Read Online Bound to the Past (Starville Series Book 1) by Lauryn Michaels - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauryn Michaels
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sheʼd lost her mind. “Why, Sara? Why do you want to help me?”
“I donʼt know,” she admitted with a ragged breath. It was true. She didnʼt have the slightest idea why the thought of letting him go seemed so unacceptable to her. All she knew was that she was exhausted, and that, at least for tonight, she needed to know that he was safe. “Just stay. Please.”
Jack remained on the step. He pushed a hand through his hair, cursing as his fingers met the wound. “You sure?”
Sara nodded. “We both need to rest tonight. Tomorrow weʼll worry about everything else.”
He looked at her, then her house, then her again, as if pondering her suggestion. Finally, he took a deep breath. “Okay. Iʼll stay tonight…unless thereʼs a Mr. Milano who might object.”
She felt a gigantic weight being lifted from her shoulders but tried to hide it behind a smile. “That would be my dad. And considering I havenʼt heard from him since I was five, I guess the answer is no.”
Jack gave her another penetrating look but didnʼt comment. Afraid heʼd change his mind, Sara went down the porch steps and slid an arm around his waist to help him climb back up. And, boy, he felt good. His body was so warm and solid against hers that, once again, she couldnʼt help wondering what the heck she was getting herself into.
“Here we are,” she said uncomfortably as they made it up the steps.
“Wow. This is cool.”
She smiled as he looked around the screened-in porch. “Thanks. It was more of a necessity if I wanted to use this porch. I hate bugs,” she admitted, pulling away.
“What kind of bugs?”
“Uh… All of them?”
He grinned as she started to turn the key in the lock―but she felt so antsy she almost screamed again when Jack abruptly moved in front of her.
“What the hell was that?” he asked, pushing her behind him.
“What?”
“Shhh. That scratching sound… That! ” He pointed at the closed front door, all his defenses up.
“Jack, wait!” Sara grabbed his arm and stopped him right before he turned the knob. He gave her a puzzled look. Biting her lip, she opened the door―and thatʼs when Jack came face to face with what had to be the ugliest creatures heʼd ever seen in his life.
He took an instinctive step back, gaping at the tiny white mutt yapping at him and the two cats winding in and around his ankles. One of them had a squinty eye and no tail; the other was clearly limping and missing some fur. “Holy ― ”
Saraʼs smile became uncertain. “I hope they wonʼt be a problem.”
“No…of course not.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “Damn, but theyʼre awful!”
She almost blew out a sigh of relief. “Theyʼre all rescues. The cats are actually my friend Angieʼs; Iʼm just taking care of them while sheʼs living abroad. They already looked like this when she found them, so we donʼt know their story. The yapperʼs my baby, though,” she added fondly.
Jack shifted his gaze from the cats to the tail-wagging dog. It looked so funny with those long ears sticking up. Kind of like a tiny, goofy coyote. “Whatʼs its name?”
“Lance. Well, Sir Lancelot―but I just call him Lance.”
Sara saw his brows knit, but at least he had the good grace not to comment. “Angie and I found him on the highway a couple of years ago. Heʼd been hit by a car, but nobody even bothered to stop and make sure he was all right. Thank God we drove by that day, or thereʼs no telling what would have happened to him.” She shuddered at the intolerable thought. “Heʼs fine now, though he still freaks out a little around cars.”
Jack looked at Lance again as the dog perched his front paws on his good knee. “I guess the two of us have something in common then. Huh, buddy?” he said to him, stretching out a cautious hand to let him sniff it.
Saraʼs heart swelled so much at the sight that she had to clear her throat before she could speak. “You can pet him if you want to. Or not,” she added,
“I donʼt know,” she admitted with a ragged breath. It was true. She didnʼt have the slightest idea why the thought of letting him go seemed so unacceptable to her. All she knew was that she was exhausted, and that, at least for tonight, she needed to know that he was safe. “Just stay. Please.”
Jack remained on the step. He pushed a hand through his hair, cursing as his fingers met the wound. “You sure?”
Sara nodded. “We both need to rest tonight. Tomorrow weʼll worry about everything else.”
He looked at her, then her house, then her again, as if pondering her suggestion. Finally, he took a deep breath. “Okay. Iʼll stay tonight…unless thereʼs a Mr. Milano who might object.”
She felt a gigantic weight being lifted from her shoulders but tried to hide it behind a smile. “That would be my dad. And considering I havenʼt heard from him since I was five, I guess the answer is no.”
Jack gave her another penetrating look but didnʼt comment. Afraid heʼd change his mind, Sara went down the porch steps and slid an arm around his waist to help him climb back up. And, boy, he felt good. His body was so warm and solid against hers that, once again, she couldnʼt help wondering what the heck she was getting herself into.
“Here we are,” she said uncomfortably as they made it up the steps.
“Wow. This is cool.”
She smiled as he looked around the screened-in porch. “Thanks. It was more of a necessity if I wanted to use this porch. I hate bugs,” she admitted, pulling away.
“What kind of bugs?”
“Uh… All of them?”
He grinned as she started to turn the key in the lock―but she felt so antsy she almost screamed again when Jack abruptly moved in front of her.
“What the hell was that?” he asked, pushing her behind him.
“What?”
“Shhh. That scratching sound… That! ” He pointed at the closed front door, all his defenses up.
“Jack, wait!” Sara grabbed his arm and stopped him right before he turned the knob. He gave her a puzzled look. Biting her lip, she opened the door―and thatʼs when Jack came face to face with what had to be the ugliest creatures heʼd ever seen in his life.
He took an instinctive step back, gaping at the tiny white mutt yapping at him and the two cats winding in and around his ankles. One of them had a squinty eye and no tail; the other was clearly limping and missing some fur. “Holy ― ”
Saraʼs smile became uncertain. “I hope they wonʼt be a problem.”
“No…of course not.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “Damn, but theyʼre awful!”
She almost blew out a sigh of relief. “Theyʼre all rescues. The cats are actually my friend Angieʼs; Iʼm just taking care of them while sheʼs living abroad. They already looked like this when she found them, so we donʼt know their story. The yapperʼs my baby, though,” she added fondly.
Jack shifted his gaze from the cats to the tail-wagging dog. It looked so funny with those long ears sticking up. Kind of like a tiny, goofy coyote. “Whatʼs its name?”
“Lance. Well, Sir Lancelot―but I just call him Lance.”
Sara saw his brows knit, but at least he had the good grace not to comment. “Angie and I found him on the highway a couple of years ago. Heʼd been hit by a car, but nobody even bothered to stop and make sure he was all right. Thank God we drove by that day, or thereʼs no telling what would have happened to him.” She shuddered at the intolerable thought. “Heʼs fine now, though he still freaks out a little around cars.”
Jack looked at Lance again as the dog perched his front paws on his good knee. “I guess the two of us have something in common then. Huh, buddy?” he said to him, stretching out a cautious hand to let him sniff it.
Saraʼs heart swelled so much at the sight that she had to clear her throat before she could speak. “You can pet him if you want to. Or not,” she added,
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