Read Online Front Page Affair by Mira Lyn Kelly - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mira Lyn Kelly
Ads: Link
explain as an overprotective, testosterone-driven mania.
âIâm being an ass. Thereâs nothing wrong with your apartment.â In fact, as he adjusted his perspective, he couldnât see anything wrong with it at all. It wasnât brand-new or extravagant, but it was clean. Neat. Cozy. The view was attractive, the light good. The design was old Chicago, with attractive molding and high ceilings throughout. Crystal-knob fixtures and etched-glass transoms. A brick hearth. Hardwood floors. The apartment was attractive. The furniture tasteful and conservative. Homey.
He simply hadnât expected to find Payton Liss living here. And for some reason, it irritated him that she did.
Arms still crossed, she shifted her weight from one hip to the other. Blew out a breath that sent a stray curl momentarily adrift, and then moved over to the couch and plopped down into the cushions. âYou werenât much worse than Brandt. So, I suppose Iâll have to forgive you.â
Wow , not much worse than Brandt. He needed to spend more time with his dad if heâd become that much of a snob.
Nate glanced over to where sheâd leaned into the cushioned armrest. An open paperback lay atop the coffee table besideher and a cup of tea that looked as though it had gone cool some time ago. He dropped into the opposite corner. It was comfortable. Good to be sitting with her. Only⦠He reached across and pulled Payton into him, tucking her under his shoulder, adjusting her just so as she laughed, not bothering to protest at all.
âOh, yeah, thatâs it.â Nice.
How many times had they sat like this as kids, watching TV, talking, joking around? How many times had he thought about it while wondering why another woman didnât fit quite as well? Payton was small boned and delicate, with all those sweet soft spots that made her fit just right.
After a minute of enjoying the familiarity, he rubbed a hand over her shoulder and leaned back to look at her. âIâm not trying to be insulting, but Iâve got to ask. What about your fatherâs estate? I mean, the Lisses are wealthy.â
She plucked a bit at the hem of her shirt before answering. âHonestly, my family is very generous and my mother would probably love to finance my every expenditure, but that kind of dependence comes with too many strings. I earn my own salary andâ¦now that my father is gone, I prefer to pay my own way.â
Ah-h-h. There it was. The mention of her father with the accompanying wince to go along. The visible twinge of guilt as though the admission that she was going against his wishes still pained her.
And yet she was doing it anyway. Changing her life.
With no rescue necessary, all he had to offer was the gentle squeeze of his hand over her shoulder. The quiet communication that he understood. And maybe a confidence of his own.
âWeâve got a date Tuesday night to stir up more press and gossip, but todayâs beautiful. What do you say we take a ride somewhere and talk?â Payton deserved to know what hadspurred this whole fiasco. âHead down to the Dunes? We can work out the game plan for the month. Pace it out. And maybe just catch up some, too.â
Her smile lit up the room. âLet me grab a sweater.â
CHAPTER EIGHT
B ENEATH the late September sky, Nate cut through the side streets, heading for Lake Shore Drive. Payton sat snuggled beside him in the sleek silver convertible, face tipped to catch the warm sunshine washing the city in an amber glow. The cold snap of a few days before coupled with the strong winds had blown half the autumn leaves from their trees in one quick drop. The result was a glorious quilt of toasted hues, alive with the wind, surging in swells and chasing the car in spirals of rusts and golds.
It was beautiful.
Nate grinned beside her. âFall still your favorite time of year?â
âYes. Though it isnât quite the same living in
âIâm being an ass. Thereâs nothing wrong with your apartment.â In fact, as he adjusted his perspective, he couldnât see anything wrong with it at all. It wasnât brand-new or extravagant, but it was clean. Neat. Cozy. The view was attractive, the light good. The design was old Chicago, with attractive molding and high ceilings throughout. Crystal-knob fixtures and etched-glass transoms. A brick hearth. Hardwood floors. The apartment was attractive. The furniture tasteful and conservative. Homey.
He simply hadnât expected to find Payton Liss living here. And for some reason, it irritated him that she did.
Arms still crossed, she shifted her weight from one hip to the other. Blew out a breath that sent a stray curl momentarily adrift, and then moved over to the couch and plopped down into the cushions. âYou werenât much worse than Brandt. So, I suppose Iâll have to forgive you.â
Wow , not much worse than Brandt. He needed to spend more time with his dad if heâd become that much of a snob.
Nate glanced over to where sheâd leaned into the cushioned armrest. An open paperback lay atop the coffee table besideher and a cup of tea that looked as though it had gone cool some time ago. He dropped into the opposite corner. It was comfortable. Good to be sitting with her. Only⦠He reached across and pulled Payton into him, tucking her under his shoulder, adjusting her just so as she laughed, not bothering to protest at all.
âOh, yeah, thatâs it.â Nice.
How many times had they sat like this as kids, watching TV, talking, joking around? How many times had he thought about it while wondering why another woman didnât fit quite as well? Payton was small boned and delicate, with all those sweet soft spots that made her fit just right.
After a minute of enjoying the familiarity, he rubbed a hand over her shoulder and leaned back to look at her. âIâm not trying to be insulting, but Iâve got to ask. What about your fatherâs estate? I mean, the Lisses are wealthy.â
She plucked a bit at the hem of her shirt before answering. âHonestly, my family is very generous and my mother would probably love to finance my every expenditure, but that kind of dependence comes with too many strings. I earn my own salary andâ¦now that my father is gone, I prefer to pay my own way.â
Ah-h-h. There it was. The mention of her father with the accompanying wince to go along. The visible twinge of guilt as though the admission that she was going against his wishes still pained her.
And yet she was doing it anyway. Changing her life.
With no rescue necessary, all he had to offer was the gentle squeeze of his hand over her shoulder. The quiet communication that he understood. And maybe a confidence of his own.
âWeâve got a date Tuesday night to stir up more press and gossip, but todayâs beautiful. What do you say we take a ride somewhere and talk?â Payton deserved to know what hadspurred this whole fiasco. âHead down to the Dunes? We can work out the game plan for the month. Pace it out. And maybe just catch up some, too.â
Her smile lit up the room. âLet me grab a sweater.â
CHAPTER EIGHT
B ENEATH the late September sky, Nate cut through the side streets, heading for Lake Shore Drive. Payton sat snuggled beside him in the sleek silver convertible, face tipped to catch the warm sunshine washing the city in an amber glow. The cold snap of a few days before coupled with the strong winds had blown half the autumn leaves from their trees in one quick drop. The result was a glorious quilt of toasted hues, alive with the wind, surging in swells and chasing the car in spirals of rusts and golds.
It was beautiful.
Nate grinned beside her. âFall still your favorite time of year?â
âYes. Though it isnât quite the same living in
Similar Books
