Forever After (Montana Brides) by Leeanna Morgan Read Free Book Online Page B

righteous indignation pumped through Sam’s body. Eight o’clock on a Monday morning was too damn early to deal with the large expanse of tanned leg on display.  
    As if that wasn’t enough to irritate the hell out of him, she’d twisted her hair into a fancy bun on top of her head. A bun, for God’s sake. He’d never seen anyone except Mrs. Green from elementary school stick their hair into such a ridiculous ball of fluff. It belonged in the eighteenth century, not in an underground garage.
    “Good morning to you too, Sam.”
    Throwing his briefcase on the back seat, he grunted back a reply.
    Nicky smiled sweetly across the truck at him. “You obviously aren’t a morning person if that scowl is anything to go by. Did I wake you up?” Her laptop landed with a soft thud beside his briefcase.
    Little Miss Ray of Sunshine didn’t know how close she’d come to the truth. Her carefree smile would have disappeared in the blink of an eye if she knew how shamelessly she’d woken him from his dreams. And there hadn’t been a bun in sight. “I didn’t sleep well,” he grumbled. “What time did you get up?”
    “I walked to the clock tower at six and then followed a path around the whole complex. It was too early to go back to my apartment so I headed into town and had breakfast at a café.”
    “On your own?”
    Nicky gave him a hard stare. “Of course I was on my own.” Sliding into the truck, she reached for her seatbelt. “I’m a big girl now. I don’t need someone holding my hand. Besides, Tess’s café is pretty special.”
    “You know, Tess?” Sam folded himself into the driver’s seat. When she’d been standing outside the truck her above the knee skirt looked almost demure. Sitting down, the same skirt rode high on her thigh, leaving him drooling. He didn’t know where to look, but her legs were winning hands down over the other tantalizing parts of her body peeking out from pale peach cotton.
    “I didn’t know her before this morning, but she seems like a nice person. I love what she’s done to Angel Wings Café, and breakfast was amazing.” Nicky frowned. “Earth to Sam? Is anything going on in that head of yours?”  
    It was just as well Nicky didn’t have a clue about where his mind had been wandering. She turned sideways, pulling her seatbelt around her body. Her skirt got a whole lot shorter.
    “You really should think about getting some morning exercise. It’s a great way to start the day.”
    His thoughts precisely. Hell, what was the matter with him? Before she’d come along he’d been perfectly content with his life. He dated - when he had time. He enjoyed light, flirtatious interludes that slotted into his life when it suited him. Serious commitment had always been an unnecessary state of mind, body, and soul, and didn’t apply to him. His career had always been his life.  
    “Are you going to drive us to work or sit daydreaming?”  
    The irritation in Nicky’s voice scratched along his nerves like gritty sandpaper. Clamping his lips tight, he reversed with more speed than finesse out of the garage. He’d be damned if she’d upset his perfectly ordered life.
    Merging with the traffic heading into town, he glanced across the truck. His gaze dropped down to Nicky’s legs. They’d end up wrapped around a street light if he didn’t keep his eyes on where they were going. “Did you get to see some of Bozeman last night?”
    “No. Dad came and picked Erin and I up and took us back to his house for dinner.”
    “Did he get the tractor fixed?” Glancing in the rear vision mirror, Sam turned left, heading toward their office building.
    “Eventually. He’s sure Jordan’s tractor’s held together with twine and spit. But it’s still running, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”
    Sam nodded. “Your dad never seemed the type to retire to the golf course for the rest of his life.”
    “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”  
    Nicky’s warm laugh melted some of the