Read Online Friendly Fire by Lorhainne Eckhart - Free Book Online Page A

without hesitation. He deepened the kiss, tasting her and sliding his hand over her cheek, into her hair, and angling his mouth to hers. When he pulled back, feeling her warm breath and tasting wine on her...he knew that, whatever it took, he was going to find a way to make her his.

Chapter 11
    W hat the hell had she been thinking? All night, she had tossed and turned, burning as she relived the million-dollar kiss Logan Wilde had set on her in his Jeep; scrambling her will, leaving her so weak in the knees that she had barely been able to walk to the front door.
    Logan hadn’t just dropped her off and run. In fact, he had taken her keys, walked her to the front door, and unlocked it—even checking the house to make sure everything was locked up while Julia paid the sitter. Then he’d driven Susie home, which was only at the end of the street, making it clear that he wasn’t about to let a kid walk anywhere alone at night—no matter how small the town was or how close she lived. He hadn’t just left and let Julia shut the door, either. No, he had hung out in the doorway for what felt like an eternity, though it was actually only a few seconds, letting her know in his unspoken way, as his gaze lingered, that he too was reliving that kiss—or at least that was what she hoped.
    Of course, without a good night’s sleep, Julia was both cranky and overtired this morning. She was late opening up, and several customers were standing outside, peering in through the window. In her haste, she then burned herself on the new steamer and broke a plate and mug. Now she had a phone order from the firehouse and was hurrying to get their eight meals ready for pickup before the lunch crowd came in. The jangle on the door had her glancing up from where she was spreading mayo on bread, and she damn near choked when she saw Logan. He angled his chin and started toward her, and damn it all if she didn’t feel a blush warm her cheeks. She tried to duck her head but ended up knocking over a container of chicken.
    “Oh, shit,” she muttered as she dropped to her knees and grabbed the container holding the last of her chicken. Then she just looked up at Logan from where he stood above her, looking at her amid the mess.
    “Are you okay?” he asked in a light, teasing way.
    She wondered for a minute whether he was making fun of her. She grabbed at the chicken on the ground and stood up, dumping the rest in the sink and then wiping her hands on a dishcloth, trying to steady her nerves enough to look up at him.
    Maybe he already knew how much he had unsettled her, because the next thing she knew, he was setting his fingers under her chin and lifting. His thumb was rough and calloused, and it felt so good.
    “Are you okay?” he repeated. This time, he was serious, and she set her hand over his, strong and steady, something she could really lean on. She wondered whether he’d try to kiss her again.
    “I’m fine, really. I’m just…”
    “You’re a beautiful woman, Julia.”
    She had to stop him, so she shut her eyes as she set her hand on his chest, which was a mistake. She could feel the hard muscles, the heat, and she longed to run her hand under his light shirt and touch his bare chest. He wore no coat today, just his jeans and a light button-up shirt. She wanted to undo each one of those buttons and take her time exploring that magnificent chest and every other inch of him.
    “No, I can’t do this,” she said. “You’re dangerous…”
    “I’d never hurt you,” he said, setting both hands in her hair, holding her face so she had to look up at him. She wanted him to kiss her, to taste her. She wanted a lot more.
    “You just say that, but you don’t really know what’ll set you off. I can’t go through it again. I won’t do that to my daughters.” She made herself step back, pulling her hand away.
    Logan rubbed his thumb over her ear, cupping her cheek, and she leaned in, fighting the urge to whimper. “There’s