Read Online Winter's Wonder: Pine Point, Book 2 by Allie Boniface - Free Book Online Page A

we come from the same place?
    Ella wrinkled her nose and held out a shirt and jeans to Becca. “It stinks in here.”
    “Hello to you too.” Becca pulled off her sweatshirt. “We just finished cleaning.”
    Ella didn’t bother to answer. Instead, she inspected the Christmas tree standing in the foyer. “This is cute.”
    “Thanks.” The other day, in one rare slow afternoon, she and Shirley had decorated it with leftover gold and silver balls from Shirley’s basement. Becca had gift wrapped a few spare boxes and set them under the tree, so it looked as though Santa had visited the shelter early. “Zane brought it,” she added.
    Ella turned, brows lifted. “Seriously?” She clicked her tongue a few times. “Don’t take this wrong, Bec, but I can’t believe he’s into you.”
    Only the fact that Becca knew every last secret about her older sister, along with the fact that Ella never, ever thought before speaking, kept the comment from being a raging insult. In fact, if Becca weren’t floating along on such a high these last few days, she probably would have agreed.
    “I just mean,” Ella added, “he’s like…not your type at all. Is he?”
    Becca smoothed her shirt, taking a good long inhale of its clean scent, and then ducked into the corner to change her jeans. “Not really, I guess.” They both knew her type was the quiet, studious kind, like the few guys she’d dated at college. Not built like Mack trucks. Not former bad boys who’d dropped out of high school and reappeared after years away with rumors dogging their heels.
    “I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Ella said as she fingered one of the ornaments. “I mean, you’ve heard what he’s like. You know from back in school.”
    “High school was a long time ago.”
    “True. But he’s been with a few women since he’s been back in town, and I just…he’s not looking to settle down or anything. You know that, right?’
    “Of course. Neither am I.” But her face grew hot. Was she just the latest in a string of good times for Zane? He’d never answered the question of why he’d asked her to dinner in the first place. He’d only kissed her brains out and let his hands promise things that had kept her up nights. “Don’t worry about it. I can take care of myself.” But she tucked Ella’s words of warning away in the back of her mind all the same.
    “You deserve someone great, Bec, someone who thinks the sun rises and sets on you.” Ella looked around. “Kind of like how you feel about these animals.”
    Becca blinked back surprising tears and stuffed her dirty clothes into the laundry bag. That was about the nicest thing her sister had said to her in a long time. “Let’s go, okay? Let’s find me something rockin’ to wear tonight.”

Chapter Ten
    Zane had to fight to keep his tongue in his mouth and his hands at his sides when Becca answered the door. For a second, he thought he was looking at Ella. But, no, those eyes and that figure belonged to Becca alone. Still—
    “Yowza, doll,” he said. He satisfied himself with a quick kiss on her cheek. “You look amazing.”
    She took a glance down at her black leather pants and a form-fitting silver sweater that clung to every last curve. Sexy black stilettos brought her four inches closer to his height. A necklace, one he’d noticed before, lay nestled between two sweet, creamy breasts. He reached out and touched it. “Nice paw print.”
    She lifted one shoulder coyly. “Thanks.”
    “Well, hello there,” purred Ella. She emerged from the kitchen wearing pink sweatpants and a tight black T-shirt with an angel on the front. Not like Ella Ericksen was an angel, not from what Zane remembered from high school. “Take care of my little sister tonight.”
    Oh, he’d like to do just that. Wicked, wild thoughts zinged through his brain. I didn’t ask Becca out just to get laid , he wanted to say, but he’d be lying if he said it wouldn’t be the way he’d like to end