Nobody's Hero by Liz Lee Read Free Book Online

unshaven chin. For a second she wondered what it would feel like to touch that scratchy skin, but she forced the image out of her mind.
    Just when she thought he was done, he leaned forward again and looked into her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and she couldn’t look away. She didn’t even try.
    “No, Callah. I mean, yeah, you’re a story. And, yeah, that’s the reason I called you originally. But that’s not the reason I showed up at your house. When I saw those pictures and that note and realized there was a chance you might be in real danger, I couldn’t let it go. I had to make sure you were okay.”
    Oh. For a minute, she’d thought…no. She’d misunderstood the look in his eyes again.  
    He took a deep breath, and she tried to make him see it was fine. She understood. She was a responsibility. Not a friend. And certainly nothing more. And she didn’t want that anyway.
    But she couldn’t say all that. So she settled for, “Well then, thank you.” What else could she say? She wasn’t going to get all mushy on him. He’d totally freak out, and then where would they be? God only knew what he’d do if she showed real emotion.
    Shoot, her entire life was one big lie anyway. Who needed reality?
    He nodded, smiled slightly, and she thought it was over. That they could go back to normal. To worrying about who was after her. Who the dog walker might be. Why he wanted her.
    But Riley wasn’t done. ”I’m not a good person, Callah. I was honest about who I am. And even though I was being a total ass, I was honest a few minutes ago too. When I look at you, I wonder if your lips are still as soft as I remember. When you stand there looking all prim and proper, hands on your hips, I want to get close, run my hands over you and pull you close enough to let you feel just what you do to me.  
    “And damn lady, when you talk about chocolate, I want to buy a chocolate factory and tempt you with it every chance I get. So I’m not real sure your friends idea is going to work.” He stopped, sat back, shrugged and smiled that sexy smile that drove her crazy. “But, I’m willing to try.”
    Oh my God. She was going to melt. Right there on the spot. Call her a puddle and get it over with.
    And she thought he was afraid of emotion. Here he’d gone and been honest again. Just what she thought she wanted. Lord save her from honest men.
    When she could finally pull her chin off the floor, she gulped and met his eyes. His jaw was dark, his smile real and, oh my, the man had eyes to die for. Who was she kidding? If this was his brand of honesty, she definitely wanted more.

    Riley watched the color blossom on Callah’s cheeks as he spoke. Watched as she put his words in a category she was ready to deal with and then looked up at him with that good girl smile back in place.
    “Well good then. I’m glad we’ve got that settled.”
    He didn’t know what she thought they had settled, but if it made her feel better to think they’d worked something out, that was fine with him.
    He stood and walked over to the window that looked out on the lake. Boats of all shapes and sizes bobbed out on the choppy water and he wondered which one was looking for them. Because by now at least one was. Of that he was sure. He let the curtain fall back into place and turned to face her.
    “My brother was out. No telling when he’ll get back to us. If I haven’t heard from him in the next couple hours, I’ll call again.”
    She nodded and rubbed her hands over her arms. He’d turned on the air as soon as they walked in, but it hadn’t cooled the summer-heated room, so he knew she wasn’t cold.
    Probably shocked.
    He tossed her a blanket then turned away before he touched her, because God knew the last thing either of them needed right now was to throw that into the mix. “I’m going to plug in the laptop, research a little. You want to help?”
    She blinked as if trying to figure out what they were going to research and he