Read Online Chasing Temptation by Payton Lane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Payton Lane
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“I can't believe I just did that.” Lynne blew out an irritated breath. She didn't kick people when they were down, literally or figuratively.
Steady legs took her over to Nate, but her heart raced. Why couldn't his horns shoot out now so she could feel better about him making an ass of himself?
Horns didn't appear from his head. Only that sure sign of him being the Second Coming would have kept Lynne from joining him with a humiliation of her own. She went to him and leaned down.
*****
“I can't feel my legs,” Nate joked, but everything ached and it felt like something had cracked when he'd gone down. Otherwise he'd have gotten up much sooner.
But something did stir below Nate's waist when Lynne placed a hand on his face. Her fingers, tender but warm, forced him to look up, if only to break the contact.
“I'm not dead,” he rasped. “In case you were hoping.”
“Nothing is that easy.” She tilted her head. “I could have told you it wouldn't work.”
He couldn't explain the need to rescue the dog to himself, much less to Lynne. “I think I have broth in unmentionable places.”
“With me, nothing is unmentionable. I try my best to be honest with myself and others, but sometimes you've just got to lie. Today I'm being honest. You should let the dog be.”
She still offered a hand to help him up. Nate took it. Holding his gaze, her eyes had darkened. He wanted to stare into them until he found all the answers to the world, to his purpose in life. Her eyes held a depth he had never witnessed in anyone else.
The bottom line was he believed her. This woman wasn't what Nate had expected when he first set out to buy the shop. The finances she had plunged into Hart and Style fell into the usual numbers most business owners were willing to invest. Yet her bare feet, her kindness, and her frankness threw him stride off each time. It also didn't help he knew the taste of her was decadent when mixed with scotch.
He stopped his thoughts in their tracks. He winced when he saw the appearance of his suit. “Thank you for the help, nonetheless.”
The next beat of silence turned awkward.
“Um, well,” she said, “if you are really determined to catch her and save her life, she should be out here again tomorrow. Around the same time. I think she comes out to get into the trash behind the buildings.” She pursed her lips, and he forced himself to meet her gaze instead of continuing to stare at her mouth.
“I'll be sure to wear my running gear.”
She squinted at him. “Why?”
“Everyone deserves to have a home. A safe place to go,” Nate said softly.
He didn't wait around to see how she reacted. He strode across the street back to his business. He already knew her expression would hold shock and probably sympathy. He'd showed her an unmentionable. Little by little she was crumbling the walls he built around his one weakness.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Hello, you've reached the Blake residence.” Her friend and former boss's voice reached through the phone and Lynne closed her eyes, missing Megan. “You know what to do.”
With a frustrated sigh, Lynne sat back in the Star Trek chair in her office and waited for the interminable beep. The same beep she'd been getting for the past week. Her best friend had gone MIA once she had married Aiden.
“You remember all those phone calls where I talked you off the ledge,” Lynne started. “You know the time I helped you realize that you should get the guy. The man you're currently married to. That currently is making you sound chipper for no reason. Yeah, that time. I need some of the same. Call me when you get this message.”
She hung up the phone and laid her head on the sheaf of papers scattered among the desktop. In seven days, she had obsessed about Nate. Forcibly had to tell herself not to obsess, only to obsess about not obsessing. She was going to have to kill him. Nate dominated her thoughts even though he had made himself scarce. It had to be the
Steady legs took her over to Nate, but her heart raced. Why couldn't his horns shoot out now so she could feel better about him making an ass of himself?
Horns didn't appear from his head. Only that sure sign of him being the Second Coming would have kept Lynne from joining him with a humiliation of her own. She went to him and leaned down.
*****
“I can't feel my legs,” Nate joked, but everything ached and it felt like something had cracked when he'd gone down. Otherwise he'd have gotten up much sooner.
But something did stir below Nate's waist when Lynne placed a hand on his face. Her fingers, tender but warm, forced him to look up, if only to break the contact.
“I'm not dead,” he rasped. “In case you were hoping.”
“Nothing is that easy.” She tilted her head. “I could have told you it wouldn't work.”
He couldn't explain the need to rescue the dog to himself, much less to Lynne. “I think I have broth in unmentionable places.”
“With me, nothing is unmentionable. I try my best to be honest with myself and others, but sometimes you've just got to lie. Today I'm being honest. You should let the dog be.”
She still offered a hand to help him up. Nate took it. Holding his gaze, her eyes had darkened. He wanted to stare into them until he found all the answers to the world, to his purpose in life. Her eyes held a depth he had never witnessed in anyone else.
The bottom line was he believed her. This woman wasn't what Nate had expected when he first set out to buy the shop. The finances she had plunged into Hart and Style fell into the usual numbers most business owners were willing to invest. Yet her bare feet, her kindness, and her frankness threw him stride off each time. It also didn't help he knew the taste of her was decadent when mixed with scotch.
He stopped his thoughts in their tracks. He winced when he saw the appearance of his suit. “Thank you for the help, nonetheless.”
The next beat of silence turned awkward.
“Um, well,” she said, “if you are really determined to catch her and save her life, she should be out here again tomorrow. Around the same time. I think she comes out to get into the trash behind the buildings.” She pursed her lips, and he forced himself to meet her gaze instead of continuing to stare at her mouth.
“I'll be sure to wear my running gear.”
She squinted at him. “Why?”
“Everyone deserves to have a home. A safe place to go,” Nate said softly.
He didn't wait around to see how she reacted. He strode across the street back to his business. He already knew her expression would hold shock and probably sympathy. He'd showed her an unmentionable. Little by little she was crumbling the walls he built around his one weakness.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Hello, you've reached the Blake residence.” Her friend and former boss's voice reached through the phone and Lynne closed her eyes, missing Megan. “You know what to do.”
With a frustrated sigh, Lynne sat back in the Star Trek chair in her office and waited for the interminable beep. The same beep she'd been getting for the past week. Her best friend had gone MIA once she had married Aiden.
“You remember all those phone calls where I talked you off the ledge,” Lynne started. “You know the time I helped you realize that you should get the guy. The man you're currently married to. That currently is making you sound chipper for no reason. Yeah, that time. I need some of the same. Call me when you get this message.”
She hung up the phone and laid her head on the sheaf of papers scattered among the desktop. In seven days, she had obsessed about Nate. Forcibly had to tell herself not to obsess, only to obsess about not obsessing. She was going to have to kill him. Nate dominated her thoughts even though he had made himself scarce. It had to be the
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