Read Online Gypsy Love: A Gypsy Beach Novel by Jillian Neal - Free Book Online Page B

dissect the reasons he did anything that he did, but for some reason he wanted to tell her. “Honestly, it was what I said about my mom and me. My dad walked out when I was maybe four or five. He moved to Mobile with his mistress and very conveniently hid any money he ever made. He left her, and she had nothing. She used to work three jobs trying to keep our rent paid and keep me fed. I guess I wanted to stop shit like that from happening. I definitely grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. That’s all we could afford. He ran a motel in Mobile in his girlfriend’s name and funneled all of the money to her. He didn’t marry her until I turned eighteen, so the income never showed up as his.
    “Mom didn’t have the money or the knowledge of how to force him to prove any of that. He was, quote unquote, unemployed, and therefore she got nothing.” The hatred shuddered through his body. “When I graduated and got hired on at the firm where I work, I saved everything I made, bought my mom a house and paid for her to go Georgia State. She wants to be a teacher. She’s student teaching this year and should have a job by December. She’s gonna graduate top of her class.”
    The pride in his tone and the broad grin that had masked the disdain previously etched his face made Arley’s heart swell. “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry, but that’s such a fantastic thing that you did for her.”
    He scoffed. “She did everything for me, so that was the least I could do.”
    “You’re really completely amazing. Do you know that?” She couldn’t help but gush. He was truly an amazing human being.
    “Definitely not amazing, but I do love my mama.”
    Arley beamed at him, soothing the bitter ache that discussing his sperm donor always brought on.
    “So, tell me, what does Arley Copeland, soon-to-be famous author, like to read?”
    She rolled her eyes at what she considered hyperbole, but John knew she was going to be a success. He wouldn’t stop until she was. “Well, I obviously read a lot of romance. Every book you read makes you a better writer. That’s what Daddy always told me, anyway. And I love the happy endings. I want the characters to end up with a happy life at the end. I’m pretty sure that’s what I love most about my genre. But I read classics, too. Nin and Miller are my favorites, just like you said. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice about a thousand times. I love Collette’s descriptions, even if her works occasionally don’t go anywhere.” She wrinkled her tiny adorable nose, and John chuckled. The sudden feeling that he never wanted this conversation to end should have frightened him more than it did.
    “Hey, I’m sorry I keep going back to this. Honestly, the only thing I seem capable of thinking about is kissing you. I’m trying to distract myself with work so you can at least finish your meal.” His confession was riddled with need and buffered shame. The combination was intoxicating.
    “I think I’d really like the kissing thing, but if you want to talk about work, it’s okay.” The fevered heat settled in her pale cheeks once again.
    Another sly grin accompanied his devastatingly sexy wink. “Don’t worry, baby doll. I plan to get to the kissing soon enough. I don’t have that much restraint. I was just wondering if you have any letters, emails, anything from your dad praising your work. That’s all it will take to debunk your aunt’s claim that you’re doing something he wouldn’t approve of.”
    “Oh,” Arley willed her brain to re-engage. Her mind had offered her a very sexy scene, only this time she was the heroine and John was most certainly the hero. She shook herself slightly. “Uh, yes, I do. He helped me with my first few manuscripts before I sent them to publishers. We exchanged lots of emails about my work, and he always said how proud he was of me.” The haunting loss tripped and entangled itself in the memories. She drew a restorative sip of the most fantastic