Read Online The Bride Takes a Powder by Jane Leopold Quinn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jane Leopold Quinn
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Her soft body was heaven in his hands. That ass, not
a skinny girl's ass but a full firm handful, provoked him to want more. He'd
leaked like a teenage boy at the thought of biting and licking and sucking on
those round butt cheeks. She'd moaned, the sound fracturing his senses. It was
madness, these reactions to her. It had taken all his gentlemanly genes to
leave her at the door when what he really ached to do was bundle her up the
stairs and into bed.
It's been a long time since
college. You don't know this woman. You
were never more than acquaintances, so slow yourself down, buddy.
Why would the beautiful,
sophisticated woman suddenly appear in B Falls? And stay? Is she running from something? Maybe a bank robber on the run. He
scoffed at that. It came from too much free non-female time watching too many
cop shows on TV. Birchwood Falls CSI .
He shook his head in amusement and got back to polishing the chrome on the beer
spigots.
All those thoughts careened through
him until he heard the creaking hinges from the entrance. Well, lookie who just walked through my door. "Hi, Norah."
He greeted her with what he hoped was a welcoming grin and not a lascivious
leer.
"Mike." She smiled,
nodded, and perched herself on a stool.
"Want something to drink?"
His heart thumped. He couldn't read her.
"No, thanks. Looks like the
rain let up for a bit."
"Yeah, but it's supposed to
start up again tonight. We can't take much more. The river's rising every day."
"Do you think it'll flood the
town?"
He shrugged and frowned. "It
very well could. About twenty years ago, the whole main square was flooded.
Furniture and memorabilia in people's basements were destroyed. There was talk
about building a flood wall along the river, but in the end the town decided to
gamble that it wouldn't happen again."
"That's not a good risk,"
she said.
"They didn't want a wall to
ruin the view of the river. Short-sighted, yeah."
"I've seen a lot of sandbags
stored up."
He gave her a worried grimace. "At
least there's some planning. Dad ordered sand. We'll see how it goes and fill
the bags if we need to. How's your day so far?" He was tired of the river.
He wanted to talk about her. It would be nice if there were a "them"
to talk about. His belly tightened, and his cock thickened. Damn unruly bastard.
"I ran into Phoebe this
morning. She told me how she and Marc came to be living here. It sounded pretty
sweet."
He propped his hands on the bar. "I
hadn't seen Marc for ten years after high school. It's great that he came back,
finally, to live and even better that he brought Phoebe back. They both deserve
happiness." Her lips smiled but her eyes held a wistful gaze. Something big must be up with her. A
gorgeous successful woman like her… She was driving him crazy. Damn it, just ask her. "Are you
running from something?" He made his voice low and gentle.
Ignoring his question, she changed
the subject. "Are you positive you don't plan to retain a lawyer to fight
the allegations against you?"
"You really think that's
necessary?" This was the other last thing he wanted to talk about right
now.
"It's always better to have
legal protection. Being Mr. Niceguy won't help you in every situation."
He balanced a foot on the shelf
behind the bar and rested an arm across his knee. "It's worked for thirty
years. I'll be vindicated."
"Well, if you're sure."
She wrinkled her nose in doubt.
"How do you know whether or
not I'm a nice guy?"
"What I know is that people
are not to be trusted no matter how well you think you know them. You need to
realize that before it's too late," she snapped.
"What happened to you? Is that
why you're here in B Falls? Did someone you trust betray you?"
She gave him a cold look and before
he could respond, a boisterous group threw open the door and barreled into the
bar. He was quickly busy greeting customers and filling drink orders. Finally,
he turned back to her place at the bar. She was gone.
What
in hell is going on with
a skinny girl's ass but a full firm handful, provoked him to want more. He'd
leaked like a teenage boy at the thought of biting and licking and sucking on
those round butt cheeks. She'd moaned, the sound fracturing his senses. It was
madness, these reactions to her. It had taken all his gentlemanly genes to
leave her at the door when what he really ached to do was bundle her up the
stairs and into bed.
It's been a long time since
college. You don't know this woman. You
were never more than acquaintances, so slow yourself down, buddy.
Why would the beautiful,
sophisticated woman suddenly appear in B Falls? And stay? Is she running from something? Maybe a bank robber on the run. He
scoffed at that. It came from too much free non-female time watching too many
cop shows on TV. Birchwood Falls CSI .
He shook his head in amusement and got back to polishing the chrome on the beer
spigots.
All those thoughts careened through
him until he heard the creaking hinges from the entrance. Well, lookie who just walked through my door. "Hi, Norah."
He greeted her with what he hoped was a welcoming grin and not a lascivious
leer.
"Mike." She smiled,
nodded, and perched herself on a stool.
"Want something to drink?"
His heart thumped. He couldn't read her.
"No, thanks. Looks like the
rain let up for a bit."
"Yeah, but it's supposed to
start up again tonight. We can't take much more. The river's rising every day."
"Do you think it'll flood the
town?"
He shrugged and frowned. "It
very well could. About twenty years ago, the whole main square was flooded.
Furniture and memorabilia in people's basements were destroyed. There was talk
about building a flood wall along the river, but in the end the town decided to
gamble that it wouldn't happen again."
"That's not a good risk,"
she said.
"They didn't want a wall to
ruin the view of the river. Short-sighted, yeah."
"I've seen a lot of sandbags
stored up."
He gave her a worried grimace. "At
least there's some planning. Dad ordered sand. We'll see how it goes and fill
the bags if we need to. How's your day so far?" He was tired of the river.
He wanted to talk about her. It would be nice if there were a "them"
to talk about. His belly tightened, and his cock thickened. Damn unruly bastard.
"I ran into Phoebe this
morning. She told me how she and Marc came to be living here. It sounded pretty
sweet."
He propped his hands on the bar. "I
hadn't seen Marc for ten years after high school. It's great that he came back,
finally, to live and even better that he brought Phoebe back. They both deserve
happiness." Her lips smiled but her eyes held a wistful gaze. Something big must be up with her. A
gorgeous successful woman like her… She was driving him crazy. Damn it, just ask her. "Are you
running from something?" He made his voice low and gentle.
Ignoring his question, she changed
the subject. "Are you positive you don't plan to retain a lawyer to fight
the allegations against you?"
"You really think that's
necessary?" This was the other last thing he wanted to talk about right
now.
"It's always better to have
legal protection. Being Mr. Niceguy won't help you in every situation."
He balanced a foot on the shelf
behind the bar and rested an arm across his knee. "It's worked for thirty
years. I'll be vindicated."
"Well, if you're sure."
She wrinkled her nose in doubt.
"How do you know whether or
not I'm a nice guy?"
"What I know is that people
are not to be trusted no matter how well you think you know them. You need to
realize that before it's too late," she snapped.
"What happened to you? Is that
why you're here in B Falls? Did someone you trust betray you?"
She gave him a cold look and before
he could respond, a boisterous group threw open the door and barreled into the
bar. He was quickly busy greeting customers and filling drink orders. Finally,
he turned back to her place at the bar. She was gone.
What
in hell is going on with
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