Read Online Needs A Little TLC (Spinning Hills Romance 2) by Inés Saint - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Inés Saint
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Romantic Comedy, Friendship, small town, Bachelor, reconciliation, Community, Ohio, quirky, Hometown, Forever Love, Single Woman, Family Tradition, Spinning Hills, Town History, Amador Brothers, Hammer & Nails, Renovating Houses, Line Streets, Old-Fashion Town, Settling Down, Houseful Of Love, Real Estate Agent, Ten Years, Small Agency, Partnership, Always Love, Little TLC
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laughing. A small part of him was also angry at her. Riding full-speed down a hill at her age was a harebrained idea. Hadn’t she outgrown those?
Cassie stared into his eyes, the golden flecks around his pupils burning bright. The way his eyelids drooped over his eyes usually made it seem as if he were always looking from underneath his lashes, but they were wide open at the moment and looking intently into her own, trying to assess if she was really all right.
She swallowed hard and looked away. The look and the bike reminded her of her best friend. Of the freedom and safety that came from knowing someone so well.
But she couldn’t allow herself to fall for that false illusion. They no longer knew each other at all. He had a son, an ex-wife, a whole life she didn’t know about. “I’m okay. It was exhilarating.”
The gold flecks in his eyes flashed. “Exhilarating? You’re nearly thirty years old! What were you thinking?”
Cassie felt her eyes widen. “I was thinking you’d attached the brakes! And I wouldn’t have been going full-speed if they’d been there!” The nerve of him!
“Cassie! Cassie! Are you all right?” An out-of-breath Jessica called as she drew nearer. She’d outrun both Marty and Johnny.
Cassie looked up at her concerned friends and did her best to force a smile. “I’m fine.”
“You look dazed! Where’s my phone? Someone call an ambulance!”
“What the hell happened?” Johnny reached them, and he looked almost as miserable as Sam. “You said you were going to take it for a spin, not take it downhill at full speed like a hellion.”
“The hand brakes have been missing forever, but I tried those first, out of more recent habits. I was going too fast and I waited until the last moment, like I used to, but I’m okay. I promise.”
Before Cassie could react, Sam scooped her up and she felt strong arms and a hard chest. He pulled the tailgate down and set her on it. While she had felt fine before, her heart now started pounding at an alarming rate.
“Damn, Cassie, you’re going to need stitches on that, doesn’t it hurt?” Sam asked.
It did hurt, but too many body parts were out of control for her to zero in on her knee. The last thing she wanted was to physically react to Sam.
“I have a first-aid kit in the truck,” he said before moving away. “We’ll get you cleaned up and take you to the emergency room to get stitched up.”
“This is hardly an emergency,” she muttered, glad he’d left because she didn’t want him to see how much his nearness affected her. She didn’t dare look up at anyone.
“No, but private practices are closed, you have no choice, and they need to check your head,” Jessica argued.
Sam set the first-aid kit beside her and took wipes and an antiseptic spray out. “I can do it myself,” she said, not wanting to feel his touch.
“The more things change. . . .” He looked at her and his lips twitched. But his smile was sad. And lonely.
When she was done cleaning herself up, Sam picked her up again without warning, and she had to grab on to him to steady herself. The man was solid. She let go and banged on his chest. “Set me down, now . I can drive myself.”
“How? Your right knee is banged up,” he pointed out.
“I’ll drive with my left foot.”
“No. You won’t,” he said with infuriating calmness as he carried her to the front seat and set her down. “I’m taking you.”
“Jessica can take me, or Johnny.”
Jessica looked remorseful. “Honey, I can take you, but I can’t stay the entire time. I have to pick Billy up from soccer in an hour.”
Sam slammed the door, walked to the other side, and got in. Cassie hissed out a sigh, feeling murderous.
“Calm down, Cass. I’m just the guy who’s giving you a ride. Someone has to. Ignore me.”
She’d ignore him, all right. Even though the car smelled like a more enhanced and acutely masculine version of twenty-year-old Sam. One whiff and she felt
Cassie stared into his eyes, the golden flecks around his pupils burning bright. The way his eyelids drooped over his eyes usually made it seem as if he were always looking from underneath his lashes, but they were wide open at the moment and looking intently into her own, trying to assess if she was really all right.
She swallowed hard and looked away. The look and the bike reminded her of her best friend. Of the freedom and safety that came from knowing someone so well.
But she couldn’t allow herself to fall for that false illusion. They no longer knew each other at all. He had a son, an ex-wife, a whole life she didn’t know about. “I’m okay. It was exhilarating.”
The gold flecks in his eyes flashed. “Exhilarating? You’re nearly thirty years old! What were you thinking?”
Cassie felt her eyes widen. “I was thinking you’d attached the brakes! And I wouldn’t have been going full-speed if they’d been there!” The nerve of him!
“Cassie! Cassie! Are you all right?” An out-of-breath Jessica called as she drew nearer. She’d outrun both Marty and Johnny.
Cassie looked up at her concerned friends and did her best to force a smile. “I’m fine.”
“You look dazed! Where’s my phone? Someone call an ambulance!”
“What the hell happened?” Johnny reached them, and he looked almost as miserable as Sam. “You said you were going to take it for a spin, not take it downhill at full speed like a hellion.”
“The hand brakes have been missing forever, but I tried those first, out of more recent habits. I was going too fast and I waited until the last moment, like I used to, but I’m okay. I promise.”
Before Cassie could react, Sam scooped her up and she felt strong arms and a hard chest. He pulled the tailgate down and set her on it. While she had felt fine before, her heart now started pounding at an alarming rate.
“Damn, Cassie, you’re going to need stitches on that, doesn’t it hurt?” Sam asked.
It did hurt, but too many body parts were out of control for her to zero in on her knee. The last thing she wanted was to physically react to Sam.
“I have a first-aid kit in the truck,” he said before moving away. “We’ll get you cleaned up and take you to the emergency room to get stitched up.”
“This is hardly an emergency,” she muttered, glad he’d left because she didn’t want him to see how much his nearness affected her. She didn’t dare look up at anyone.
“No, but private practices are closed, you have no choice, and they need to check your head,” Jessica argued.
Sam set the first-aid kit beside her and took wipes and an antiseptic spray out. “I can do it myself,” she said, not wanting to feel his touch.
“The more things change. . . .” He looked at her and his lips twitched. But his smile was sad. And lonely.
When she was done cleaning herself up, Sam picked her up again without warning, and she had to grab on to him to steady herself. The man was solid. She let go and banged on his chest. “Set me down, now . I can drive myself.”
“How? Your right knee is banged up,” he pointed out.
“I’ll drive with my left foot.”
“No. You won’t,” he said with infuriating calmness as he carried her to the front seat and set her down. “I’m taking you.”
“Jessica can take me, or Johnny.”
Jessica looked remorseful. “Honey, I can take you, but I can’t stay the entire time. I have to pick Billy up from soccer in an hour.”
Sam slammed the door, walked to the other side, and got in. Cassie hissed out a sigh, feeling murderous.
“Calm down, Cass. I’m just the guy who’s giving you a ride. Someone has to. Ignore me.”
She’d ignore him, all right. Even though the car smelled like a more enhanced and acutely masculine version of twenty-year-old Sam. One whiff and she felt
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