Read Online Envious by Cheryl Douglas - Free Book Online

over her bronzed shoulders. It was a warm night, so her legs were bare. He itched to stroke them and find out if they were as soft as they looked.
    She laughed self-consciously. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
    “I’m sorry.” He felt heat rising up his neck. So much for playing it cool. “You look beautiful.”
    “Thanks.” She smoothed a hand over her stomach. “I hope it’s not too much for what you had in mind. I bought this dress a few months ago, and I haven’t had a chance to wear it yet.”
    “No, it’s perfect.” A friend of his owned a little Italian restaurant not far from the unit. Since she had a weakness for pasta, he’d made reservations when she called to tell him she was free.
    “Great, just let me grab my purse and we can be on our way.” A little black purse hung over the wooden banister at the end of the stairs. She walked quickly across the tiled floor to fetch it.
    He smiled when he saw her sneak a peek at her reflection in the hall mirror. She’d gone to as much trouble to impress him as he had to impress her. Her effort was paying off in spades. He’d barely been able to string two words together since he walked in and saw her in a dress that made him realize fantasies could be born of a scrap of material. She gestured for him to precede her out the door as she reached into her purse for her keys. He noted her hand trembled a little as she slipped her key into the lock. When she turned around, he slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and led her across the street.
    “I think I’ll park the pick-up tonight,” he said, punching in the code to raise one of the doors to his detached garage.
    Her eyes widened when she saw the pair of vintage cars. “Oh… They’re gorgeous.”
    He wanted to tell her they were just shiny scraps of metal. She was gorgeous. “Thanks. Take your pick.”
    Biting her lip, she pointed to a cherry red ‘69 Shelby Mustang GT 500. “How about that one?”
    “Cool. You wanna drive?” He reached into his pocket for the keys.
    She shot up a sidelong glance before giggling. “You can’t be serious.”
    “Of course I am.” Dropping the keys into her palm, he winked before walking to the driver’s side and opening the door for her.
    With a breathless giggle, she rushed to the driver’s side. “Okay, if you insist.”
    “Hold on.” He reached for her wrist before she could slip inside. “You can only do the honors on one condition.”
    Rolling her eyes, she said, “I knew there had to be a catch. What is it?”
    “Promise you’ll drive it like you stole it.” She threw her head back and laughed, making him wish he could lean in and kiss the tender skin at the nape of her neck. “Is that a deal?”
    “You’re gonna be so sorry you said that, Rozen.” She slipped into the driver’s seat. “Remember, I was once a very, very bad girl.”
    He slammed the door and leaned over when she rolled down the window. “Show me how bad you can be, beautiful.”
    “You’re on.”
    As Chris rounded the rear of the car, he knew there was no turning back. He could deny his feelings for this woman while she shared a bed with his best friend, but as a free agent, all bets were off.
    Instead of turning into the parking lot of the plaza with the unit they were supposed to view, she drove right past, laughing out loud as she hit the gas to beat a yellow light. “If I had a car like this, I wouldn’t let it sit in a garage collecting dust. I didn’t even know you’d bought this.”
    “Just picked it up a few weeks ago,” he said, grinning. She was having so much fun driving the car, if he’d had any reservations about the six-figure price, he didn’t anymore. It was worth every penny just to see her smile like that. “A buddy called and asked if I might be interested in taking a run out to Oklahoma with him. He restores classic cars, and he had to pick up one he bought. The guy he bought it from had this baby in his collection. He didn’t