Read Online Untouched: 2 (Rough Boys) by Em Petrova - Free Book Online

fore. How did she support a child on her meager income? She deserved more pay, that was for sure. Without or without a small mouth to feed, she earned more than Mason paid her. The fact ate at him. However, giving her a pay raise now would look as if he was paying her for her services.
    “How did you get away? I thought you said the sitter was off today.”
    “She is. But a girlfriend of mine asked if Brady could come over to play with her son and I thought I’d take the opportunity to come up here. Is that okay?” Her voice held a note of uncertainty, which he staunched immediately.
    Lifting her onto tiptoe, he captured her mouth. Plundering it for long minutes was pure bliss—and torture. He had men around them felling logs. The bucker was on the white oak Mason had just dropped, his saw zipping as he sliced the length into manageable pieces.
    He didn’t care who saw them making out, but he wanted her naked. And he didn’t want to share that with anyone on earth.
    “You taste like syrup,” he murmured. Pulling away, he stared down at her.
    She smiled. “I had pancakes for breakfast. Brady’s favorite.”
    “I had some at the diner too.” With all his heart, he suddenly wished they’d had breakfast together.
    A bellow sounded and he looked up sharply. His faller was running toward his bucker. Mason whirled around and took off sprinting, his mind racing with the possibilities. Dorsey Forestry hadn’t had an accident in several months, and that had just been a finger smashed between two logs. Nothing major.
    He leapt over a shallow ditch filled with running water and sloshed through the snow toward the men. The bucker was holding his knee and blood drenched his fingers.
    “What the fuck happened?” He drew up before him, assessing his complexion. The man didn’t appear to be ready to pass out, but he couldn’t be too careful. “Get him down. Sit, man!”
    Tommy grabbed him around the chest and lowered him. “The saw kicked back and grazed him, boss.”
    “Shit.” Mason hissed this, his gaze glued to the streaming gash. He dropped to his knees in the snow, his pocket knife in hand. He flicked open the blade and set the point into the fabric above the bucker’s knee. With a swift jerk, he sliced the cloth.
    Relief welled in his chest. A flesh wound. Superficial. But still bleeding like hell. He clapped a hand on the man’s shoulder. “It’s not deep. Nothing major’s cut but you need stitches.”
    Suddenly Eva was there, her cell phone in hand. “What happened? What can I do?”
    “Did you call for an ambulance?” Mason asked.
    She shook her head, a dark stain mottling her face and throat. Tears sparked in her eyes. “No. My phone’s…dead.”
    He stared at her hard. What was the matter with her really? There wasn’t time to consider it. He had to get the crew member to the hospital.
    “Tommy, help me get him to the truck.” They positioned themselves on either side of the bucker and, using a two-man carry, got him into Mason’s truck. Eva trailed behind, looking torn and more than a little upset.
    Before he climbed behind the wheel, Mason grabbed her and drew her into his embrace. Kissing the tender spot between her eyebrows would have to be enough for now.
    “I’ll call you later.”
    “Okay.”
    “You going to make it home all right in that soup can you call a car?”
    She waved a hand in dismissal. “Of course.” Watching her take off toward said vehicle with her head down, his heart squeezed hard. He didn’t want to see her walking away, let alone not know what was troubling her.
    “Eva!”
    She twisted around.
    “You’ve got an accident report to fill out. Come over later.”
    * * * * *
     
    Dead. Eva’s phone was dead—the service cancelled because she was two months in arrears with her payments. God, what was she going to do now? She didn’t even have a landline. What if there was an emergency with Brady? Or what if her car skidded off the back road and no one came by,