Read Online Relentless Rhythm (Tempest #4) by Michelle Mankin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michelle Mankin
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time. But I needed to remember who this was. I knew his kind, even if I hadn’t seen the way he operated first hand. He was a flirt, and he acted like this with all the women. Indiscriminately.
But I could handle him when he was in this mode. I had loads of experience trading barbs with men from behind the bar. It was the glimpse of raw need before the flirtatious banter that had thrown me for a loop. “In your dreams, Rhythm Man,” I returned with a slightly mocking tone. “In your dreams.”
His expression turned darker for some reason, the teasing gleam in his eyes doused for a moment before it was resurrected “You got the rhythm part right, babe. I’ve got it. The backseat rhythm. Rock and roll rhythm.”
“Oh, please.” I waved my hand dismissively, though my throat went incredibly dry at the image my mind created. I’d watched the way he moved, graceful and purposeful, a visual feast in his black leather jacket and low slung jeans. I’d also noticed the way his practiced fingers effortlessly coaxed music from a guitar. It didn’t take a stretch of imagination to know how persuasive he would be with his body and his hands, skin to skin, only the whisper of the sheets rustling beneath us.
“Hey, you ok?” He touched me and I jumped. Impossibly, I felt the warmth of him though my nylon jacket sleeve. His handsome face wore an earnest expression. “I didn’t mean to upset you again. I was just teasing. I didn’t think that kind of stuff bothered you.”
“Of course it doesn’t bother me.” I forced a little laugh from my throat that I hoped sounded believable. “I know you don’t mean anything by it.”
Oh, I meant it alright.
Every single word.
I fought the urge to pull over and show her just exactly what I meant, but I turned my attention back to the road, my fingers wrapping tightly around the wheel. At this rate the damn thing was probably going to have permanent indentations in the metal from my grip.
The turbo engine growled as I popped it into manual mode and blasted onto the ramp to enter the Sea to Sky Highway. If she could really see the thoughts that were running through my filthy mind she definitely wouldn’t have gotten into the car with me in the first place.
I gave myself a shake. Focus on the road, asshole. Stop obsessing. Think of her the same way you think of all the others .
Only that was difficult to do.
After I’d pulled that fuckstick off of her that night at the Mine, she no longer eyed me with her usual cool skepticism. With that barrier down, what remained was that contradictory strength and vulnerability that drew me to her like a siren’s call. I wanted to take ownership of her body matching my strength to hers. At the same time that I wanted to hold her gently in my arms and protect her, to help her overcome whatever it was that had burned that sad resigned look into her eyes. Since I couldn’t do either of those things, I’d been trying to stay away from her, but that plan wasn’t going to work very well long term. And it definitely wasn’t working with her sitting right next to me in the passenger seat of my car.
Remember her husband.
As if I could ever forget him.
“How long you been married?” I asked glancing her way.
Her bottom lip went between her straight white teeth.
Don’t think about those wet lips. Don’t think about kissing her.
She pinched her eyes shut. She was either in some kind of pain or she was having difficulty doing the math. “Three years this June.”
I was right. They were well established. She was rounding up. I swallowed the bitter dose of that medicine. “Half of marriages fail during the first year,” I threw out without measuring my words. “So you’ve beaten the odds. Congratulations.”
Could she hear the sarcasm in my voice?
She peered over at me from beneath the thick fringe of her lashes. “I think that statistic’s actually for business startups.” Her mouth twitched like she was trying
But I could handle him when he was in this mode. I had loads of experience trading barbs with men from behind the bar. It was the glimpse of raw need before the flirtatious banter that had thrown me for a loop. “In your dreams, Rhythm Man,” I returned with a slightly mocking tone. “In your dreams.”
His expression turned darker for some reason, the teasing gleam in his eyes doused for a moment before it was resurrected “You got the rhythm part right, babe. I’ve got it. The backseat rhythm. Rock and roll rhythm.”
“Oh, please.” I waved my hand dismissively, though my throat went incredibly dry at the image my mind created. I’d watched the way he moved, graceful and purposeful, a visual feast in his black leather jacket and low slung jeans. I’d also noticed the way his practiced fingers effortlessly coaxed music from a guitar. It didn’t take a stretch of imagination to know how persuasive he would be with his body and his hands, skin to skin, only the whisper of the sheets rustling beneath us.
“Hey, you ok?” He touched me and I jumped. Impossibly, I felt the warmth of him though my nylon jacket sleeve. His handsome face wore an earnest expression. “I didn’t mean to upset you again. I was just teasing. I didn’t think that kind of stuff bothered you.”
“Of course it doesn’t bother me.” I forced a little laugh from my throat that I hoped sounded believable. “I know you don’t mean anything by it.”
Oh, I meant it alright.
Every single word.
I fought the urge to pull over and show her just exactly what I meant, but I turned my attention back to the road, my fingers wrapping tightly around the wheel. At this rate the damn thing was probably going to have permanent indentations in the metal from my grip.
The turbo engine growled as I popped it into manual mode and blasted onto the ramp to enter the Sea to Sky Highway. If she could really see the thoughts that were running through my filthy mind she definitely wouldn’t have gotten into the car with me in the first place.
I gave myself a shake. Focus on the road, asshole. Stop obsessing. Think of her the same way you think of all the others .
Only that was difficult to do.
After I’d pulled that fuckstick off of her that night at the Mine, she no longer eyed me with her usual cool skepticism. With that barrier down, what remained was that contradictory strength and vulnerability that drew me to her like a siren’s call. I wanted to take ownership of her body matching my strength to hers. At the same time that I wanted to hold her gently in my arms and protect her, to help her overcome whatever it was that had burned that sad resigned look into her eyes. Since I couldn’t do either of those things, I’d been trying to stay away from her, but that plan wasn’t going to work very well long term. And it definitely wasn’t working with her sitting right next to me in the passenger seat of my car.
Remember her husband.
As if I could ever forget him.
“How long you been married?” I asked glancing her way.
Her bottom lip went between her straight white teeth.
Don’t think about those wet lips. Don’t think about kissing her.
She pinched her eyes shut. She was either in some kind of pain or she was having difficulty doing the math. “Three years this June.”
I was right. They were well established. She was rounding up. I swallowed the bitter dose of that medicine. “Half of marriages fail during the first year,” I threw out without measuring my words. “So you’ve beaten the odds. Congratulations.”
Could she hear the sarcasm in my voice?
She peered over at me from beneath the thick fringe of her lashes. “I think that statistic’s actually for business startups.” Her mouth twitched like she was trying
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