Read Online In the Line of Fire by Jennifer LaBrecque - Free Book Online Page B

of memories. She didn’t want him thinking of her as Rion’s younger sister with braces. No, she might’ve blurted it out earlier when Rochelle had asked about a honeymoon but it wouldn’t do.
    She did, however, have a place she’d always wanted to go that was within reasonable driving distance, and romantic to boot. “What about Gatlinburg, Tennessee? Have you ever been?”
    â€œNever have but I always thought it sounded interesting tucked up at the edge of the Smoky Mountains.” He smiled at her across the table and her heart felt as if it flip-flopped in her chest.
    Tonight she’d be sharing a room with Colton Sawyer. The very idea made her tingle.
    Â 
    C OLTON SLID HIS WALLET back into his pocket after settling the bill, dead-ass certain he was making one hell of a mistake. He was equally dead-ass certain he simply didn’t have the willpower to give up the opportunity to spend time with a woman he wanted more than his next breath.
    Andi stood at his elbow and it was as if every nerve in his body was tuned in to her—her scent, the cadence of her breath, the healthy glow of her skin, the sparkle in her eyes. Longing rippled through him. No doubt, going with her was foolish, but walking away from the opportunity was impossible.
    Colton finished settling the bill and Rochelle rounded the counter. “I just want to wish you both the best of luck. Y’all sure have brightened my day. Heck, I’m gonna give you a hug.” The waitress enveloped both of them in a group embrace. “I think you’re going to love Gatlinburg. Look, honey,” she said to Andi, “you just relax and have a good time before he has to go back to Afghanistan.” She winked at Colton. “And you get in a little R & R. Trust me, all the rest of it will work itself out. This ole gal has got a whole lot of living behind her and the one thing I’ve figured out that’s true—don’t sweat the small stuff…and it’s all small stuff.”
    Rochelle insisted on treating them as a couple, even though they weren’t, but Colton figured that was definitely the small stuff so he let it slide.
    Andi offered Rochelle a sunny smile. HisAndi— whoa, dangerous thinking there, correction— Andi was a charmer. “It was so nice to meet you. How far is it to the nearest Walmart or Target?”
    Rochelle eyed her sympathetically, “I guess you’re about ready to get out of that getup, huh?”
    Andi nodded. “I can’t wait to change.”
    Colton really, really wished he hadn’t heard that. Immediately it brought to mind the image of her standing next to a bed clad only in bra, panties and hose. The idea was enough to damn near break him out in a sweat. Thinking of Andi undressing and/or undressed was someplace he didn’t need to go.
    According to Rochelle, they were within ten miles of a store where they could do one-stop shopping. After another round of goodbyes and well-wishes they were on their way.
    Neither of them spoke as he headed north on the expressway. He pulled out his cell phone. “I’m going to call my mother and tell her not to expect us back today. Much longer and both yours and mine are going to be worried.”
    Andi drew a deep breath. “No. I’ll call. I’m the one who ran. I’m the one who wants to go on this trip. I couldn’t talk to her earlier, but now I have to. You can talk to your mother if you want to afterward but I need to make the initial call.”
    Colton nodded, placing his phone in the middle console. He admired and respected her for that. Andi looked at him. “But I’m going to tell you rightnow that I have no intention of telling Mom where we’re going. She doesn’t exactly respect boundaries. She’d be showing up before we could blink. Unfortunately, that means you can’t tell your mother either because my mother would hound it out of her sooner