Read Online Cowboy Take Me Away by Soraya Lane - Free Book Online

seeing casually, but still …
    Chase nudged her before leaning back into the leather booth seat. “Why? We haven’t done anything wrong.”
    Maybe they hadn’t physically, but the way they’d touched, the way they were behaving, was not okay if either of them was in any kind of a relationship.
    â€œYou just had some floozy wanting a booty call with you. Call me crazy but I don’t actually think you’d be the kind to cheat if you were actually with someone.”
    Chase smiled as a waiter approached them, and he glanced at her as he ordered, raising his eyebrows then ordering for her when she nodded. It was funny how they could just switch back into the comfortable way they’d always been.
    â€œGod, we need more alcohol,” he muttered. “But you’re right, I might like to love ’em and leave ’em, but I’m not a cheater. Never have been, never will be.”
    â€œGlad to hear you haven’t changed,” she told him, pleased when a glass of wine arrived at their table barely minutes after he’d ordered.
    â€œIt’s an award-winning Willamette Valley pinot, so it should be good. Or at least it sounded good on the wine list.” Chase held up his glass and clinked it softly to hers when she did the same. “To old friends.”
    â€œTo old friends,” she repeated, holding his gaze as he took a slow, steady sip from his glass. His eyes were burning into her, not giving her a moment to escape, holding her captive. The red was smooth and silky, just how she liked it. “So tell me. Who was she and how did she almost tame you?”
    â€œYou say it like I’m some kind of a wild animal,” he muttered good-naturedly.
    â€œUm, when it comes to the opposite sex? Sorry, but that’s exactly what you’re like.”
    Chase stared at his glass for a long moment before finally raising his eyes. “I’ll have you know that I was pretty easy to capture in the end. She was beautiful and smart and funny, and I didn’t give a damn about not being able to play around anymore.”
    Hope swallowed, hard. “What happened?” If he’d felt like that about a woman, then why had it ended?
    â€œTurns out she was putting on a pretty good show. She lied to me about her past and she was just another gold digger wanting to catch herself a rich husband.”
    â€œOh, Chase, I’m sorry.” She bit down on her lip, fingers itching to reach out to his, so they could connect like before, but scared of what it might mean if she let herself be the one to initiate something.
    â€œSo you’re not the only one with a few romantic wounds.” His voice was lighthearted now, the darkness gone. “I’m just pleased I figured her out before things had gone too far. Man, if we’d have been married or had kids…” He paused, his face falling. “Fuck, sorry. I didn’t mean…”
    â€œIt’s fine,” she said, fixing a smile even though she was breaking inside. “Harrison’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Her heart was pounding, betraying her calm thoughts. She’d never wanted to be a single mom, never wanted to lie to anyone about her child’s father, but she’d done her best and Harrison had had the best grandparents in the world to help raise him. She couldn’t have asked for a more supportive family if she’d tried.
    â€œIt must be pretty crappy having to bring him up on your own though. We sure know how to pick ’em, huh?”
    She nodded, her breath coming in short rasps. Was it lying if she just wasn’t telling him the whole story? Or the truth?
    â€œSo how did you figure her out?” she asked, avoiding the topic of her being a single mom entirely.
    Chase grunted. “Nate didn’t like her, thought there was something just not quite right, so we decided to put her to the test. See if she actually was