Read Online Exposed by S Anders - Free Book Online Page A

"hon"?
    Jack drove down his street twenty minutes early.
    "Whoa, boy, don't be so eager."
    He knew it was silly to wait, but he did it anyway. He pulled his truck to the curb two blocks away to wait a few minutes. He didn't want to hurry her. Truth was he was a little nervous about going to his house to eat alone with a beautiful woman. Two days ago, he'd have been wondering if Sadie was very drunk by now or just a little drunk, and the next thing he’d wonder was whether they'd argue over what to eat.
    "'Fess up, Jack," he muttered. "Two days ago you didn't come home until after ten." He'd stayed in the office, hiding from Sadie. Jack rubbed his face. "Do not want to think about her."
    Sadie had called him five times that day. It had been hell arguing with her. He couldn't convince her she'd really been served divorce papers. He'd advised her to get a lawyer right away and quit calling him. He'd also mentioned all debt she incurred was hers from that moment on.
    Then his lawyer had called saying he might have to move out of the house, because he couldn't keep Sadie out of it just because she’d cheated. It didn't work that way, no matter how justified it felt. His lawyer had said it would take Sadie a while to get the court to order it ... and to just be prepared.
    "Okay—seriously, buddy, I'm not ruining this special thing about to happen."
    Jack forced himself to turn his thoughts away from the demise of his marriage. Think of Nia . Pretty little Nia, waiting at his house with dinner ready.
    The anxiety he'd been feeling eased. This was going to be really nice. He started his truck, hoping he'd waited long enough, but knowing he'd still be early and he’d probably look too eager for the homemade dinner with good company.
    He glanced at the flowers on the seat next to him. He really wanted to give them to Nia, but he'd been back and forth in his thoughts about whether he should. Finally, he just grabbed them on the way out of his truck. He was glad a minute later when he walked into the house and Nia met him in the hallway.
    "They're beautiful, Jack," she exclaimed. "I love roses and I've never seen white ones before."
    "The woman at the flower shop said white roses symbolized new beginnings, so I thought ..."
    Nia smiled. "Even more special. You make me feel better—that I didn't get carried away." She backed into the kitchen, where he could smell something very good—as he came around the corner he saw his small kitchen table was decked out.
    Looking at the candle and nice wine glasses, he smiled at her reference about doing too much. "I like it, and it smells great in here."
    Jack went to put his jacket in the closet and set his laptop and small briefcase in the living room. He undid his tie, slinging it off to lie on the arm of the couch that he called his bed for the time being. Then he unbuttoned the top of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves a bit, getting relaxed.
    "I didn't buy wine or anything, but I thought the glasses looked nice and I made sweet tea if you like that," Nia called from the kitchen.
    Jack took his cell out and turned it off. "I love sweet tea," he called back.
    He stood for a moment where Nia couldn't see him, memorizing the way she’d looked in jeans and a yellow summer top with thin straps. She'd been wearing a Fabric Barn tunic the day before ... both days he'd seen her. However, he knew from the other morning she had a slender body, rounded in all the right places. The curve of her bottom in the jeans she was wearing was going to taunt him all night.
    He'd admitted she was a pretty woman before this, but coming home and seeing her dressed in the sexy little top she was wearing ... it just crashed over him. He had a hot babe in his house—going to sit down and eat dinner with him.
    "Whoa, boy," he muttered.
    He had to keep his cool and treat it like the innocent dinner it was. Okay—now that he'd gotten through his first reaction he could just appreciate having dinner with a lovely