Read Online Pleasure Bound (Hard to Get 2) by Anne Rainey - Free Book Online
Authors: Anne Rainey
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over, she heard an incoherent curse from behind. After setting the box onto the table, Deanna stopped short at the glare of disapproval on her mother’s face. “Er, what did I say?”
“I am perfectly safe in that house,” her mother said, all but daring her to disagree. “I don’t need my three children worrying over me, you hear?”
“Loud and clear.” Deanna opened the box of cookies—mmm, chocolate chunk, Deanna’s favorite—handed her mom one, then smiled in an attempt at a truce. To her relief, her mom smiled back and took the cookie.
“You always could get around me with that pretty smile of yours,” her mom said. “So, dear, what have you been up to these last few days?” She placed the cookie on a napkin, untouched.
An image of Jonas’s head buried between her legs sprang to mind. “Uh, nothing much. Working on some new things for a client. I went to the gym this morning.” She paused and realized she’d have to tell her mom about her upcoming trip. “By the way, I’m going out of town next weekend.”
Her mother stood and brought her cup to the sink. “Oh? Business or pleasure?” she asked over her shoulder.
And here we go, Deanna thought, wishing the floor would swallow her up. “Pleasure,” she blurted out.
Her mom rinsed the cup and began to wipe down the counter. “I see.” She turned around and gave her that I-can-see-right-through-you look that only a mother seemed to possess. “Is there a man involved?”
And now for the grand finale! “Yeah. Jonas.”
God, she so did not want to get on the subject of Jonas Phoenix. Her mom was much too astute; she’d notice right off if Deanna appeared overly interested in the man. Yet, she could never bring herself to hold out on her mom.
With dismay, Deanna noticed she now had her mother’s undivided attention. “Our Jonas?” her mom asked. “Wade’s army friend?”
“The one and only.”
After returning to her seat, her mom said, “Hmm, a weekend away with Jonas. I think I need to hear the rest of that story.” The mischievous smile playing at the corners of her lips didn’t bode well for Deanna.
“It’s no big deal, so don’t go reading too much into it. He asked me to go to that beach house he co-owns with Wade. I said yes. The end.”
“You must like him, though, or you wouldn’t have said yes,” she surmised as she continued to nibble on her cookie.
Deanna picked at her own chocolate chip treat, not really interested in eating it anymore. “He’s a nice guy, good-looking in a rugged sort of way. He’s been trying to get me to go out with him forever.” She shrugged as if it meant little to her. “I decided to put the guy out of his misery.” Does one go to hell for downplaying the truth? Deanna would definitely have to give that one some serious thought later.
Her mom reached across the table and covered her hand. “It’s more than that. You like him, don’t you?”
“I’m attracted to him, yes. Is there something besides physical attraction, though? I don’t know. I’m hoping to find out in Miami.”
“You know, Susan down at the Shop n Bag didn’t use words like good-looking and nice when she talked about Jonas. The way she described him made me think more along the lines of a strawberry cheesecake. She kept using the word delicious. ”
Deanna saw red. “Susan Lyttle is too young to be checking out men like Jonas. Is she even twenty years old yet? And how does she know Jonas anyway?” Ew, was that the little green monster of jealousy in her voice? Not the least bit pretty.
Her mom laughed. “She’s twenty-five, which is a very legal age, and since it’s no big deal, why do you care?”
Too late, Deanna realized she had revealed more than what she had intended. This was why she never told her mother lies. She ended up trapped like a blasted lobster. Time to come clean. “Maybe I care a little. Maybe I’ve always cared a little,” Deanna admitted with no small amount of fear in
“I am perfectly safe in that house,” her mother said, all but daring her to disagree. “I don’t need my three children worrying over me, you hear?”
“Loud and clear.” Deanna opened the box of cookies—mmm, chocolate chunk, Deanna’s favorite—handed her mom one, then smiled in an attempt at a truce. To her relief, her mom smiled back and took the cookie.
“You always could get around me with that pretty smile of yours,” her mom said. “So, dear, what have you been up to these last few days?” She placed the cookie on a napkin, untouched.
An image of Jonas’s head buried between her legs sprang to mind. “Uh, nothing much. Working on some new things for a client. I went to the gym this morning.” She paused and realized she’d have to tell her mom about her upcoming trip. “By the way, I’m going out of town next weekend.”
Her mother stood and brought her cup to the sink. “Oh? Business or pleasure?” she asked over her shoulder.
And here we go, Deanna thought, wishing the floor would swallow her up. “Pleasure,” she blurted out.
Her mom rinsed the cup and began to wipe down the counter. “I see.” She turned around and gave her that I-can-see-right-through-you look that only a mother seemed to possess. “Is there a man involved?”
And now for the grand finale! “Yeah. Jonas.”
God, she so did not want to get on the subject of Jonas Phoenix. Her mom was much too astute; she’d notice right off if Deanna appeared overly interested in the man. Yet, she could never bring herself to hold out on her mom.
With dismay, Deanna noticed she now had her mother’s undivided attention. “Our Jonas?” her mom asked. “Wade’s army friend?”
“The one and only.”
After returning to her seat, her mom said, “Hmm, a weekend away with Jonas. I think I need to hear the rest of that story.” The mischievous smile playing at the corners of her lips didn’t bode well for Deanna.
“It’s no big deal, so don’t go reading too much into it. He asked me to go to that beach house he co-owns with Wade. I said yes. The end.”
“You must like him, though, or you wouldn’t have said yes,” she surmised as she continued to nibble on her cookie.
Deanna picked at her own chocolate chip treat, not really interested in eating it anymore. “He’s a nice guy, good-looking in a rugged sort of way. He’s been trying to get me to go out with him forever.” She shrugged as if it meant little to her. “I decided to put the guy out of his misery.” Does one go to hell for downplaying the truth? Deanna would definitely have to give that one some serious thought later.
Her mom reached across the table and covered her hand. “It’s more than that. You like him, don’t you?”
“I’m attracted to him, yes. Is there something besides physical attraction, though? I don’t know. I’m hoping to find out in Miami.”
“You know, Susan down at the Shop n Bag didn’t use words like good-looking and nice when she talked about Jonas. The way she described him made me think more along the lines of a strawberry cheesecake. She kept using the word delicious. ”
Deanna saw red. “Susan Lyttle is too young to be checking out men like Jonas. Is she even twenty years old yet? And how does she know Jonas anyway?” Ew, was that the little green monster of jealousy in her voice? Not the least bit pretty.
Her mom laughed. “She’s twenty-five, which is a very legal age, and since it’s no big deal, why do you care?”
Too late, Deanna realized she had revealed more than what she had intended. This was why she never told her mother lies. She ended up trapped like a blasted lobster. Time to come clean. “Maybe I care a little. Maybe I’ve always cared a little,” Deanna admitted with no small amount of fear in
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