Big Bad John (Bigger in Texas Series) by R.G. Alexander Read Free Book Online

found success in her industry or not, it still brought her joy. Even if they’d never called and she knew she’d be spending the rest of her life in her living room, singing to no one but the unappreciative bamboo sitting silent in a pot on her coffee table, she still wouldn’t give it up. She’d come to terms with that a long time ago. Music was her comfort. Margery used to tell her it was a gift from the angels and had made her promise never to turn her back on the blessing, whether she sang in church or on a brightly lit stage.
    Trudy smiled and hummed one of her older songs under her breath, promising herself she would visit the old woman tomorrow.
    A low male sound of appreciation caused her to look up at the reflective surface of the window. John stood behind her. How had he gotten that close without her noticing?
    “I’ve missed hearing that in person,” he murmured. “You’ve always had such a beautiful voice. A voice like that should be shared.”
    Oh God. Between one breath and the next—that quickly—Trudy’s body reacted to the intimate tone. Her stomach fluttered and her bones seemed to melt, forcing her to lean against the large, stainless steel sink to keep upright. Watching him. “Thank you.”
    He moved closer and reached around her body to grip one of her hands, still under the running water. His fingers twined with hers. “I didn’t mean for you to do this. You cooked, the least I can do is clean up after.”
    She could hardly breathe. “I didn’t mind.” The heat of his body was burning her skin, the thin straps of her lavender tank top tight over her shoulders as she tensed. Waiting. Wondering what would happen next. “Is Jefferson settled in?”
    John’s other hand came up to trace feather light circles on her shoulder, down the outside of her arm. His hands were rough from years of manual labor, making her feel soft and feminine. Everywhere he touched her was charged. Electric.
    It shouldn’t still be like this. Intense. Intimate. They were strangers now. Why was her reaction so strong?
    “John, we should talk about how we’re going to stop him from—”
    “We have plenty of time for that. I don’t want to talk about your brother, Trouble.” His fingers tightened on her skin. “Or your news, as good as it is. And neither do you.”
    “I don’t?”
    “No,” he assured her, his voice low and rough. “I should let you get settled in, should wait, but you’ve been watching me all night, Trudy. Made it damn near impossible to keep track of what your fast-talking friend was saying. You’ve been thinking about kissing me again. Been wondering if, after all this time, there would still be sparks. If it would be as good as you remember.”
    Trudy was a sucker for a confident man. This confident man in particular. But she couldn’t let her guard down. Not here. Not now.
    She turned, her body brushing against his as she moved to face him. His cheeks were flushed, his blue eyes dark and seductive.
    How was she supposed to think when he looked at her that way?
    “And you’ve been spending too much time in the sticks, Big John.” She lifted her chin and raised her eyebrow in what she hoped was a condescending expression. “You don’t know what I’m thinking. Don’t know me. You haven’t seen me or talked to me in over ten years. What makes you think I have any desire to kiss you? That I’m not already taken?”
    He gripped her waist with his hands and lifted her until she was sitting precariously on the edge of the sink, then took one more step until he was standing between her legs. “I know you better than you think I do,” he whispered. “Better than your fans. But if I’m off base, if it’s just me feeling this, then do me a favor…prove me wrong.”
    Her arms hovered uncertainly in the air with the first teasing brush of his lips against hers. After his words, she’d expected an all-out assault. A demand. This was something different. His tongue stroked her