Read Online His To Keep by Stephanie Julian - Free Book Online

barely said much to begin with.
    And it was her fault.
    Last weekend, he’d tried to talk to her, and she’d practically ripped his head off. It was time to set things straight. She should have done it earlier this week but this was the first time she’d been able to catch him. He’d gone out of his way to avoid being alone with her this week.
    She was tired of walking on eggshells. She’d been stewing about that kiss for days and she couldn’t take it any longer. She had to know why he’d done it.
    “I’d like to apologize for treating you so poorly Friday night,” she began. “My manners were awful and I need to say I’m sorry.”
    He frowned and confusion settled onto every inch of his expression. “Is something wrong? Did something happen.”
    She controlled the urge to roll her eyes. “Everything’s fine. I simply realized I was rude on Saturday and I wanted to apologize.”
    If she was being truthful, at least with herself, she couldn’t stand the strain between them. It’d been different before. They’d built up a rhythm over the past eight years—avoidance, annoyance, antagonism.
    That had changed when she’d kissed him last week. And he’d blown any chance of going back to that rhythm after he’d kissed her Friday night.
    Since they both worked here, and neither was going anywhere, they would have to find a way to get along. Rip the bandage off, so to speak.
    And, since she was being so honest with herself, she wanted to know if maybe...just maybe…
    Nic’s eyes narrowed as if he’d read her mind. She had his full attention now, and his gaze burned like the hottest flame.
    Then he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, dragging the long, black strands away from his face. The man had gorgeous hair. For so long, she’d ached to sift it through her fingers. When he scrubbed a hand over his chin, his closely trimmed black beard rasped against his skin, reminding her of how it had felt against her cheek when he’d kissed her.
    “Annie…” He sighed. “Alright. Apology accepted…if you accept mine, as well. I don’t really have an excuse. But I am sorry for frightening you.”
    Okay, time to stop screwing around. She’d done a lot of thinking this week, mostly about what Janey had said. The time had come to test that theory. The theory that Nic wanted her.
    With a small smile, she grabbed onto her courage with both hands and sat in the chair by his desk. As long as she was being honest with herself, she decided to admit that she might have allowed her skirt to slide up a little higher, expose more thigh than she normally would.
    And had to hide a triumphant grin when his gaze slid down her body before snapping up to hers again. “You didn’t frighten me, Nic. You startled me. There’s a difference.”
    His eyes widened slightly. “Oh yeah?”
    “Of course. You caught me off guard. I wasn’t ready for it or expecting it, obviously. So…tell me why you kissed me.”
    She’d spoken the words without stumbling over them but was disappointed when his only reaction was a steady look. Seconds ticked by while he sat there, staring at her. She refused to fidget or drop his gaze and was rewarded when he looked away first.
    “I don’t think you want to hear the answer to that one.” The words sounded like a rumble in his chest.
    “On the contrary. I’d love to know.”
    Nic thought about what to say, what he should tell her and what he shouldn’t. He couldn’t give her the truth. He couldn’t tell her that he’d been waiting seven years to kiss her again.
    “You know, I think you had the right idea the first time.” He lifted his hand to rub at the ever-present ache in his neck. “We should just forget it.”
    If he thought—hoped—that she’d let it go at that, he was sadly mistaken. “So, it wasn’t because of any…feelings you might have for me?”
    Forcing his gaze to meet hers, he jolted at the realization that behind that mask of indifference lay heated interest.
    His