Escaping Love by Debra Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

morning. Kane would be leaving with Jesse tomorrow. Alex would needed to thank him for warning her and Clint about the jackals. She may have already been captured if it wasn’t for his diversion. Needing to lighten her mood, she looked at the goofy picture of the sexy man she found herself liking a little more. She placed it carefully in her pocket, intent on keeping it and the feeling of being with this family, safe.
     
    ~****~
     
    Clint’s gaze raked a trail along Alex’s body. She looked so breathtaking with her profile highlighted by firelight. Her long white-blonde hair fell in silk-like tendrils around her shoulders. An image of her hair splayed over his chest after a rigorous bout of lovemaking made his cock ache with a stifling hunger. She seemed to belong here in the home he grew up in, next to the woman he considered his family.
    When she volunteered to help out around the ranch, he hid his surprise. It wasn’t that he doubted her ability —just her experience. He couldn’t really see her wearing high heels while mucking out the horse’s stalls. But hell, he knew people could surprise him, and she did constantly which was well—fascinating. Like a dog with a bone, he needed to figure Little Cat out.
    He fought the need to pull the woman into his lap. He knew she would protest but he would just pet her until she calmed and started purring for him.
    “Well I’m exhausted. Time for bed. Come on, Momma, let’s hit the hay.”
    In the time it took him to blink his family vacated the room , leaving him with an equally surprised Alex.
    “Goodnight,” she called down the hall.
    His gaze followed the movement of her stirring her cinnamon stick in her almost empty cider.
    He scratched his five o’clock shadow as he searched for things to talk about , but she beat him to it.
    “Your family’s great. Clara’s really proud of you.”
    “Thanks, but I am amazing so it’s not all that hard to believe.” He dodged the decorative pillow flying at his face. Only to completely miss the second one that immediately followed. Sneaky feline . The pillow fell to the floor, opening his view to her dazzling smile. He had a feeling it didn’t get used very often. So the fact she was sharing it with him made him feel honored. Then the awkwardness returned, and the smile left her face.
    “Do it again.”
    “Do what? Hit you in the face with another pillow, ’cause if it’s what you really want I would be happy to fulfill your request.”
    “No , darlin’, your smile. Do it again please.”
    She cocked her head to the side like an animal trying to figure out something it didn’t quite understand.
    She must have decided he was completely serious, because she turned the pretty crimson he was so fond of. Testing her resolve, he rose slowly as not to spook her and moved closer to her. She scooted farther into the cushions of the couch.
    “W-what are you doing?”
    “Well the nice warm fire is speaking to my animal side, and I feel like cuddling.”
    “Not with me.”
    “Sure with you. It’s the least you could do. After all, it’s your fault.”
    “How is it my fault you want to cuddle?”
    He stepped closer as he kept her mind busy. “Near as I can figure, it must be the trauma of losing my cabin. It’s making me feel all needy. I hate feeling needy. It’s an affront to my canine nature.”
    “Please, sell your crap to someone else. I’m not buying.”
    “I’m beginning to think you don’t like me very much.”
    “Well at least you’re right about something.”
    “Don’t be nasty. How do you know you won’t like it?”
    He fought the urge to kiss her as her little white teeth nibbled on her bottom lip.
    “How about we try something simple like sitting next to each other and if that’s not too bad we can go a little further.”
    Her eyebrows drew together . “You promise not to try anything?”
    “We’ll only go as far as you want. That’s all, you tell me to leave or stop what I’m doing. I