Read Online Stand By Your Man by Susan Fox - Free Book Online

that why he hadn’t called?
    â€œWe’re tidying things up today, then flying home.”
    â€œAnd?” Would he ever get to the point? Her heart would go into fibrillation if he didn’t.
    â€œI’ve been thinking. Want to see you and talk about it.”
    Did that mean he did see a possible future for them, or what? “Could you give me a clue?” she asked warily.
    A low chuckle met her ear. “Maybe one. Been thinking about a basketball hoop in the driveway.”
    Her heart clutched. A home, kids. A wife. He wouldn’t tell her this if he didn’t think she might be part of that picture. “A basketball hoop is good.” Her voice came out shaky; then she laughed. “It’s very good, Jamal.”
    â€œI wondered if you’d like to come down to Vancouver for Thai food or—”
    â€œOh God, I’d love to, but there’s so much going on here.”
    â€œFigured there might be. How ’bout I come up tomorrow? Spend the weekend. Whatever spare time you get, we can see each other. Talk.” He paused, then said seductively, “Or, you know, whatever.”
    The tone said sex . And oh yes, she wanted that whatever so badly. “Yes, come. Come as soon as you can. I’ll free up some time.” Did she sound overeager?
    â€œBe there as soon as I can.”
    She smiled into the phone. He sounded pretty damned eager too.
    Â 
    Â 
    Friday afternoon, Karen left the detachment early, at five o’clock. At home, she showered, brushed her hair to a sheen, and rubbed lemongrass lotion into her skin. Her sage green sundress wasn’t exactly sexy—she didn’t own “sexy” because she figured it wasn’t appropriate for a small-town cop—but the dress did have a short skirt and thin shoulder straps, baring more skin than she typically showed. Her ears weren’t pierced and she never wore earrings, but she did add a gold chain necklace.
    Anxiously, she paced around the house. Jamal had said he’d fly up and rent a vehicle at the airport in Williams Lake, an hour and a half away.
    She’d organized the evening in her mind. A drink here and a private chance to talk, then dinner at the Wild Rose because she wasn’t confident enough to try out her cooking skills on him. After, if everything was going well, coffee back here and . . . that remained to be seen. But the bed had fresh sheets and she’d shaved her legs.
    Caribou Crossing would have eyes on her. Dinner in public, Jamal’s rental car parked outside her place. She had to find out, right off the top, why he was here. If they were entering into a real relationship, then she was fine with people knowing.
    Tennison, out in the yard, barked excitedly.
    Karen flew to the front window. A black Jeep Wrangler had pulled up behind her truck, and Jamal stepped out. Oh my, he looked good, dressed in jeans and a cream-colored shirt with the sleeves rolled up his dark forearms. He took a padded rectangular bag—a cooler?—out of the Jeep and opened the front gate. Inside, he gave Tennison a quick pat and then strode up the walk.
    Heart racing, Karen waited. She didn’t want to greet him outside, where nosy neighbors could watch.
    As soon as he stepped onto the porch, she swung the door open. Though she meant to say “hi,” the word stuck in her throat. All she could do was stare at him.
    A big grin split his face and his eyes widened as he took her in, from head to bare, unpainted toes. “Even better than I remember,” he murmured. He nudged Tennison, who’d followed him and was sniffing at the bag, away, strode into the house, and closed the door. The bag went on the table by the door and then Jamal was in front of her. His hands grasped her shoulders.
    Karen trembled at the surge of heat that rushed through her, and gazed into his dark, shining eyes. As he leaned in for a kiss, her legs flexed and she went up on her toes—an