Satin Pleasures by Karen Docter Read Free Book Online Page A

chance the emergency number Aunt Mary had at the store hadn’t changed.”
    “That’s called stalking, you know,” she said, only half joking.
    “You’re right. I’m sorry,” he said, “but I did promise the doctor I’d see you home.” He paused. "Is Anthony there?"
    Stifling the giggle that threatened to escape, she glanced at the birdcage in the corner. "Yes."
    Tess could almost hear Dan's mental gears turning. Good. Serves him right, she thought. Pushy man.
    "Uh, well, since there's someone there to look after you, I'll let you get to bed." The silence was longer this time. "Take care, Tess. Good night."
    She was left with the dial tone buzzing in her ear. Setting down the receiver, she stood and moved to the bay window. Anthony pulled his beak from under his bright yellow wing, chirped, then sidled along the perch until he was pressed against the sleek softness of his less-colorful mate. Cleo cheeped and fluffed her feathers before settling again.
    Envy tugged at Tess's heart. There were times, like now in the middle of the night when her defenses were lowest she questioned the necessity of her singular path. She, too, wanted to snuggle into supportive, masculine arms, hear someone whisper in her ear that she didn't have to go it alone any more. As fantasies went, it wasn't much, but the notion slipped into her head often lately.
    Maybe that was why Dan had affected her so completely today, why she kept thinking of his strong arms around her and his firm mouth brushing flames across her lips. Her longing had manifested itself in a compelling green-eyed man who wore flannel like a lumberjack and kissed like an angel.
    "It's a fantasy," she murmured, knowing better than to expect any man to shoulder her burdens. Evan had given her a chance to 'adjust' her priorities that night in ICU. After she told him what to do with his adjustments, he'd demanded his ring back and exited her life with all the finesse of a dog with his tail on fire.
    She was on her own until her father walked again, unaided, without pain. It was her fault his back was broken, her parents lost their dream nursery, and her mother still waited tables to pay the bills. Michael and Irene Emory were Tess's top priority and, if that meant spending her life alone....
    She covered her bleak thoughts, along with the birds. "Sleep well, Anthony and Cleopatra."
    Exhausted, Tess should have fallen asleep the instant her head hit the pillow. It was impossible when an attractive stranger boldly stepped into her mind every time her guard came down. In nearly thirty years, hadn't she created enough memories to pull out without reliving this particular afternoon?
    Admittedly, those two hours on the bridge were the most comfortable she'd ever spent with a man. Dan was easy to talk to, fun-loving, and she enjoyed being with him...when he wasn't telling her how to run her life. No, it was more than that. When his lips pressed against hers, firm and demanding, she'd experienced something her fiancé had never made her feel.
    Desire. White-hot, searing desire.
    A shudder trickled beneath her skin. Her blood thickened with unaccustomed need. It was as if Dan were lying beside her, his hard, callused fingertips strumming a lazy tune against her sensitive nerve endings. She moaned when she remembered the way his taste lingered on her lips all afternoon, teasing her with the certainty she'd never see the provocative stranger with the sinful kisses again. Sweet mercy, the man could kiss up a storm.
    You don't need any more storms in your life.
    Throwing back her covers against her thoughts, she turned on the brass lamp at her bedside. Then, she stomped into the bathroom and ruthlessly brushed her teeth a second time, erasing Dan from memory with each stroke. Satisfied with her efforts, she slid back into bed and leaned over to switch off the light.
    She grabbed the colorful plastic card off her nightstand instead. Why hadn't she left it on the food court table under her