Read Online Like Lightning by Charlene Sands - Free Book Online

instinct calling him back.
    Â 
    â€œDamn it all, Uncle Monty.”
    Trey cursed so darn loud, Maddie nearly spilled hermorning coffee. She sat in the kitchen, reading the newspaper, trying to fully awaken after getting in so late last night. It had been worth the lack of sleep, spending one of the best evenings of her life. With Trey. And then, contrary to what he’d preached, he’d kissed her again.
    The kiss seemed different this time, less passionate, but somehow more intimate. As if they’d somehow created a bond. Maddie knew Trey wasn’t playing with her heart. The way he’d kissed her had been innocent and spontaneous, as unplanned as Texas heat, making it all the more special.
    â€œTurn the water off, Uncle Monty.” She heard him shout from the bathroom, clearly irritated.
    Her curiosity heightened, Maddie headed into the smaller bathroom where all the noise was coming from. She found Trey facing a broken out wall, holding together a galvanized pipe with both hands, trying to keep the leak from sprouting again. “Off,” he shouted out the window.
    Maddie giggled.
    Trey turned in surprise, releasing his hands slightly.
    Water rained out, spurting him in the face and shoulders. Within seconds, Trey Walker was drenched, the leaky pipe gushing out until finally and apparently, his Uncle Monty had turned the water off.
    Trey’s hair hung in wet clumps around his head. Water plastered his T-shirt to his chest and the top half of his blue jeans were saturated.
    Maddie couldn’t hold back any longer. She laughed heartily at the sight of Trey looking like a soaked scruffy pup. “Having trouble?” she asked, with a grin.
    â€œYou might say that,” Trey growled. “My uncledoesn’t seem to know the difference between ‘on’ and ‘off’ and why the heck are you laughing?”
    Maddie turned to the cabinet to get Trey a towel. “Because you look like—”
    But when Maddie turned back around, she found Trey removing his T-shirt, the material stretching over his smooth wet skin in one quick movement. He tossed the shirt into the bathtub and ran a hand through his hair, slicking back the dark strands until he looked better than a GQ model in blue jeans.
    Maddie swallowed, trying to keep her expression from faltering. She’d seen Trey shirtless before and admittedly it had been glorious, but he hadn’t been wet, with droplets falling from his hair onto his shoulders, with water licking at the scattering of hairs on his chest until a puddle developed in his navel.
    Goodness. Maddie was certain there wasn’t a more appealing man on the face of the earth.
    â€œLike what?” he asked, his growl simmering, a curious expression taking over.
    Maddie balled up the towel and approached him. “Like a mangy old mutt I once treated,” she fibbed, holding her breath as she dabbed at his powerfully built, solid chest.
    He stared at her, his voice holding a hint of disbelief. “An old mutt?”
    She nodded, continuing to dab at him. “Uh-huh. Poor thing had fallen into the river.”
    Maddie couldn’t bear it another second. Touching Trey this intimately had just about done her in. She’d held up well, she thought, considering that she was mere minutes from jumping the man’s bones. “All finished,” she said, thrusting the towel into his arms. She took a step to back away but Trey let the towel drop to theground and grabbed her wrists, tugging her gently closer.
    He grinned mischievously, “Not quite.”
    Before Maddie knew what had happened, Trey reached down into the rain bucket used to catch the leak, and splashed her with handful after handful of water. “Trey!”
    Maddie backed away and stared down at her clothes, which were fully and completely drenched.
    This time, he laughed. “The mangy mutt wanted a companion.” Then he came closer, grabbing a dry towel.