Read Online Outside The Lines (Love Beyond Reason Book 2) by Beth Rhodes - Free Book Online Page A

moving across the country and marrying a practical stranger—one who merely liked her. Was it the right thing to do for her baby? Seeing him again, even if it had been a shock, even if it had angered her, she wanted it to be.
    Glancing around the room, she bit at her poor, worn lip then pulled the Chapstick from her pocket and swiped it over them.
    And she hated herself for wanting what he offered. This wasn’t the way to her great independence. But was it weak?
    She didn’t think so little of herself to marry a man she didn’t love, settle for a life without love. But she remembered the thrill of buying that plane ticket. Her first time out of state. A decision she’d made, as an adult. Money, she’d spent without looking over her shoulder.
    A liberation of sorts from the scrutiny of her family. She’d been known to be a tad flighty at times. A romantic, for sure.
    It was the reason she’d remained single and unmarried through college and into her career. She’d always been waiting for true love, romance. She thought she’d found it, in David. He hadn’t even had to try. It had been love at first-flipping-sight.
    And look where her romance and sentiment had gotten her—pregnant and alone.
    But darn, she liked it. Both parts. Sometimes it seemed she’d never been alone a moment in her life. And the baby—her heart softened. She wanted the baby—no matter what, because, out of everyone in this world, he needed her like no one else.
    She left the den and headed toward the front of the house, slowly making her way back to what she thought was the foyer. She found a study, a beautiful room with dark woods, shelves piled with books. Like a movie set. The large desk in the middle of the room was neat yet used. Pencils on the smooth top and papers in front of the computer monitor evidenced this as a place of work, not show.
    She kept going until she reached the front hall. He’d brought her bags in and put them at the bottom of the steps. She sat with a sigh and looked at her watch. One o’clock.
    Snow was still falling. The day was crawling by.
    “Hey.”
    She glanced up at the sound of his voice as he came around the corner and flared a deck of cards on front of him with a playful grin. “Cards?”
    He made her smile, but she bit her lip against it. “Dav—”
    “Come on,” he interrupted and pulled her up off the step. “If a game of cards doesn’t work, we’ll try a movie. Okay?”
    She nodded. He was right. She had to relax. She couldn’t keep going with so much tension. “Fine.”
    “Good.” He smiled down on her as he put an arm over her shoulder and took her back down the hall toward the kitchen. Such a familiar touch made hope spring eternal—darn it, again. “Feel better?”
    “Yes, actually.” And she let go of the tension and relaxed against him. Just like old times.
    So badly, she’d wanted to find an alternative to the loving—overbearing and overprotective—family. She’d found it in him, and look where it had gotten her. She’d even dreamt of marriage and settling down. Well, she might get that…
    But there would be a price.
    Part of her could live with that expense because she’d have the new life she wanted. And maybe at some point, she’d have the ease she’d known when he’d come to California and they’d been friends first.
    Friends and then lovers.
    She couldn’t deny the physical attraction, the chemistry whenever he walked into the room. He made her want to keep doing crazy things…like marry him.
    Holy Mother, the man had some physical pull on her senses, and her arm at his waist brought the memory of his skin, taut and supple. Before they stepped through the doorway to the kitchen, he stopped and pulled her close. His fingers threaded through her loose hair.
    Aye. The kiss, the touch, the feel.
    Then he breathed against her temple and spoke. “We can be good together, don’t you think?”
    “Mmm,” she hummed in response, wanting him again, knowing she