Keeping His Promise: A When It Happens Novella, Book 2 by Rhyannon Byrd Read Free Book Online

details.”
    “You’re a lot of things, Natalie Richards, but boring isn’t one of them.” His voice dropped as he added, “And no, I don’t really think you’re a bitch.”
    Almost too softly to hear, she said, “Oh.”
    His brows lifted with disbelief. “That’s it? Just oh. No heartfelt apology?”
    “Apology for what?” she asked, finally obeying his silent command for her to look at him again. “You’re still a manwhore.”
    His next breath left his lungs in a sharp, frustrated burst. “Are you kidding me? You know I’m not involved with Peyton. We’re fucking family.”
    She actually rolled her freaking eyes at him. “Come on, Sean. Are you forgetting all the women I’ve seen you with, weekend after weekend?”
    “Ah, Christ. Seriously? You’re going to throw them in my face? They’re not…they don’t. Jesus, Natalie, I hardly even know those women!”
    Her shoulders rose and fell with her next breath, as she looked away again. “Look, I’m glad you brought me here. It actually makes me feel better,” she said, nodding toward Peyton, “knowing that poor girl isn’t getting her heart broken. But it doesn’t change anything.”
    Ready to roar like a damn madman, he muttered something foul under his breath, and scrubbed his hands down his face. Needing some fucking air, he walked over to Peyton, who sounded like she was trying to deal with a demanding customer, and kissed her cheek, whispering that he’d call her. She gave him the death glare she’d perfected at the tender age of three, obviously pissed that he was bailing without any explanation, and he swore he could feel the heat from those green eyes burning against the back of his head until he’d finally made it back outside.
    He stopped on the sidewalk, pulling in a deep breath of the sea-scented air, and heard the door open and close behind him as Natalie joined him.
    “So what now?” she asked. The words were quiet, but the hesitation in them came through loud and clear.
    “I’m hungry. So even though you still think I’m scum, I say you give in gracefully and agree to go out to dinner with me.”
    He turned his head just in time to catch her startled look.
    “I’m not expecting sex, Natalie. I just want to go somewhere and eat. That’s all.”
    “But wouldn’t it be kind of tacky to go somewhere with you when I’m meant to be on a date with Matt?”
    “Are you kidding me? Matt the Dickhead doesn’t deserve to be in the same room with you, much less sitting across from you at a table.”
    “And you do?”
    He didn’t respond at first. Just stood there while the setting sun turned the sky a brilliant shade of purple out over the sea behind her, and studied her face, trying to figure out what he was doing. Why he was still trying to keep her with him, instead of getting the hell away from her as fast as he could. “Just dinner, Nat. It won’t kill you, will it?”
    He nearly groaned when she caught that full lower lip in her straight teeth, then let it go with a sigh. “It might.”
    “Yeah, well, I happen to believe that you’re tough as nails,” he said dryly. “You’ll survive.”
    She didn’t argue. She just rolled her eyes again and walked beside him back to the truck. He opened her door, and as she climbed up into the seat, he couldn’t help the grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth. God only knew it should have been a grimace, given all the shit she kept giving him, but it wasn’t. He couldn’t even get rid of the damn thing as he made his way around the front to the driver-side door and got back behind the wheel.
    Yeah, she was ornery and guarded and one hell of a smart ass, but there was something about this woman that had taken hold of him. He couldn’t seem to shake it, no matter how belligerent she got. So for the rest of the night, Sean decided he wasn’t even going to try.
    Instead, he was going to dig in and keep fighting to get past her defenses. He didn’t have any other choice,