Read Online Unexpectedly Yours by Coleen Kwan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Coleen Kwan
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don’t want people gossiping about me.”
“You don’t care about gossip.”
“Yes, I do. This is a small town. People around here know you’re a TV star, and they still remember my mom running off with a guy ten years her junior. I don’t want to be compared with her. I don’t want people calling me a—a cougar.”
Derek tipped back his head and let out a laugh that came from the depths of his chest. “You? A cougar?”
Oh, she wanted to hit him. Her hands curled into fists. “I’m glad you find it so funny.”
“It is funny.” His grin was as wide as the Grand Canyon. “I’d love it if you went all cougar on me. I can just see you all glammed up in a hot, tight dress and killer heels and fake eyelashes.”
“Oh yeah? And would you like being called a boy toy?”
He shrugged, eyes simmering. “I’d like to be your boy toy. A lot.”
Why was it so hard resisting him? “You can’t be my toy anything. We’re not going to repeat last night, remember?”
He sighed. “Yeah, I remember.”
“From now on, we’ll just treat each other like we used to.”
“Are you going to tell me to get a haircut and do my homework?” The teasing light was back in his eyes.
“If you don’t watch out, I will.” She glanced about as several more cars streamed by and hitched up her bag of groceries. “I’d better get going. Good-bye, Derek.”
“Don’t look so worried. I’ll be out of your hair in two weeks.”
She hurried away, feeling Derek’s gaze still pinned on her. Two more weeks of Derek in town. How would she cope? She’d just have to avoid him as much as possible. Her job and her search for a new home would keep her occupied, and Derek had his grandpa to worry about. They didn’t need to see each other for quite a while.
The thought should have reassured her, but instead it left her feeling rather flat.
Hannah frowned at the text message from her brother on her phone, wondering why fate was conspiring against her.
Derek’s coming 4 dinner. Okay with u?
Caleb had only texted her an hour before he was due at her place, and without a thought had invited Derek along. But then again, Caleb had been bringing Derek to dinner for years, most often without any prior notice. So she couldn’t be too mad at him. She couldn’t be too mad at Derek for accepting the invitation, either. Caleb would’ve thought it very strange if Derek turned down the chance to catch up with them. But how was she going to act as if everything was normal all night? What if she slipped up and gave herself away by staring at Derek for too long or touching his leg or something?
She tried to distract her worries by checking on the chicken roasting in the oven and making gravy. When the front door opened and two male voices sounded in the hallway, she stiffened, hastily wiping her hands before tidying her hair and clothes.
She’d just whipped off her apron when Caleb and Derek sauntered into the kitchen. While Caleb landed a kiss on her cheek in greeting, Derek hung back, his expression bland and unreadable.
“Hope you don’t mind my dropping in like this,” Derek said when she was free.
“Of course she doesn’t mind.” Caleb clapped a hand on his shoulder, looking surprised. “This is your second home, remember? You’re welcome here anytime. You’re like family.”
Derek’s deep blue eyes held Hannah’s, and her heart twisted at her brother’s words.
“Caleb’s right,” she said quietly. “You’re like family.” And therefore out of bounds.
They sat around the kitchen table, and Caleb carved up the chicken while Hannah ladled out roast potatoes, carrots, and peas. She couldn’t settle, not with Derek sitting at right angles to her, so close to her that every once in a while his knee bumped hers under the table, triggering a flush of memories in her. Caleb did most of the talking and luckily didn’t seem to notice the tension between Hannah and Derek.
“You’re a big kahuna now,” Caleb ragged
“You don’t care about gossip.”
“Yes, I do. This is a small town. People around here know you’re a TV star, and they still remember my mom running off with a guy ten years her junior. I don’t want to be compared with her. I don’t want people calling me a—a cougar.”
Derek tipped back his head and let out a laugh that came from the depths of his chest. “You? A cougar?”
Oh, she wanted to hit him. Her hands curled into fists. “I’m glad you find it so funny.”
“It is funny.” His grin was as wide as the Grand Canyon. “I’d love it if you went all cougar on me. I can just see you all glammed up in a hot, tight dress and killer heels and fake eyelashes.”
“Oh yeah? And would you like being called a boy toy?”
He shrugged, eyes simmering. “I’d like to be your boy toy. A lot.”
Why was it so hard resisting him? “You can’t be my toy anything. We’re not going to repeat last night, remember?”
He sighed. “Yeah, I remember.”
“From now on, we’ll just treat each other like we used to.”
“Are you going to tell me to get a haircut and do my homework?” The teasing light was back in his eyes.
“If you don’t watch out, I will.” She glanced about as several more cars streamed by and hitched up her bag of groceries. “I’d better get going. Good-bye, Derek.”
“Don’t look so worried. I’ll be out of your hair in two weeks.”
She hurried away, feeling Derek’s gaze still pinned on her. Two more weeks of Derek in town. How would she cope? She’d just have to avoid him as much as possible. Her job and her search for a new home would keep her occupied, and Derek had his grandpa to worry about. They didn’t need to see each other for quite a while.
The thought should have reassured her, but instead it left her feeling rather flat.
Hannah frowned at the text message from her brother on her phone, wondering why fate was conspiring against her.
Derek’s coming 4 dinner. Okay with u?
Caleb had only texted her an hour before he was due at her place, and without a thought had invited Derek along. But then again, Caleb had been bringing Derek to dinner for years, most often without any prior notice. So she couldn’t be too mad at him. She couldn’t be too mad at Derek for accepting the invitation, either. Caleb would’ve thought it very strange if Derek turned down the chance to catch up with them. But how was she going to act as if everything was normal all night? What if she slipped up and gave herself away by staring at Derek for too long or touching his leg or something?
She tried to distract her worries by checking on the chicken roasting in the oven and making gravy. When the front door opened and two male voices sounded in the hallway, she stiffened, hastily wiping her hands before tidying her hair and clothes.
She’d just whipped off her apron when Caleb and Derek sauntered into the kitchen. While Caleb landed a kiss on her cheek in greeting, Derek hung back, his expression bland and unreadable.
“Hope you don’t mind my dropping in like this,” Derek said when she was free.
“Of course she doesn’t mind.” Caleb clapped a hand on his shoulder, looking surprised. “This is your second home, remember? You’re welcome here anytime. You’re like family.”
Derek’s deep blue eyes held Hannah’s, and her heart twisted at her brother’s words.
“Caleb’s right,” she said quietly. “You’re like family.” And therefore out of bounds.
They sat around the kitchen table, and Caleb carved up the chicken while Hannah ladled out roast potatoes, carrots, and peas. She couldn’t settle, not with Derek sitting at right angles to her, so close to her that every once in a while his knee bumped hers under the table, triggering a flush of memories in her. Caleb did most of the talking and luckily didn’t seem to notice the tension between Hannah and Derek.
“You’re a big kahuna now,” Caleb ragged
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