for her glass of water and was mortified to see that her hand was shaking. She snatched it back and dropped it into her lap, away from his watchful gaze.
“So, I have sensitive elbows. What’s your point?” she asked.
“You know what my point is.”
She did. For some perverse reason, her body wanted his. Badly. And the feeling was obviously mutual, if the look in Beau’s eyes was anything to go by.
“We have good chemistry,” she said grudgingly.
“Good?” One of his eyebrows arched high.
Okay, it was off the charts. But she wasn’t going to gratify his ego by confirming what he already knew.
“It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m not interested in starting anything,” she said coolly.
She hadn’t been interested for about three years now. Once word had got around Marietta about her former profession, she’d had more than her fair share of hound dogs sniffing around, looking to play out the fantasy of having their own private lap dancer. It hadn’t taken long before she’d wearied of trying to sort the men who were genuinely interested in her from the creeps looking for a thrill or a notch on their belts, and in the end she’d simply given up. Far easier to concentrate on the less painful and fraught aspects of life than to invite constant disappointment into her world.
“That suits me just fine,” Beau said.
She cocked her head as she processed the full implications of what he’d just admitted. “So, let me get this straight – you’ve been a rude jerk to me for nearly five years because you didn’t want to want me?”
“I was never rude.”
“I beg to differ.”
“I kept my distance. That’s all. You didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat yourself, you know.”
“Yeah, because I thought you were judging me for being a stripper, because you treated me like I was radioactive, and if you came too close you were going to turn into Spiderman.”
He frowned. “It’s not my place to judge anyone. I’m hardly a saint. And I can think of a lot less honest professions.”
So could she. Politician, evangelical TV preacher, fortune teller…
“Good to hear,” she said.
They eyed each other.
“Maybe it’s time to call a cease-fire,” he said.
The waitress appeared with their meals then, and Lily held back her response while a platter loaded with a delicious-looking burger and a bowl of steak fries was placed in front of each of them.
“Enjoy your meal,” their waitress said before leaving them to it.
“What would a cease-fire look like?” Lily asked once they were alone again.
He hefted his burger. “I quit avoiding stuff Andie invites me to because you’re going to be there. You do the same.”
She paused with a fry halfway to her mouth. “You do that?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t.”
She ate the fry, then washed it down with a mouthful of the pale ale she’d chosen.
“God, that’s good. And I don’t manage my social calendar around you, Beau Bennett. Never have, never will.”
“Bullshit.”
She gave him a look.
“You didn’t come to the party I threw for Andie’s birthday last year because it was at my place,” he said.
“I was busy.” It was a lie, of course. She’d sidestepped the party because she hadn’t wanted to be on Beau’s home turf.
“Hey, if you don’t think you can handle the heat, we can leave things the way they are.”
She grabbed her burger in both hands. “I can handle the heat, don’t worry.”
She took a huge bite of her burger, only
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