Hopelessly Broken by Tawny Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

long, deep breath and looked himself in the mirror.
    “You have got to stop this,” he said to his reflection. “You have to put an end to it now.”
     
    Wow.
    That word just kept echoing in her head, over and over and over.
    Wow. Wow. Wow.
    It couldn’t have been her imagination. Granted, she had a vivid imagination. She capitalized on that every day. But this couldn’t just be in her head. It couldn’t. The chemistry was too powerful. It felt like a magnetic force, drawing her closer to him, pulling her toward him.
    Sh e’d never felt anything like it before.
    That strange, powerful, overwhelming connection. That thrill she got from staring into his eyes. That magi cal moment when their gazes locked and the air crackled between them.
    Standing in the hall, staring at the bathroom door, she could literally feel her nerves firing. Every single one. She’s been attracted to a guy before. She’d had boyfriends. She’d had one pretty serious one, just before…just before her life had crashed down around her.
    But she’d never felt anything like this before.
    What was it? Infatuation? Lust?
    He felt something too. She could see it. In his face. His eyes.
    What was happening? Was this the beginning of something wonderful and life changing and beautiful?
    She felt so alive right now. For the first time in ages, the future didn’t look bleak and sad and lonely.
    The doorknob rattled.
    Her heart did a little hop.
    She ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She heard the door hinges squeak just as she hit the bottom one.
    At least he wouldn’t catch her standing there, a silly girl staring at the door and pining for him like a child. She rounded the corner.
    Logan was in the kitchen, Aeron’s little ankle-biter cradled in his arms. “Jenny, are you okay? You look a little funny.”
    “Funny? Why? I’m fine.”
    “Oh, I don’t know.” The little beast began squirming, and Logan tightened his hold on him. “Your face is red.”
    Jenn felt her face getting hotter. “Oh. That’s because I scrubbed it to get all the flour off.”
    “Ah.” Logan’s gaze jumped from her to something, or someone, behind her. “Then Aeron must have scrubbed his hard too. His looks worse than yours.”
    Aeron made a little sputtering noise, and Jenn resisted the impulse to sneak a peek over her shoulder. If it wasn’t for the fact that her face was practically on fire, she wouldn’t have mi nded seeing Aeron’s flaming cheeks. But she was too embarrassed to turn around.
    “Ready to go?” Aeron asked.
    Logan set Cojack on his feet and hopped up and down. “Yes!”
    “I’ll drive.” Not waiting for Jenn, Aeron headed for the door. Logan followed him. Jenn took up the rear, watching Aeron’s very nicely-shaped backside. Outside, Aeron opened the back door for Logan while Jenn made herself comfortable in the passenger seat. She watched Logan strap himself in as Aeron got the car started.
    Seconds later, they were on the road, weaving between snow-covered parked cars, headed toward the restaurant. Logan chattered nonstop in the backseat. Aeron responded with the always appropriate, “that’s great” an occasional, “cool” and plenty of “yeses”. By the time they’d arrived at the restaurant Logan had mapped out a plan for the day that included making a snow fort, a walk with Cojack, and building a fort in his room. None of his plans included Jenn.
    It seemed she’d been replaced.
    But she was okay with that. When her brother was with Aeron, he was happy. He was whole. He was normal.
    There was a time she’d never thought he would be normal again.

 
 
 
Six
     
    He was only human.
    Flawed.
    Weak.
    She’d been so close all day, since this morning. Laughing with him. Talking to him. Watching him. Teasing him. How could he be expected to live like this? It was hell. Worse than hell.
    And now, after enduring hours of her tempting glances and shy half-smiles, h e couldn’t think without images of her lush