Read Online Cinderella and the Playboy / The Texan's Happily-Ever-After by Lois Faye Dyer - Free Book Online Page A

her mouth. “Tell me if it’s hot enough.”
    Obediently, she parted her lips and took the bite.
    â€œHow is it?” he asked.
    â€œExcellent,” she told him. “Try it.”
    They took turns, Chance insisting on feeding her.
    When the bowl was empty, Jennifer rolled off the bed and carried the casserole dish to the long oak entertainment center across from the foot of the bed. A flat-screen TV was mounted on a wall bracket and on the polished oak surface below was a stack of books.
    â€œYou have a copy of the new Tom Clancy book,” she exclaimed. “I didn’t even know it was out.”
    â€œIt’s not. I have a friend at the publishing house and he sent me a copy before the release date.”
    Jennifer tilted the stack of books, reading the titles. “You have mystery, suspense and a couple of nonfiction titles.” She picked up one of the books and read the back cover copy. “What other genres do you like? Do you read romantic suspense?”
    He frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever read one. Unfortunately, I have to read a lot of medical journals so often my fiction reading has to take second place behind articles.”
    â€œI know what you mean. Textbooks have to come first with me, too.”
    â€œCome here.” Chance patted the bed beside him. “We still have cheesecake to eat.” Jennifer put down the stack of books and walked back to the bed, tucking the shirttails neatly beneath her as she sat.
    â€œI bet you were a cute little girl,” he told her as he cut the cheesecake with the fork.
    â€œWhat makes you think so?” she teased, opening her mouth to let him feed her.
    â€œBecause you sat down as if your mother trained you to tuck in your skirt and sit properly,” he told her with a grin.
    â€œIt was my grandmother,” she said without thinking, after she’d swallowed.
    â€œI bet you were your grandmother’s favorite granddaughter,” he told her.
    She fed him the bite, fascinated by the movement of strong throat muscles as he swallowed. “I was her only granddaughter,” she murmured absently, trailing her fingertips down his throat to his shoulder.
    â€œYou’re an only child, too?” he asked, surprised.
    â€œYes.” She forced a small smile, deciding to confirm what he probably already knew—that her background was light-years away from what had clearly been his privileged home life. “The only child of divorced parents. My mother declared she didn’t want any more children. She was far too busy meeting new men and having fun. I heard that my father remarried several times and had more children but I’ve never met any of my half-siblings.” She kept her gaze on the cheesecake, precisely cutting another bite. “I doubt my childhood was anything like yours.”
    â€œHey,” he murmured. His hand cupped her chin, tilting her face gently up until her gaze met his. His dark eyes searched hers. “Except for wishing you were happy, it doesn’t matter to me what your parents were like or where you spent your childhood, Jennifer. All I care about is that you’re here with me now.”
    Emotion flooded her. She knew there couldn’t be a future for them. All her time over the next few years was already committed to work, school and Annie. But for this night, she could forget about tomorrow and responsibilities. And if she felt things with Chance she’d never felt with anyone before, she’d worry about that tomorrow, too.
    â€œAll we have is right now,” she whispered,lowering the fork to the plate so she could slip her arms around him. “Let’s not waste a moment.”
    His dark eyes turned hot. Without releasing her, he shoved the towel, cheesecake and utensils onto the floor and bore her backward, his mouth taking hers as his weight settled over her.
    Jennifer welcomed the instant rise of desire