Read Online Breaking Her No-Dating Rule by Amalie Berlin - Free Book Online Page A

left him feeling disgruntled and angry. And, pushy thing that she was, she’d had to get at his feet even though he’d told her they were fine...
    “Frostbite pain is monstrous?” She pointed at the missing toes and looked up at his face.
    He nodded. “You don’t have to take care of my feet, you know. You can see there’s no frostbite there.”
    “The scar has stretched and moved back from the toes.”
    He nodded again. She was already getting there. He’d just see how far she could take the logical path without his assistance.
    “How old were you? Still in elementary school, I’d say. Unless you still had really tiny feet in high school and they only recently exploded like peppermint in your herb garden.”
    Anson assumed that meant peppermint grew fast. The fastest way to get her to get off this subject was probably to answer her. “Yes.” It was an answer.
    And judging by the way her eyes grew damp, it was enough of one.
    How the hell had this gotten so out of his control?
    “Socks,” she said suddenly, and sniffed, then popped into the changing room for a moment. When she returned it was with thick cotton socks, which she pulled apart, threading her thumbs into the toe of one and beginning to work it onto his right foot. “Your feet wanted different socks, and you shouldn’t neglect your feet in this weather. Doubt you have any to change into. I usually put these on my patients when they have achy feet and want a wintergreen treatment. Thick warm socks while the rest of your body pains are getting worked on, it’s nice.”
    Anson let her get one sock on, since she’d already started and he was moving with decided sluggishness, and then moved his feet out of her reach and held his hand out for the other sock. “You don’t have to take care of me, Ellory.”
    “You’re sad. I don’t want you putting your fist through anything else.”
    “I’m not going to. I’m not sad. The fist through the wall did what I needed.”
    “Which was?”
    “Pressure release. And it helped.”
    “Your anger maybe, but not your hand or your shoulder. And it didn’t make you feel better about being inside and warm while Jude is out there. If you need to talk about it, you can talk. We’re in this together, and you’re helping me with our patient guests, so I want to help you too. Plus...” She stepped away from him and grabbed the sweater she’d discarded earlier, not finishing her sentence.
    “Plus?”
    “I don’t know.” She pulled the sweater down over her head, untangled her hair from the knot she’d twisted it into, and let it fall around her shoulders. “This.”
    Before he could figure out what she was up to, she’d stepped over to the table, wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed. She cared, just as she had cared for Chelsea. But it felt good, gentle and warm, and gave him an overwhelming desire to bury his nose in the hair atop her head.
    He resisted by tugging her back just enough that she looked up at him. The look in her eyes was anything but pity. Suddenly, all he wanted was to taste her. For a few seconds the world receded—he gave in to instinct and covered her mouth with his own. A small surprised sound tickled against his lips, but she tilted her head at the first brush of his tongue against her lips, opening her mouth to him.
    Her scent might’ve been floral, but her mouth was sweet and fruity, just the barest hint of tartness that made him think of berries. Ripe, juicy, and summer-sweet.
    And this was winter.
    The disparity seeped through the subconscious need to consume her, and he lifted his head, reluctantly breaking the kiss.
    Her dark brown eyes were even more heated than her pink cheeks looked. Those lush lips parted, as moist and inviting as her quick, shallow breaths.
    *
    “No, no...” Ellory whimpered, when she realized he was backing away. Every inch of her screamed for more. One kiss would not violate her Stupid Resolution.
    Neither would two kisses.
    And if he