Playing with Dynamite by Leanne Banks Read Free Book Online Page A

against him moments before that his body had begun to respond. He hoped nobody was studying the front of his cutoffs right now, or the swollen ridge behind his zipper would make a joke out of everything he’d suggested about being “friends” with Lisa.
    She tugged her hand away from his when he tried to hold it. Brick sighed. “Don’t pay any attention to Troy. He’s always had a big mouth.”
    Lisa fiddled with her fingers then folded them in front of her. “He reminded me that you and I are friends. That’s all,” she added emphatically. “And I’m looking for a husband.”
    Brick’s view of the day took a sour plunge. His stomach felt unsettled. He pulled an antacid out of his pocket and slipped it in his mouth. Lisa’s head was averted so that her gaze didn’t meet his. A brooding feeling settled over him. “That’s right,” he muttered impatiently. “I forgot to ask. Any proposals lately?”
    Lisa’s head whipped up. She narrowed her eyes as if she hadn’t missed the hint of a sarcastic edge in his voice. He could practically feel the heat of her indignation. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.
    Lord help him, there was that chin again. He should have kept his attitude under wraps. “Hey, that was out of line. I—”
    â€œAs a matter of fact,” she said, overriding his apology, “I have received a proposal for marriage. Not just one, but two.”

Chapter Four
    Lisa immediately regretted her words. It wasn’t as if she had any intention of marrying either man who’d proposed to her, and she didn’t want to have to elaborate on the motivations behind their proposals. Based on the expression on Brick’s face, however, she was in for the third degree.
    And she would rather eat dirt than give him the details.
    She smiled brightly. “I want a hot dog. I smelled them the minute I walked into the park, and my mouth’s been watering ever since.” She turned away from Brick. “You think they’re over—”
    Brick snagged her arm. “Just one minute,” he said in a quiet, lethal voice. “Don’t you want to tell me the rest of the story on these proposals?”
    Lisa’s nerves jangled inside her like a bunch of bells. “Not really. What I want is a hot dog,” she said, relieved that she’d managed not to meet his gaze. “And cotton candy,” she added for good measure.
    Brick lowered his lips to her ear. “I thought since I was your friend you’d want to tell me your secrets.”
    Lisa felt a sensual shiver buck and shimmy down her spine. Brick already knew far too many of her secrets. It was too easy to want to lean in to his strength, to turn her head and bury her face in his strong neck and breathe in the scent and sensation of him. Too easy, and she couldn’t do it. Fighting the fine edge of desperation, she arched away from the lure of his mouth. “If you were my friend, you’d point me to the nearest hot-dog stand because you could see I’m about to starve to death.”
    Still holding her wrist, Brick narrowed his eyes. He wanted to press her. She could feel the desire to demand war with the struggle for restraint emanating from him. In an instant his gaze changed and he shifted his clasp so that his fingers twined around hers. For all they’d shared, the gesture felt incredibly intimate, almost as if he were claiming her.
    â€œI wouldn’t ever want to be accused of not meeting your needs, Lisa.” His voice caused a deep visceral clench in her stomach. “Remember that.”
    Her heart fluttered in her throat. She swallowed hard, but couldn’t manage the words to tell him to let go of her hand.
    Â 
    Eight hours later after a full day at Beulah County’s fair, they were flying up the highway toward Chattanooga with the T-top down and the night breeze blowing over