Hunted by Kaylea Cross Read Free Book Online Page A

and she saw the similarities too. Guess you must have rubbed off on my subconscious while I was writing that one. Anyway, I only told you because I thought it might be kind of cool for you to read how someone else sees you through their eyes.” Before he could respond she refocused her attention on his teammates across the table and leaned in to engage in their conversation.
    Clay took another pull of his beer as the rest of them talked, mulling over her words. Now that she’d told him, it was kind of cool to know she’d based one of her characters on him. But how far did it go, and what did it mean? She wasn’t spinning romantic fantasies about him, was she? Because shit, he was so not a romance hero and he didn’t want her to be disappointed when she realized that.
    Romance heroes didn’t get arrested and thrown in jail for alleged domestic abuse. And since Zoe had practiced family law, she’d no doubt have seen all kinds of that shit. He would hate his past to change her opinion of him.
    Even as he thought it, Clay mentally shook himself. She wasn’t going to ever see that side of him, so it didn’t matter, did it?
    The band started up, a drummer, fiddler and guitarist playing some lively Irish-sounding jig. Zoe made a sound of pleasure that hit him square in the chest and straightened. “I love this song!” She shot him a smile, raised one dark eyebrow. “Wanna dance?”
    His muscles grabbed. Hell, he hated to disappoint her even this much, but he’d sooner undergo an interrogation than set foot on a dance floor. “I don’t dance.”
    The other eyebrow shot up to join the first. “Ever?”
    He shook his head, aware that the others were staring at him.
    “He doesn’t, but I do,” Schroder said, already rising from his chair. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s show these boys how it’s done.” He came around the table and offered her his hand, those goddamn dimples doing their magic, and Clay’s hand tightened around his beer.
    “Love to,” Zoe said, taking his hand.
    As she left the table and let Schroder escort her across to the small dance floor where other people were already dancing, Clay braced himself for the moment when she turned and gave him a look to either guilt him or rub in the fact that she was dancing with his teammate. Try to make him jealous, show him what he was missing in an attempt to get him to cave and go out there, to take Schroder’s place. Or start some other manipulative mind game some women liked to play.
    It didn’t happen.
    Not only that, but as the third song faded into the fourth and Zoe showed no signs of slowing down, she didn’t glance his way even once. It was obvious she was enjoying the hell out of herself, and so was Schroder. And his teammate wasn’t the only one who couldn’t take his eyes off her. Other men around the bar were watching her too, eyeing her as she swayed and shimmied in that sexy outfit and heels.
    Despite himself, Clay found his attention kept getting dragged back to her too. Out on the floor dancing like that she was damn near mesmerizing. Her pale skin practically glowed under the lights. Watching her move, all sinuous, confident grace, he couldn’t help but think back to her books, especially the third one. Was that the kind of sex she liked? Edgy. A little rough.
    He liked sex that way, raw and primal, but he’d been careful to tone that part of him down during his marriage because during the increasingly rare times that Eve had shown any interest in sex, she’d wanted slow and sweet. There was definitely a time and a place for slow and sweet, but so many times he’d been forced to rein that more dominant side of him in so he wouldn’t scare or offend her. Looking back, they hadn’t been compatible at all in most ways, and the lack of sex had been another nail in their marriage’s coffin.
    Clay finished off his beer, watching Zoe. He couldn’t be sure, but he got the feeling she wouldn’t balk or be scared if he let his rougher