Locked Out of Love by Mary K. Norris Read Free Book Online Page A

have any family. He’d been in the foster care system before Vander kidnapped him, and once he’d been rescued he had no desire to return home.
    It must’ve been hard for the kid to return every night to an empty apartment.
    And lonely.
    Joel knew what that was like. “Go grab your stuff. I’ll wait for you out front.”
    Luke beamed and scampered off to the back room to retrieve his belongings.
    Joel rubbed his chest while he waited outside the clinic. It’d be nice to have someone else in the house besides himself. Briefly he wondered what it’d be like to have Melanie in his home, in his bed. Her cheeks flushed, her lips parted, her legs open—
    His cock hardened painfully and he stifled a groan.
    Patience, young Padawan
.
    Joel inhaled the cool, salty air in an attempt to snuff out his lust. Lust did not equal a soul mate. Love didn’t even equal a soul mate. He’d been in love before and that had ended in heartache. He needed to make sure Melanie was okay, needed to explore whatever this sexual attraction was between them. And if there was any more proof of who she was to him, he’d deal with that when he got to it. First, he needed to teach her how to survive in their world. He needed to earn her trust, and he’d be an idiot if he expected her to welcome him with open arms.
    And once you earned her trust?
    Did he dare explore this attraction?
    It didn’t matter. He needed to gain her trust and he needed to go slow.

Chapter 7
    Melanie clutched the straps of her backpack as she rushed off the bus and into the community center. She was never late to yoga class, but Ma had needed help around the house, and even though she hadn’t asked for it, Melanie put down her things to collect all the dirty dishes around the house and wash them.
    The sun was starting to set and the wind kicked up to blow her jaw-length hair straight into her face. She hastily tucked the loose strands behind her ear and tried to ignore the slight tremble in her hand.
    She was nervous. No, she was beyond nervous; she was downright anxious. The weekend had passed in a hazy blur. She’d even gotten a new job working at a frozen yogurt shop, but damned if she could recall the name of it. Her mind was focused around one thing. One person.
    Joel.
    She inhaled deeply but the tightness in her chest remained.
    It’d been two days since she’d seen him.
    I’m only anxious to see him because that’s what Juliet wants me to do.
    She wished that was all it was, but deep down she knew it was more, and that terrified her. She craved it. Her body tingled with it. She felt like a high school teenager again, hoping to catch sight of her crush somewhere on campus.
    Was Joel at the community center? Was he even looking for her anymore?
    What if he’s not here?
    How was she supposed to get close to him if she couldn’t find him?
    She snuck into her yoga class a half hour late after doing a quick scan of the lobby and side hallways. She remained in the back and easily transitioned into the appropriate positions, her eyes scanning through the open doors for any sign of dark mahogany hair and midnight eyes. But there was no sign of him.
    When class was over, she hung her head and exited with everyone else. Two steps out the door she paused. The pressure in her chest eased. She looked up.
    Across the hall in a dark jacket and Green Lantern tee, Joel watched her.
    Melanie’s stomach clenched, her heart tripping over itself.
    Someone jostled her from behind and she stumbled to the side. She instantly lost track of Joel and when she looked back, he was gone.
    Had she imagined him?
    No. She could have sworn he was right there.
    “Looking for someone?” A voice spoke up from her far right.
    Melanie whirled. Usually the sight of a man so close to her made her back up cautiously, but this was different. She didn’t want to back away. She wanted the exact opposite, and that in itself was a cause for alarm. Could it be possible Joel had more than one power? Was