Always and Forever by Hazel Gower Read Free Book Online Page A

a chance with you. ” He winked. “So you’re too busy to come to dinner with me tonight? Or do you want to stay and read your book? ”
    Sabina gulped. “You want to go to dinner with me? Alone? ”
    He chuckled . “Yes. How about I pick you up at seven thirty? ” He reached for her hand to help her stand.
    “Yes , I would love to. ” She stumbled on the sand as Shaun pulled her up and fell against his chest. Oh God, his body was rock hard. What she wouldn’t give right now to reach out and touch him with other parts of her body. She felt her cheeks heat and she pulled away, closing her eyes in embarrassment that her sweat-coated body had touched his.
    “Whoa there . Honey, you okay? The sun is bright today. Did you put sunscreen on? ”
    She nodded .
    “You don’t want to get sunstroke . Come on, I’ll walk you home to make sure you get there okay. ”
    He held her hand as they walked up the stairs and headed in the direction of her house . “How does it feel to be finished with university? ”
    Startled , she chanced a glance at him to see him watching her closely. Oh no, he wanted her to answer. He’d been to her graduation party, but today was the first time she’d ever talked to him alone. Sabina didn’t know if she could answer. She’s talked to him a million times before, even cooked him dinner when he’d come to visit her father, but right now her mind couldn’t seem to focus and talk. It kept flashing images of him walking out of the water or the feeling of his smooth, hard body against her skin. Shaking herself, she mumbled, “Um, yeah. I’m lucky the school I did my last assessment at loved me. I’ve taken over for a teacher who took maternity leave. ”
    He smiled down at her . “Your father is very proud of you. I don’t think there is a person at the mine that doesn’t know his daughter graduated university and has a job already. ”
    Sabina groaned and tried not to imagine her father boasting about her to everyone . She loved her dad but he exaggerated everything about her. She’d heard him once telling his friends how good a cook she was, and how she cooked better than anyone he knew. Sabina had even heard him telling fellow managers that she would make some man the perfect wife someday because of her beauty, cleaning, and cooking skills.
    “I dread to think of what he’s told everyone . ” She stopped at the bottom of her driveway, turned to Shaun, and noticed him looking her up and down. Sabina’s free hand gripped her shirt so she didn’t touch herself and try to fix the mess she must look.
    “I wouldn’t worry . From what I have seen so far, everything he has said is true. I’ve been friends with your father for a while now and I agree with everything he says. You’re caring, practical, smart, loving, and devoted, not to mention the best cook. ”
    She gulped and promised herself as soon as she got in the house , she would have a talk with her father.
    Shaun let go of her hand and grinned down at her. His bright green eyes were alight with amusement. “There is one thing I look forward to finding out if it’s true. “
    She waited for him to tell her, but he waved behind her and shook his head, saying, “I’ll see you tonight, seven thirty. ”
    Sabina nodded and watched him walk away before she turned to see her dad on the porch with a drink in hand , smiling. An uneasy feeling seeped into her. Her father wouldn’t push someone into dating her so they could get ahead in the mining industry, would he? Shaun was his friend. As she watched his smile spread, she wondered. No, he wouldn’t do that to her surely.
    She’d never forgive her father if he’d even hinted to Shaun that he’d get a promotion for dating her.
    Without daring to look back to stare at what she knew to be a nice tight arse, Sabina walked up her drive way and paused to glare at her dad. “You didn’t. Did you? ”
    She narrowed her eyes on him as he tried to look innocent . “You didn’t