Read Online Crossroads by Wendy Saunders - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wendy Saunders
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caught up in Olivia’s books you probably forgot to eat anything.’
She looked down to the bag and her mouth watered at the scent wafting towards her. He was right she had forgotten all about eating.
‘Oh alright,’ she sighed, moving back so he could step into her small apartment.
She closed the door as he placed Beau down on the floor and unhooked his leash. The minute the puppy was free he scrambled across the floor and began to sniff everything in sight, acquainting himself with his new surroundings. Jake watched him in amusement for a moment as he bumped into another pile of books and rolled over on the floor.
‘He’s as clumsy as you are,’ he smiled fondly.
Veronica’s heart sank. That was probably how he looked at her, with that same indulgent smile. He’d never see her as a sexy confident woman, who the hell was she kidding? He was way out of her league.
‘I’ll get some plates,’ she sighed softly in resignation.
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ he frowned at her tone.
‘Nothing, I’m fine,’ she turned towards the kitchen.
‘’Did you hurt yourself?’ He noticed her limping slightly, and as she cradled her elbow his frown deepened.
‘It’s nothing,’ she replied. There was no way she was embarrassing herself further by telling him that she not only tripped over her own feet but also the coffee table and the books, in the short distance between her couch and the door.
‘It doesn’t look like nothing.’ He dropped the bag of food down by the door and scooped her up effortlessly into his arms.
‘Jake,’ she flushed again, ‘it’s really not that bad. Put me down.’
‘Be quiet, he murmured as he headed towards the couch, easily dodging the small land mines of books scattered across the floor.
He was so agile and full of quiet understated strength as he moved fluidly, settling her on the deep cushions of the couch.
‘Stay there,’ he ordered quietly as he scooped up the bag of food and disappeared into her small kitchen.
She heard him rustling around, the clank of plates being lifted out of the cupboard and the tinkle of glasses clinking together. Taking a moment to draw in a shaky breath she willed her heart to settle into a normal rhythm. It was mortifying having this reaction around him. All he’d done was carry her to the couch because she was being a klutz again, but the smell of him as he’d pressed her against his chest and his arms had tightened around her. She shook her head and blew out the breath she was holding, she was beginning to annoy herself. She needed to get rid of this fluttery schoolgirl feeling whenever she was around him and settle into the friend zone where he was already firmly planted.
He stepped back into the room, with a wine bottle and two wineglasses in one hand, both fully loaded plates balanced on his other hand and forearm and what appeared to be an icepack tucked under the arm which held the wine. He moved with thoughtless precision and that same graceful economy of motion, completely unaware of how appealing he was. Damn it, she wished she could be like that, he made it all look so easy. If that had been her, the dinner would already be splattered up the walls, the plates in pieces on the floor and she’d have probably cut open a major artery with the glasses and quite possibly knocked herself unconscious with the wine bottle.
‘Where’s Beau?’ she asked as he set the plates, glasses and wine on the table and pulled two packs of chopsticks out of his back pocket, dumping them on the table too.
‘He’s in the kitchen with his own food,’ he dropped down on the sofa next to her with a grin. ‘I learned the hard way, if I actually want to eat all the food on my plate I have to distract him.’
‘Smart.’
‘I like to think so,’ he picked up the icepack. ‘Okay where does it hurt?’
‘My elbow.’
‘Not the ankle?’
‘Stubbed toe, its fine.’
‘Okay elbow it is then,’ he took her injured arm carefully and examined
She looked down to the bag and her mouth watered at the scent wafting towards her. He was right she had forgotten all about eating.
‘Oh alright,’ she sighed, moving back so he could step into her small apartment.
She closed the door as he placed Beau down on the floor and unhooked his leash. The minute the puppy was free he scrambled across the floor and began to sniff everything in sight, acquainting himself with his new surroundings. Jake watched him in amusement for a moment as he bumped into another pile of books and rolled over on the floor.
‘He’s as clumsy as you are,’ he smiled fondly.
Veronica’s heart sank. That was probably how he looked at her, with that same indulgent smile. He’d never see her as a sexy confident woman, who the hell was she kidding? He was way out of her league.
‘I’ll get some plates,’ she sighed softly in resignation.
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ he frowned at her tone.
‘Nothing, I’m fine,’ she turned towards the kitchen.
‘’Did you hurt yourself?’ He noticed her limping slightly, and as she cradled her elbow his frown deepened.
‘It’s nothing,’ she replied. There was no way she was embarrassing herself further by telling him that she not only tripped over her own feet but also the coffee table and the books, in the short distance between her couch and the door.
‘It doesn’t look like nothing.’ He dropped the bag of food down by the door and scooped her up effortlessly into his arms.
‘Jake,’ she flushed again, ‘it’s really not that bad. Put me down.’
‘Be quiet, he murmured as he headed towards the couch, easily dodging the small land mines of books scattered across the floor.
He was so agile and full of quiet understated strength as he moved fluidly, settling her on the deep cushions of the couch.
‘Stay there,’ he ordered quietly as he scooped up the bag of food and disappeared into her small kitchen.
She heard him rustling around, the clank of plates being lifted out of the cupboard and the tinkle of glasses clinking together. Taking a moment to draw in a shaky breath she willed her heart to settle into a normal rhythm. It was mortifying having this reaction around him. All he’d done was carry her to the couch because she was being a klutz again, but the smell of him as he’d pressed her against his chest and his arms had tightened around her. She shook her head and blew out the breath she was holding, she was beginning to annoy herself. She needed to get rid of this fluttery schoolgirl feeling whenever she was around him and settle into the friend zone where he was already firmly planted.
He stepped back into the room, with a wine bottle and two wineglasses in one hand, both fully loaded plates balanced on his other hand and forearm and what appeared to be an icepack tucked under the arm which held the wine. He moved with thoughtless precision and that same graceful economy of motion, completely unaware of how appealing he was. Damn it, she wished she could be like that, he made it all look so easy. If that had been her, the dinner would already be splattered up the walls, the plates in pieces on the floor and she’d have probably cut open a major artery with the glasses and quite possibly knocked herself unconscious with the wine bottle.
‘Where’s Beau?’ she asked as he set the plates, glasses and wine on the table and pulled two packs of chopsticks out of his back pocket, dumping them on the table too.
‘He’s in the kitchen with his own food,’ he dropped down on the sofa next to her with a grin. ‘I learned the hard way, if I actually want to eat all the food on my plate I have to distract him.’
‘Smart.’
‘I like to think so,’ he picked up the icepack. ‘Okay where does it hurt?’
‘My elbow.’
‘Not the ankle?’
‘Stubbed toe, its fine.’
‘Okay elbow it is then,’ he took her injured arm carefully and examined
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