Battered Not Broken by Ranae Rose Read Free Book Online Page B

crap out of their opponent, relying on sheer viciousness and will to win to carry them through the fight. He had skill, and he used it – the right moves at the right time. If he could manage his body and instincts when faced with the possibility of physical harm, surely he could control a car responsibly.
    Still, she wondered what it might feel like to speed down an open highway with him, the hum of the car’s engine vibrating throughout every fiber of her being and causing her nerves to buzz as she sat just a foot or two from him, a temporary prisoner of speed.
    “Here he comes.” Maria pointed out the obvious and turned, retreating to the kitchen.
    Ally unlocked the door and opened it, letting cool air waft in from the porch.
    Ryan’s gaze locked on her, causing the overhead porch light to feel more like a spotlight than the single standard bulb it actually was. His blue eyes were as show-stealing as his car, and as she stared into them, a bolt of sensation shot straight through her, every bit as electric as the mustang’s blue paint.
    “You look great,” he said, climbing the short flight of steps that led to the porch.
    The porch boards were older than she was and shifted ever so slightly beneath her feet, letting her feel the motions of his stride as he approached.
    “Thanks.” She’d put more effort into selecting an appropriate outfit than she would’ve cared to admit. Eventually, she’d settled for a pair of flattering jeans, boots and a dark red sweater she liked to think hugged her curves and played up her feminine side. She’d pulled on her favorite jacket over that to ward against the chill. It seemed appropriate for the dinner and movie he’d promised her earlier that day at the gym.
    She’d bet a Saturday night’s prize money purse that he hadn’t had to put any effort into looking perfectly masculine. He wore jeans and a black shirt that buttoned up the front. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his forearms. No tattoos there – only hard muscle. He’d foregone a jacket, which allowed her to see the way his shirt clung to his torso, exposing a little notched V of skin at the collar. Funny that the sight of it made her pulse skip even though she saw him shirtless several days a week.
    “Are you ready to go?” he asked, his voice a powerful purr that reminded her of his car’s engine.
    “Let me just grab my handbag.” In the excitement of watching him approach the house, she’d forgotten about it. “Here, step inside so you don’t have to stand out in the cold.”
    He accepted her invitation and followed her when she slipped back into the house.
    “Good evening, Mrs. Rivera.” His all-male voice resonated throughout the small entry room and kitchen, and he looked larger-than-life standing in front of the doorway.
    It had been a long time since their house had contained such an undeniably masculine presence. So long that a pang of something undeniable but pleasant sliced right through the core of Ally’s being. She couldn’t deny that she liked the sight of him standing there, his broad shoulders and even six-foot height putting the house into perspective. It wasn’t a big place, but it had sometimes seemed too large over the past several years.
    “Good evening – Ryan, right?” Maria was already back at work in the kitchen, but she paused to greet him.
    “That’s right.”
    She beamed, showing a wide smile to Melissa’s rescuer. “I’ve heard all about you from Ally and Melissa.”
    “I hope they’ve been telling you good things,” he said, returning her smile.
    “After what you did for Melissa, there’s nothing they could tell me that would make me think less of you.”
    What would Maria have thought if she’d known what Ryan had first said to Ally – the comment he’d made that first day at the gym? Ally mused privately but didn’t say anything. In exchange for her best friend’s safety, she could forgive him for being a flirt. Especially when