Read Online Restorations (Book One Oregon In Love) by Bonnie Blythe - Free Book Online Page B

arrive,
Sara dug through closets for boxes to begin packing.
    The door buzzer sounded and Brian went
downstairs to the main door to pick up the order. Sara got out
plastic utensils and paper plates. As she set the small wood table
in the kitchen, she tried to rein in her tumbling thoughts. As
usual, spending any amount of time with Brian muddled her
thinking.
    He walked into the kitchen with their order,
filling up the small room with his height and presence. She quickly
plopped down onto a chair and folded her hands in her lap.
     
    As Brian served her from the cartons, she
was aware he'd ordered her favorites. After a few minutes, he
picked up a shrimp drenched in spicy sauce and teased her to take a
bite. To her horror, she did. The next thing she knew, she was
feeding him from her plate, all the while giggling like an
idiot.
    Brian leaned over and kissed her on the
mouth. Sara reached out to him like a drowning woman, returning the
kiss with all the pent up fervor in her heart. Abruptly, he pushed
her away. “I can’t be with someone who’s not a Christian,” he said
flatly.
    Sara gasped and opened her eyes. Lurching to
a sitting position, she frantically looked around, struggling to
get her bearings. It took a moment to figure out she lay in her
bed, in the dark, and alone. Sagging with relief, she collapsed
back against the pillows.
    A dream . A stupid, shocking dream. Musing over the images, Sara
wondered which was worse. The fact that she kissed Brian in such a
starved way or that he ultimately rejected her. She snuggled back
down into the blankets and waited for her pounding heart to slow.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed herself to go back to sleep,
ignoring the way her lips tingled as if she’d just been
kissed.
    As she drifted toward
slumber, a soft sound ricocheted through her brain. Her eyes
snapped open. Sara held her breath, her ears straining as she lay
motionless in the dark. When she heard the unmistakable sound of a
creak, she wrestled with the blankets and scrambled out of bed.
What to do next? The only ‘weapon’ handy was a hairbrush. Where was
Brian when she really needed him? Some
protector .
    Silently, Sara crept across
the floor. The sound of her heart thudded in her ears. She peeked
around her bedroom door and heard a …snore. As her eyes adjusted to
the darkness, she made out a darker shape on her couch. Sara
groaned inwardly. He
wouldn’t . Quietly, in case she was
mistaken, she approached the couch. Her suspicions were quickly
confirmed. Brian lay sprawled awkwardly out on the cushions, fully
clothed, with only his jacket for a blanket. He would .
    What was he thinking, staying in her
apartment when she made herself very clear about her feelings on
the subject? Sara ignored the notion Brian was sweet for being so
protective. He needed to be up and out this minute. “Brian! Wake
up!”
    He stirred but only continued to snore more
loudly. She gave his shoulder a rough shake. His eyes slowly opened
and when they focused on her, he sat up with a jerk. A distinctly
guilty look briefly crossed his features.
    Any normal person would’ve apologized at
that point, but as she waited for him to speak, he didn’t surprise
her when he smiled without shame.
    “I was just dreaming about you, Sara.”
    With her arms crossed, she lifted a brow.
She’d heard that before. “I’m waiting to hear why you’re in my
apartment without my permission.” He said nothing, only giving her
a limpid look. Sara made a noise of disgust. “What must Mrs.
Hogarth think of me?”
    Brian stretched like a cat and relaxed
against the back of the couch, kicking his legs to the floor. “When
I was getting the room next door, she mentioned there’d been
problems around here lately. Robbery was committed against a woman
in the neighborhood and...worse.”
    Sara felt the blood drain from her face as
the meaning of his words sank in. “Oh, no.”
    “Your landlady was very understanding when I
explained I wanted to