Haunted Ever After by Juliet Madison Read Free Book Online Page B

he jumped closer, his body a few inches from mine as I huddled with a cushion on the couch.
    ‘Oh yeah, work it, Doctor!’ Mel yelled, and for a fleeting moment I wondered where Red was. Why wasn’t she getting in the way? Surely she would have a field day with this!
    As I became aware of a masculine scent of expensive cologne, my face burned hotter, and Ty finally kicked off those sensible shoes with their protective plastic cover that looked like a shower cap for feet. I looked at his feet to divert my eyes from his, um, the rest of him, and my heart skipped a beat. It was dark, but not dark enough that I couldn’t make out the slight swelling and discolouration of bruising on his left toes.
    Oh my goodness gracious me.
    I cautiously glanced up at his face and he lifted the goggles from his head, followed by the mask, revealing the perfectly proportioned face of the man whose toes I’d run over with the trolley in the supermarket.

CHAPTER 6
    ‘You!’ I flung my hands over my face.
    He stopped dancing and pulled my hands away, peering into my eyes, then turned. ‘Would you mind turning on the light for a sec?’ he asked Lorena, who obliged, and also turned the music down.
    The dim, ambient environment switched to the harsh awkwardness of reality, as recognition hardened Ty’s face. ‘You’re the dangerous shopper from the supermarket,’ he said, and his stance changed from seductive and confident to stiff and uncomfortable.
    ‘I’m not dangerous. I didn’t see you, that’s all.’
    ‘That’s him ?’ Georgie asked, and Mel laughed like a hyena. It was almost as bad as Red’s laugh.
    ‘Um, what’s going on here?’ Lorena asked.
    I stood and straightened my dress, which felt way too short, though I wasn’t showing as much flesh as stripper guy. ‘I sort of, um…’
    ‘She did this,’ he said, plonking his bruised foot on the coffee table, ‘with her shopping trolley.’
    ‘Today?’ Lorena’s eyes widened, and we both nodded.
    ‘It was an accident, but he didn’t have the decency to accept my apology.’
    ‘You were practically racing that thing, you’re lucky no bones were broken. I might have had to cancel work tonight.’ He put his foot back on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest, making his pecs bulge even more, not that I was looking.
    I crossed my arms too, but nothing bulged on my end. His pecs were bigger than my tiny buds for boobs. ‘Oh, well that would have been a huge shame,’ I said with a strong tone of sarcasm.
    ‘Yes, if you must know, I had three more parties wanting to book me for this time tonight. I had to turn them down. I’m quite in demand, you know.’ He raised his chin.
    ‘I can’t imagine why.’ I crossed my arms even tighter. What an egotistical idiot.
    ‘I can,’ Mel muttered, then laughed again.
    Ty grabbed his pants from the floor and reattached the velcro, then stepped into them. ‘I think I should go. Thanks for inviting me, Lorena, but it’s best if I end the show a little early.’
    Lorena approached him. ‘Oh, no need for that! Sally was just a bit surprised, weren’t you, Sal? I’m sure you can both forget what happened today and just enjoy the night, yeah?’
    ‘Thanks, but I think the mood has passed for this bride-to-be.’ He looked at me with strong, brown eyes.
    ‘What makes you think I was even in a mood ? As if I’m some floozy who goes weak at the knees at the sight of a good-looking, half-naked man with muscles the size of mountains?’ Oh God. What was in that cocktail? I don’t normally speak like that!
    Ty smirked. ‘Ah, so you think I’m good-looking, eh?’
    ‘No, it was just a figure of speech, I didn’t mean it!’
    ‘You said good-looking, sunshine. That’s pretty straightforward to me.’
    I diverted my gaze from his, as my cheeks burned hotter.
    ‘He is good-looking Sal, admit it,’ Mel said. ‘You are good-looking, Ty.’
    He smiled at Mel, then grabbed his top, but Lorena grasped hold of it too.