Lost in Love by Kate Perry Read Free Book Online Page B

ribbon from the bunch she held it out to him, and then she was mobbed. The balloons were all gone before she was ready to stop, so she hung out and chatted with a couple of the little kids. Every now and then, she’d look up to find Quinn sitting on a park bench, patiently waiting for her.
    Sometime later, she stumbled back over to him. “I’m ready to be out of these shoes,” she said. “And I’ll never complain about heels ever again.”
    Smiling, Quinn led her back to the car. “Did you have fun?’
    “So much. I feel so alive .” She threw her arms open, to embrace the world. Then she touched his arm. “Thank you. I can’t believe you set all this up.”
    “What made you want to do it?” he asked as they got into the car.
    Meredith shrugged as she took the red nose off and tucked it in her pocket. “I wanted to hear their carefree laughter and see their joy in something so small. Kids savor all their moments, even the small ones.”
    He watched her closely. “So it was worth it.”
    “Yes.” She angled herself toward him. “Thank you. I still can’t believe you remembered I had it on my list.”
    “I pay attention.”
    “It was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
    He took her hand.
    She felt the touch all over. She wanted him to touch more of her. She wanted him to kiss her.
    She leaned toward him, letting him know she was willing.
    His gaze fell to her lips. “I’m looking forward to the next item.”
    Meredith stilled. “Item?”
    “The next item on your list.”
    She thought about the order she’d written them in and cursed mentally for not adding “orgasm” to the very top.
    “Before I forget”—he took something out of his coat pocket and held it out—”this is for you. A souvenir, so you’ll always remember today.”
    She took it. A photo—a new-age sort of Polaroid of her laughing in her clown getup, holding out a balloon to a little girl whose eyes were wide with excitement. She had to clear her throat a couple times before she could ask, “How did you do this?”
    “I got a digital Polaroid camera.” He showed her a small black rectangular device hidden in his pocket.
    “That’s just—” She shook her head, staring at the photo. It was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever given her.
    She tucked it into her outfit, next to her heart. “Thank you,” she added simply, taking his hand again. She faced the window, pretending to look outside so he wouldn’t see the tears she was trying to blink back.

Chapter Eight
    The first day of school, Portia had been so nervous that she’d made herself sick and had to be sent home. Sitting in the waiting area on her first day of work, she felt the same way.
    With her hand over her necklace, she tried to breathe slowly. She’d never been so nervous in her entire life. She was doubly so—because she had so much riding on this job and because of Jackson Waite.
    Her belly flopped thinking about him. No one had ever looked at her the way he had, his eyes running up and down her body. He was as affected by her as she was by him, and that was a heady thing. She’d lain in her bed and imagined his hands all over her.
    Her face warmed, remembering the night before. She’d never had unladylike thoughts like that. Ever. The men she’d dated in the past were younger clones of her father. They inspired yawns, not sighs of ecstasy.
    Maybe her mother was right. Maybe she had more of Catherine Summerhill in her than she’d thought.
    A serious clacking of heels caught her attention, and she looked up to see a tall redhead walking toward her. The woman looked like the upper-crust ladies who ran in their social circle: well-groomed and expensive, wearing understated but obviously designer clothing.
    But it was the woman’s gaze that confused Portia. It was direct and open, curious without judging, inspecting her just as thoroughly.
    Thank goodness she’d dressed to fit the part of a serious antiquarian. She ran a hand over the