Read Online Falling Hard and Fast by Kylie Brant - Free Book Online

replay—slow hands, a clever mouth and exquisite sensation.
    Abruptly, she dropped her spoon with a clatter. “Hard to say. I just lost my appetite.”
    He reached over and snitched one of the packages of crackers Becky had served with the soup. “Now that’s a darn shame. Ethel makes the best gumbo in these parts. She’s going to be right put out if you don’t manage to eat more than that.”
    â€œI know how she feels. I’m feeling a little put out myself.”
    Pure wicked fire gleamed in his gray eyes, ruining the effect of the angelic expression he wore. “With me? What have I done?”
    â€œI’ve no interest in becoming the next item of gossip in Charity by having you link our names.” Nodding in the direction of the women still openly staring at them, she added, “I have a feeling that any woman seen with you is open to speculation.” She added deliberately, “I don’t like being the object of speculation.”
    He’d just bet she didn’t. Zoey Prescott was too serious and much too private to allow someone close enough to discover just exactly what made her tick. Carefully, he shifted his weight in the booth, avoiding contact with the back of the seat. The problem was, he was finding himself just about fascinated with the idea of exploring what was inside the woman; and that was cause for concern. Although he’d never begrudged a woman who wanted to be persuaded, he wasn’t one to waste his time where Not Interested signs were so clearly posted.
    At least, he never had been before.
    A corner of his mouth kicked up, slow and engaging. “You didn’t expect me to ignore what you did for me, now did you? I couldn’t do that, not even last night, when I was near delirious with pain.”
    Because her lips threatened to twitch, she firmed them. “Well, ‘delirious,’ at any rate.”
    He propped his elbows on the table and leaned closer. “My back feels some better today, but it probably wouldn’t hurt any to have someone take a look at it. Make sure it’s healing okay.”
    Her eyebrows rose at his blatant flirtation. “Maybe you should get a volunteer from your fan club over there. I believe they’re already signing donor cards for you.”
    Letting loose a laugh that had all eyes zeroing in on the two of them once again, he picked up her hand and sent his thumb skimming across her knuckles. “You’re mean, Zoey. I don’t know when I started finding that quality attractive in a woman.”
    She snatched her hand away. “Believe me, I can get a lot meaner.”
    His dimples deepened. “Since you’re only armed with a spoon this time, I figure I’ll take my chances.”
    Zoey gazed at him, allowing herself to wonder for a moment what, if anything, lay beneath that Southern-baked charm and lazy sense of humor. It was pathetically easy to dismiss a small-town Romeo whose ego was reflected in every mirror he passed. It might be harder to rebuff such a man whose mettle ran deeper, stronger. She had no reason to believe that Cage Gauthier was such a man. But still…
    She pushed her bowl away. She wasn’t in the market for a man—any man—at this point in her life. Given her incredible lack of success with the opposite sex, she wasn’t sure she ever would be.
    â€œListen, Mr.—Sheriff….” She moistened her lips andtried not to notice the way his attention immediately honed in on the action. “I’m sure you’re used to dazzling the female population of the parish, but—”
    â€œAre you going to eat that?”
    She blinked. “What?”
    He motioned to the soup she’d pushed away. “The gumbo. Are you finished with it? Because it sure does seem a shame to let it go to waste.”
    â€œNo. I mean, yes. I’m done with it.” She watched, bemused, as he took her answer as an invitation to pull