A Bridge to Dreams by Sherryl Woods Read Free Book Online Page B

when he was leading her toward fantasy at a dizzying pace. “I’m not glamorous.”
    â€œSo what?”
    â€œI’m not sophisticated.”
    â€œThank God.”
    â€œThere are so many things I’ve never experienced.”
    â€œWhich will make it all the more fun for us to do them together. Now are you quite through denigrating yourself?”
    â€œI am not putting myself down,” she argued. “I don’t believe in self-pity. I’m just trying to make you see my limitations. I am what I am. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. It just may not be enough for someone like you.”
    â€œSweetheart, those things you mentioned are only limitations to you, definitely not to me. Do you want to know what I see when I look at you? I see spirit and determination. I see the innocent delight that makes your eyes sparkle. I see someone who’s not afraid to laugh, who still takes pleasure in little things like pickles or a scarf. I see excitement at the prospect of discovering new things.”
    All the things he mentioned were traits that Karyn thought of as merely an irritating lack of experience. “You really mean that, don’t you?” she said, searching his expression and seeing nothing but heartfelt sincerity.
    He nodded. “I really do. Now let’s go. We have an entire city to explore and only a week to see it. Think you can keep up with me?”
    After the tiniest hesitation, she smiled and a weight lifted from her heart. If Brad Willis was content with her company, who was she to suggest that he would soon grow bored? “Absolutely,” Karyn said with renewed confidence. “What’s next?”
    â€œFisherman’s Wharf. We began the day as tourists. I think we should end it the same way.”
    The honky-tonk atmosphere of the famed waterfront area, along with the Cannery and Ghirardelli Square,was exactly what Karyn needed. The sidewalk entertainment, the diverse shops and outdoor cafés set against the backdrop of the Bay gave them a chance for more leisurely, hand-in-hand strolling in an environment that defied depressing thoughts.
    She discovered that while Brad was knowledgeable about the offerings of the exclusive boutiques in Sausalito, he was just as enthusiastic about inexpensive tourist trinkets. He insisted that she have a San Francisco T-shirt and was endlessly patient while she chose one. When the purchase was made, he promptly tugged the shirt over her head, his hands lingering for just a moment beneath her breasts. The light, casual brush of his fingertips set off waves of shivering delight. It was a sensation Karyn knew she’d remember weeks from now when Brad was gone and she was alone in her bed, wearing the oversize shirt.
    â€œYou’re trembling,” he noted, his gaze locked with hers.
    Her throat too dry to respond, Karyn nodded, terrified he could tell how his touch aroused her.
    â€œI think that calls for some Irish coffee,” he decided, apparently misreading the cause of the shudders sweeping through her. She was relieved at first, until she caught the knowing glint in his eyes and realized that he had deliberately taken her response lightly to set her at ease. Karyn realized then what she should have known all along: Brad knew all about seductive pacing, just as he did about negotiating the curves and hills of a Grand Prix course. It should have made her cautious. Instead, it filled her with anticipation.
    They walked to the Buena Vista Café on Hyde Street,where they were finally able to find a table for two squeezed into a corner of the crowded restaurant famous for its Irish coffee. When the steaming coffee was in front of them, Karyn clung to the cup and searched for something witty to say. Her range of repartee seemed all too limited. She doubted he would want to hear about her class in interrogatories or her struggle with taking depositions. For the first time in her life, she regretted