His Unlikely Lover (Unwanted #3) by Natasha Anders Read Free Book Online

gripped her elbow. It was a barely noticeable moment, but Bobbi found herself obsessively wondering about it throughout the lengthy seating and meal selection process. Had he felt that current too? Before now it had been wholly one-sided, with only Bobbi feeling that frisson, but after Gabe’s hesitation, she wondered if just maybe he had felt it too.
    She looked up into his familiar features and was disheartened to note that he didn’t look the slightest bit disconcerted and sighed quietly at that ember of hope in her chest that just wouldn’t die.
    One of his elbows was on the table and his chin was resting in the palm of his hand as he stared unnervingly at her. His free hand was toying with his fork.
    “When was the last time you heard from Chase?” She felt the need to break the lengthening silence between them.
    “A couple of days ago. On Skype. He seemed . . .” He sighed and shrugged, his concern for his twin brother obvious. Chase was an award-winning photojournalist and regularly traveled to war zones around the globe. He was currently covering a civil war in the Middle East and a number of journalists had already been kidnapped and murdered in the area. Bobbi knew that Gabe had been urging his brother to come home and leave this one be, but Chase was a stubborn man. “He seemed tired. Distracted.”
    “I’m sure that he’s fine,” Bobbi comforted. “He knows how to take care of himself. He knows what precautions to take.”
    “Hmmm . . .” Gabe sounded unconvinced, but he forced a smile. Bobbi wasn’t fooled by it and dropped her hand over his larger one on the table.
    “You know what your problem is?” She asked with a slight grin, and he raised an eyebrow at her.
    “Do tell?” he invited.
    “You’re so bossy and arrogant that not being able to keep everybody you care about well and safe just chafes at your ego.” She kept her tone light and it worked, coaxing a smile from him.
    “Yeah, well, if everybody just followed my advice, their lives would be so uncomplicated,” he teased.
    “Because you always know best, right?”
    He gave her a smug, condescending nod.
    “Naturally.”
    “Well, you’re going to have to let everybody lead their own lives and instead focus on your own because you’re surrounded by stubborn people who hate being dictated to,” she reminded him, glancing up when the waitress brought their drinks. Realizing that she was still holding his hand, she released her hold abruptly and grabbed her Coke—grateful when the cold condensation on the outside of the glass neutralized the annoying tingle in the palm of her hand. She drank thirstily, abruptly grateful for the fizzy, cold drink as it hit the back of her parched throat. She was more dehydrated than she knew. She hated that she was proving Gabe right once again and tried to disguise her thirst from him by reluctantly wrenching her lips away from the straw.
    When she glanced up at him, he was grinning and she was happy to note that the deep-seated concern he had over his brother’s welfare seemed to have been pushed to the back of his mind for now. Proving him right in this instance was well worth it.
    “Thirsty?” he asked casually, and she tossed a napkin at him.
    “Okay, I’m thirsty, and once my lunch gets here I’ll probably realize that I’m famished too so you’re right once again. Try not to gloat too hard, you might break your ego bone or something!” He laughed outright at that and she was happy to have coaxed the sound from him when he had been so depressed just moments before. She tried not to think about how pathetic she was: living for the sound of his laughter and proud of her measly ability to tease him into a good mood. She really needed to stop living her every moment for this man—with her only solid accomplishments in life being how often she had made him smile or laugh.
    She watched in exasperated affection as he neatly arranged the condiments on the table to his liking: salt,