Read Online In Bed with Beauty by Katherine Garbera - Free Book Online Page B

wig in the morning. She refused to glance at the mirror to confirm her image. It didn’t seem fair that he looked ready for a photo shoot with GQ and she felt like a fashion don’t.
    “I brought you some things,” he said. He had face soap, a toothbrush and some toothpaste in his hands.
    “Thanks.”
    She reached for the toothbrush. But he didn’t hand it to her. Instead, he reached up and tucked one of her curls behind her ear. And she felt the first ray of hope she’d experienced since waking up alone. His caress was light, so light she was afraid she’d imagined it.
    She swallowed trying to think of the right thing to say. The right words that would convince Harris that maybe they had a chance at something more than just sex. The right words that would leave her dignity intact.
    “Damn, you feel so good.”
    She started to close the space between them. To reach for him and take him back to bed with her. That was the one place where they seemed to be on the same page.
    But he took a step back. She felt like he’d slapped her in the face. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she glanced around for her purse. And couldn’t find it. She paced past, Harris into the living room. There it was.
    “Dammit, Sarah. I promised myself I wouldn’t take you again.”
    “Why?” she asked, wondering if he had some kind of one night rule.
    “I think we need to talk.” He rubbed his hand over his face. Maybe this wasn’t a routine thing for him either?
    “I don’t like the sound of that,” she said, carefully.
    “I don’t like the thought of that. I’d rather keep you in my bed all weekend.”
    Earlier she’d have agreed to it but her emotions, the ones she’d carefully kept hidden since Paul walked out on her, warned her that she was getting too involved with Harris. “I’m not objecting.”
    “Yes, you are. You’d be worried about your siblings and your restaurant.”
    “When you touch me I can’t think.”
    “Don’t say things like that. I’m trying to be noble.”
    There was seriousness to his words that touched her soul. “You don’t have to try.”
    “Hell, yes I do.”
    She’d noticed how hard he drove himself. Last night he’d gotten out of bed in the middle of the night to work. She’d found him and brought him back but it had shown exactly where his mind lay. Exactly where he felt the most comfort and exactly where he felt the most secure. “You’re too hard on yourself.”
    He grunted. What did that mean? Why did men respond like that when they didn’t want to pursue a line of conversation?
    Sarah made a quick decision. “I can’t talk like this. I need a shower and clean clothes.”
    He nodded. “I’ll call down to Ray and have him take you home. We can meet later for lunch. Is your car working again?”
    “My car’s fine.”
    “Lunch then?”
    She started to agree. But she realized there was something very distant about Harris this morning. His conversation said he wanted to get to know her a little better but his body language said…was he afraid of getting hurt?
    “Why don’t you come home with me? I’ll fix us a nice breakfast and we can talk there.”

    Harris wasn’t sure exactly how he ended up at the small bungalow Sarah called home but here he was. On the back patio surrounded by her family and his driver. Ray was a strange little man—kind of funny but with weird silences. Harris was uncomfortable sharing a meal with staff but Sarah had given him a look that said he better get over it.
    Ray didn’t look too pleased, either. He’d gotten another call on his cell phone when they’d arrived and Harris had overheard him say leave me alone, dammit, I’m doing the best I can.
    There was more to his driver than Harris wanted to know. He liked keeping people in their places. But Sarah was making him realize that people had lives outside of their jobs. He’d always known that but now she was letting him see it and he wasn’t sure he liked this new vision.
    Why pleasing