A Good Man for Katie by Marie Patrick Read Free Book Online Page A

finger marking the page. Another muted thump seemed thunderous in the silence of the house.
    Without a single thought except keeping Kathryne safe, Chase took three steps forward, and clamped his hand over her mouth. “Don’t make a sound,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s Chase.”
    Except for a stifled squeal, Kathryne didn’t make another sound nor did she struggle as he backed into the room. He held her, trying to return his breathing to normal. With her back pressed into him, Chase inhaled and caught the alluring fragrance of her hair and warm skin, which did nothing to still the rapid beating of his heart or his respiration. He dropped his saddlebags on a chair.
    “Don’t scream,” he whispered as he removed his hand and turned her to face him.
    She didn’t scream. Instead, she stared at him with an expression of complete and utter trust in her beautiful brandy-colored eyes, her chest rising and falling with each breath. She didn’t even flinch when he uncocked his pistol and slipped it into the holster.
    “Chase.”
    His name fell from her lips in sweet, dulcet tones that shook him to his soul, as if she’d practiced saying it over and over until it sounded just right.
    “Keep your voice low.”
    She nodded, her eyes sparkling behind the lenses of her glasses, a flush on her cheeks.
    “Do you know who’s in my room?”
    “No, but he hasn’t been there long. He made no attempt to be quiet. I heard glass breaking and furniture moving.” She tilted her head. “Why would someone want to ransack your room?”
    He knew why, but couldn’t reveal the secret, which had made his life of late a living hell. The words stuck in his throat. He shrugged instead, his gaze steady on her lovely face. Without conscious thought, his eyes dropped lower to rest upon the soft skin of her neck and chest. She looked utterly delectable standing in front of him. Long chestnut hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. Wide eyes sparkled as they assessed him. Her smooth pink tongue poked out to lick to her lips as the blush on her cheeks deepened.
    Dressed in a blue nightshift of the softest cotton he remembered fingering when he’d collected her clothes, topped by a darker blue robe that left bare more than it covered, her figure whetted the appetite. The deep valley between the plumpness of her breasts appeared luminescent and drew his eye, as did the small span of her waist.
    With a will of their own, his eyes traveled upward to rest upon her face and he caught the pinkness of her tongue as she licked her lips again. The small action tempted him beyond all thoughts of propriety.
    Aw, hell!
    Despite the fact someone was searching his room as he stood here, despite the fact he shouldn’t even think it, Chase dipped his head and captured the sweetness of her mouth with his own.
    A small sound escaped her and Kathryne stiffened, but only for a moment. The book dropped to the floor and landed with a soft thud on the carpet before her hands splayed on his chest, their warmth seeping through his shirt.
    He’d made a mistake touching his lips to hers, and yet, he didn’t care. Sweet couldn’t quite describe her taste, especially when she kissed him back, her lips moving over his with a confusing mixture of innocence and knowledge. Once again, his heart rate picked up speed and pounded in his ears when she pressed closer and her body fitted against his. His hands wove into her hair, the thick mass like silk between his fingers. Her scent tickled his nose, intoxicating him more than liquor ever could.
    I shouldn’t be doing this , the thought flittered through his mind, but I can’t stop myself. Don’t want to stop. She feels too good in my arms . His mouth played over hers, drawing another small sigh from her before she stiffened in his arms.
    “You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered as she broke the kiss.
    “I know.”
    “I’m supposed to stay away from you.”
    He said nothing, but the loneliness he’d