Runaway Heart (A Game of Hearts #2) by Candace Knoebel, Sonya Loveday Read Free Book Online Page A

thing I brought them for ye,” he said in a conversational tone, watching me eat with a grin that lit his eyes up as bright as stadium lights. “Figured ye might be hungry after all the floundering around last night.”
    A hoard of warning bells sounded off in my mind as thousands of dusty feelings fluttered around inside my stomach.
    They—whoever they were—said food was the way to a man’s heart, but they totally missed the mark by not including women with that statement.
    This girl and delicious food go together like peanut butter and jelly.
    I swallowed as best as I could as my eyebrows screwed up. “You brought them for me? Intentionally?”
    He looked around the room. “Don’t see anyone else with us.”
    Just the elephant in the room, I thought with a snort.
    “Umm. Thanks.” I gave him a twitching smile that felt misplaced on my face.
    He had just thrown a syrup-laden wrench into my nefarious plans of toying with him. Not only was he good looking, but under that humor was also a sweet side. A thoughtful side. Even I knew it wasn’t fair for a cat to play with such a sweet, little mouse.
    Lord, please help me.
    “I’m going to umm… go find Maggie,” I said, masking the hesitation in my voice by clearing my throat.
    “In only your knickers?” A barely there smile wavered on his face.
    I fought against the need to fidget under his heated gaze. The look on his face was a look that said he had me all figured out and would patiently wait until I finally gave in.
    I could not let that happen.
    Moving around him as if he were contagious, I hurriedly pulled my pajama pants on, grabbed my plate of pancakes, and then marched across the sand, heading straight inside Maggie’s home with the zeal of familiarity.
    Putting the plate down on the kitchen table with a heavy thud, I sighed and sagged into the chair. Both she and Phillip looked up at me from their plates, foreheads forming that questioning V look.
    “Don’t ask,” I said as I grabbed the bottle of orange juice, poured myself a glass, and then downed it in one good, long sip.
    “Phillip,” Maggie said, watching me from the corner of her eye. “Why don’t you grab Ed and go check to make sure the staff has the arbor ready on the beach?”
    “But we just checked this morning. You know they’re—”
    She gave him that look that said, “Shut up and leave.”
    He caught on quickly, looking over at me with furrowed eyebrows. “Oh. Okay.”
    I saluted my fork at him, giving him a fake smile.
    “Did you have sex with him?” she blatantly asked once Phillip was gone.
    I almost choked on my bite. “What? What kind of girl do you take me for?” I asked, trying to act aggrieved by her assumption.
    She returned the stare with pursed, knowing lips.
    “No,” I forcefully reiterated. “Absolutely not. I would never. Ever. He’s not even my type. I hate hazel eyes and English accents. They’re so overrated. And his sense of humor is lacking. He’s a complete bore. And… and he snores.”
    “Hannah…” she dragged out.
    I sighed. “Okay, so he’s cute. And funny. So what? That doesn’t mean I slept with him. Or that I will.”
    She winged her eyebrow at me.
    “What?”
    “What yourself?” she threw back. “You’re the one over there making your own conclusions and freaking out over him.”
    “I’m not freaking out. Who said I was freaking out?” I repeated, stuffing my mouth full with as many bites of pancakes as I could fit. “Definitely not freaking out over here,” I mumbled past my food.
    Maggie giggled. “It’s okay, Hannah. You’re allowed to like him.”
    I swallowed. “Technically you have to know someone in order to like them. He’s a complete and total stranger, ergo, I do not like him.”
    “Right. And Phillip’s parents love me,” Maggie shot back. “Listen, just do me a solid and let yourself go on this one. As my maid-of-honor, you kind of have to do what I say on my wedding day. It’s the rules.”
    I jerked