Read Online Skintight by Susan Andersen - Free Book Online Page B

thought the same thing herself, and more than once. They hadn’t been married long before illness had begun ravaging Big Jim from the inside out. She was soon consumed with responsibilities once again. Whenever she’d had a moment away from his sickbed, she’d tackled a mountain of bills and watched as expenses mounted to the point where they’d finally sucked not only Jim’s fortune dry, but her own savings, as well. The only thing she’d managed to hang onto was her condo.
    But she merely shrugged, for when it came right down to it, no one had promised her life would be fair. “Yeah, well, shit happens.”
    â€œMore often to you than others, for some damn reason. I’m confused, though, Treen. By the sounds of things you’ve been sex deprived for a long time now. So why didn’t you take advantage of that sexy man wanting to jump your bones tonight?”
    â€œI just—I don’t know.” A flash of the way she’d felt in that garage made her clamp her thighs together, and she rapidly pushed the resulting panic aside. Her chin inched up. “I’ve never been a one-night-stand sort of woman, I guess. Plus, I can’t seem to get past the fact that I’ve known Jax for all of about ten minutes. I’m not ready for something that intense.”
    And perhaps she never would be. She thought about that all night long, as she tossed and turned and tried to reconcile the greedy sexuality she’d experienced those few brief moments on her car hood with the in-command-of-herself woman she’d always been. Unfortunately, she came to no conclusions. All that her restless self-questioning gained her was a sleepless night, and the vehement desire for a respite from having to think about Jax Gallagher at all.
    Easier said than done, as it turned out.
    He’d left a message on her machine while she was at Carly’s and he called again the following morning. Uneasy over the possibility that the ringing phone might be him calling, she allowed the machine to answer for her.
    â€œTreena, are you there?” There was a moment of silence, then his voice, deep and a little desperate, said, “Please, if you’re there, talk to me. Don’t leave me hanging like this. I’ve got a poker game scheduled in L.A. this morning, and I really don’t want to getdrummed out of it like some rank amateur. But I’m probably going to be because I scared you off or something last night, and now I can’t concentrate for shit on the game.”
    She snatched up the receiver. “You didn’t scare me. I don’t scare.” It was important he understood that.
    â€œGlad to hear it. Then you’ll go out with me tonight.”
    The way her heart jumped at the idea made her literally take a large step backward. She shook her head, then felt like an idiot, because of course he couldn’t see. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
    â€œIt’s a great idea. I know I moved too fast for you last night, but I won’t push you again, I promise. Just…don’t shut me down. We could have a quiet evening or something. I’ll come to your place.”
    â€œNo.” She didn’t want to be all alone with him where her big comfy bed was just a short walk down the hallway if things got out of hand again. But neither could she bear the idea of not seeing him at all. “I suppose we could go to a late movie. Or, I know, we could go dancing.” That suggestion ought to discourage him. Men never wanted to risk dancing with a professional. And if he reined in whatever this thing was going on between them, it would let her off the hook.
    He surprised her. “Yeah, sure, we could do that,” he said easily. “But you gotta do me one favor, all right? Ride to work with your friend this evening. At least let me see you home myself.”
    Since visions of being alone with him again in the parking garage had