Foster Siblings 3: Brokedown Hearts by Cameron Dane Read Free Book Online Page B

away from both Ben and the kitten. “You can eat it. It’s all right.”
    Slowly, ever so slowly, the kitten unfurled himself and crept toward the treat. Once he reached it, he sniffed again and then gobbled it up in one bite.
    David tossed another one, not quite as far this time, and the kitten went for it. He set down a second, third, and fourth one, creating a trail that led straight to him. The kitten, clearly starving, easily took the bait. The moment he got within grabbing distance, David scooped the animal up and tucked it in the crook of his arm. The kitten instantly meowed and struggled to free himself from David’s hold.
    “Quick.” David snapped his fingers in Ben’s direction and held out his hand. “Put some more of the crackers in my hand.” Just as fast as David stretched out his palm, the kitten wiggled under his arm toward his back, and David twisted and threw himself fully into subduing the animal. “He needs to know he can keep eating, and we weren’t just tricking him to catch him.”
    In two lightning-fast moves, Ben grabbed the bag off the ground and dumped the rest of the crackers into his own hand. “Here. Here. Here.” Moving his hand in front of the kitten’s nose, Ben lured him back to resting comfortably in David’s arm and then let him eat what was left of the treats.
    As the kitten crunched on a fish, David stroked the animal’s head and back. Ben couldn’t help noticing the corded lines down the back of David’s forearm and hand, and the surprising length of his fingers. David had dirt wedged under the short nails, and his forearm had fine blond hairs and a sprinkle of freckles too. A tightness started forming low in Ben’s gut, flared south, and his mouth began going dry. Fuck.
    Ben ripped his stare up to David’s face, and when he noted David had his full attention on the kitten, he breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately, though, Ben zeroed in on a smudge of dirt on David’s jaw, and his fingers itched to wipe it away. Or maybe lick it away. Fuck, I bet he tastes good.
    No way. Don’t even think about him like that . Ben tore his gaze away and took a fast step back. The kitten meowed at him, but with a glance down, Ben thanked God the food was already gone from his hand. He’d moved so quickly he could have roused curiosity and suspicion in David.
    Ben blurted, “Maybe we should get him to the car while he’s still happy and calm from the snack.” Ben then took another step away, making it look as if walking back to the car had always been his intention.
    David jerked and lifted his focus to Ben. “Oh.” His voice rose an octave, and he started to fidget. “You’ve done so much already. We’ll be okay. I don’t want to put you out any longer.”
    All Ben’s hackles pricked up on end. “The motel is the only thing up this road”—his tone was a little more clipped than he’d meant it to be, but damn it, he didn’t like being brushed off—“so I’m assuming you were headed back to your room when all this went down.”
    “Yes, I was.” David scrambled to follow Ben.
    “And I was heading back to my room too.” With a flourish—Jesus, everything felt too fucking serious, and Ben needed to lighten the mood—Ben swung open the passenger door and dramatically swept his arm across the opening. “Hop in, and I’ll give you a ride.” Thinking fast, he quirked a brow. “Unless… I’m sorry. Are you parked farther up around the curve?” Ben knew the guy wasn’t, but it was best not to give any cause for suspicion by assuming a grown man didn’t own a vehicle.
    David flicked his stare to the ground. “No.” His tone barely registered above a murmur. “I don’t have a car.”
    Shit . A tug grabbed Ben in the chest hard. Don’t start feeling bad for him; he’s a job . Wiping his hand against his chest, Ben did a sharp quarter turn and strode around the car. “Then we’re back to my original thought. Get in, and I’ll give you”—Ben eyeballed