Read Online Kiss Me Forever (Bachelors & Bridesmaids #1) by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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sure she would take advantage of it at the first opportunity.
He pulled into his driveway but didn't bother to shut off the engine. He needed to get back to the gym and talk to Mick.
"You're not going inside?" Andrea asked.
"No, I have to run an errand. I'll pick you up at your place at six, all right?"
"Sounds good. Cocktail attire?"
He nodded, thinking that he'd like to see her in a sexy, short dress.
"This party isn't on a boat or a plane or any other moving vehicle, is it?" she asked.
Smiling, he said, "No, it's in a building, but there is a high-speed elevator to the fiftieth floor. Can you handle that? Because otherwise it's going to be a long walk up the stairs."
She smiled back at him. "Would you walk with me?"
"No way. But I would have a drink waiting when you got to the top."
"I can handle the elevator."
"Good."
She opened her door, then paused, glancing back at him. "Thanks for taking me to the gym. I think I finally caught a brief glimpse of the real you."
"The real me isn't hiding, Andrea. What you see is what you get."
"I don't think that's true at all. Everyone has layers, and I suspect you have quite a few. I'm looking forward to unraveling them."
She got out of the car and shut the door. As he watched her walk to her car, all he could think about was how he'd like to unravel some of her clothes—forget about layers.
Shaking his head, he told himself to get a grip. He'd been flirting with her on the boat because it had been fun and also because he'd wanted to see how he could manipulate her. In that situation, the power had all been on his side, and that's where he needed to keep it.
After leaving his house, he drove back to the gym, wanting to have a private word with Mick before Andrea could get to him. He half expected to see her pulling into the alley in front of him, but thankfully that didn't happen.
Mick was in his office now, going over some paperwork.
"Did you forget something?" Mick asked in surprise.
Alex walked in and shut the door behind him. "We need to talk."
"In a second." Mick punched out numbers on a calculator, adding up a string of invoices, and then swore.
"Problem?" Alex quizzed, dumping a pile of fitness magazines on the floor so he could take a seat in front of the desk.
"They raised the entry fee in the San Jose Boxing Competition in January."
"How much?"
"Three hundred and eighty-five dollars."
Alex rolled his eyes and dug into his pocket for his wallet. "You want it in twenties or tens?"
"You shouldn't be walking around with that much cash." Mick motioned toward the wad in Alex's hand. "People like you get robbed down here."
"People like me know how to protect themselves. I have you to thank for that."
"Just don't get too comfortable, Alex. When you stop looking over your shoulder is when trouble comes. And I don't need any more money, so put that away. The check you gave me earlier will keep us going for quite a while.
"Good. But speaking of trouble, I need a favor."
"What's that?"
"I may have a problem."
Mick laughed, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "You definitely have a problem, and she's a beautiful blonde named Andrea."
"Yes, but she's not trouble in the way you mean. She's doing a story on me."
"That's not all she's doing on you."
He frowned at Mick's cheerful smile. "Look, Andrea wants to interview you. I probably shouldn't have brought her down here, but I can't take that back now."
"And you want me to cover for you." Mick leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up on the desk. "I don't know if I should."
"Why not?"
"Secrets eat away at the soul."
"They also protect," he countered. "And you know I'm not just talking about myself."
"If you're so worried about your privacy, why did you agree to the interview?"
"Because I've never had a problem handling a reporter before."
Mick's grin broadened. "She got under your skin."
"Yeah," he admitted. "And she's determined to find out all my secrets."
"Did you really feel it was necessary
He pulled into his driveway but didn't bother to shut off the engine. He needed to get back to the gym and talk to Mick.
"You're not going inside?" Andrea asked.
"No, I have to run an errand. I'll pick you up at your place at six, all right?"
"Sounds good. Cocktail attire?"
He nodded, thinking that he'd like to see her in a sexy, short dress.
"This party isn't on a boat or a plane or any other moving vehicle, is it?" she asked.
Smiling, he said, "No, it's in a building, but there is a high-speed elevator to the fiftieth floor. Can you handle that? Because otherwise it's going to be a long walk up the stairs."
She smiled back at him. "Would you walk with me?"
"No way. But I would have a drink waiting when you got to the top."
"I can handle the elevator."
"Good."
She opened her door, then paused, glancing back at him. "Thanks for taking me to the gym. I think I finally caught a brief glimpse of the real you."
"The real me isn't hiding, Andrea. What you see is what you get."
"I don't think that's true at all. Everyone has layers, and I suspect you have quite a few. I'm looking forward to unraveling them."
She got out of the car and shut the door. As he watched her walk to her car, all he could think about was how he'd like to unravel some of her clothes—forget about layers.
Shaking his head, he told himself to get a grip. He'd been flirting with her on the boat because it had been fun and also because he'd wanted to see how he could manipulate her. In that situation, the power had all been on his side, and that's where he needed to keep it.
After leaving his house, he drove back to the gym, wanting to have a private word with Mick before Andrea could get to him. He half expected to see her pulling into the alley in front of him, but thankfully that didn't happen.
Mick was in his office now, going over some paperwork.
"Did you forget something?" Mick asked in surprise.
Alex walked in and shut the door behind him. "We need to talk."
"In a second." Mick punched out numbers on a calculator, adding up a string of invoices, and then swore.
"Problem?" Alex quizzed, dumping a pile of fitness magazines on the floor so he could take a seat in front of the desk.
"They raised the entry fee in the San Jose Boxing Competition in January."
"How much?"
"Three hundred and eighty-five dollars."
Alex rolled his eyes and dug into his pocket for his wallet. "You want it in twenties or tens?"
"You shouldn't be walking around with that much cash." Mick motioned toward the wad in Alex's hand. "People like you get robbed down here."
"People like me know how to protect themselves. I have you to thank for that."
"Just don't get too comfortable, Alex. When you stop looking over your shoulder is when trouble comes. And I don't need any more money, so put that away. The check you gave me earlier will keep us going for quite a while.
"Good. But speaking of trouble, I need a favor."
"What's that?"
"I may have a problem."
Mick laughed, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "You definitely have a problem, and she's a beautiful blonde named Andrea."
"Yes, but she's not trouble in the way you mean. She's doing a story on me."
"That's not all she's doing on you."
He frowned at Mick's cheerful smile. "Look, Andrea wants to interview you. I probably shouldn't have brought her down here, but I can't take that back now."
"And you want me to cover for you." Mick leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up on the desk. "I don't know if I should."
"Why not?"
"Secrets eat away at the soul."
"They also protect," he countered. "And you know I'm not just talking about myself."
"If you're so worried about your privacy, why did you agree to the interview?"
"Because I've never had a problem handling a reporter before."
Mick's grin broadened. "She got under your skin."
"Yeah," he admitted. "And she's determined to find out all my secrets."
"Did you really feel it was necessary
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