Scorched by Desiree Holt, Allie Standifer Read Free Book Online Page A

novel, she thought as wave after wave of pain slammed into her. At least with a book you knew the good guy always won and got the girl. Reality could learn a few things from romance.
    Then she let the pain swallow her as her heart broke into a million pieces.

Chapter Five
     
    For three days Kasey dragged herself to work, deliberately forcing herself not to look at the house across the street, plodding through her daily routine before dragging herself home again. She hadn’t written a word since the night Skyler slammed out of her house, angry at what she considered the dumbest thing in the world. So she wanted to know more about him? What was the big deal, anyway?
    She was too disheartened to try to figure out the answer and definitely not in the mood to create romantic and erotic scenes for her make-believe characters. She should have stuck with creating fantasies on paper instead of trying to live one herself. All it got her was a broken heart.
    Damn, damn, damn.
    When would she ever learn not to fall into that trap? But she’d been so sure she and Skyler had connected. More than just between the sheets. But he seemed determined to hold his real self back from her, give her nothing but hours of sweaty sex that didn’t require anything of him except physical activity.
    Pulling her hair into a ponytail and donning a short, thin robe, she poured herself a glass of wine and took it out onto her small patio. Maybe the night breezes could soothe the ache in her body and her heart.
    * * * * *
     
    For the third day in a row Skyler cursed himself for being eighteen kinds of a fool. He’d sensed from the minute she opened her door to him that Kasey was more than just a pretty face and a hot body. In between the hours of the most exquisite sex he could ever remember, she’d shared herself with him. Her dull job. Her disconnect from her family. Her dream of becoming a writer and the success she was having, a success she had no one to share with.
    And he, ass that he was, like every other man he knew, painted all women with the same brush. Once burned, forever shy.
    He lay in his bed at night staring at the dark window across from him and wondering what she was doing if she wasn’t writing. Did she miss him? Hate him? Would she ever talk to him again? All he had to do was conjure up the image of her naked body to make his cock hard, and he lay in the dark like some simpleton stroking himself to a climax.
    Jackass!
    He had two more days before he had to report back to work. Tomorrow was Saturday. Kasey didn’t have to work. He had one shot to fix this thing and he’d better not make any damn mistakes.
    * * * * *
     
    Kasey had barely struggled out of bed Saturday morning when the doorbell rang. For a long minute she was tempted to just ignore it. The last thing she wanted was to see another human being. But whoever was on her porch was pushing the bell so insistently she figured the only way to shut them up was to answer the door. When she yanked it open she froze, gawking at the man standing before her.
    “Skyler?” she squeaked.
    “In the flesh.” He grinned and her knees trembled.
    Stop that!
    He looked mouthwatering, his shoulders pushing the fabric of a dark green t-shirt and cargo shorts exposing his long muscular legs to her hungry eyes. She nearly gave in to the impulse to throw herself into his arms before reality set in.
    “Go away,” she snapped. “I hate you.”
    She started to slam the door but he caught it with his hand and held it open.
    “Give me one chance to set things right, Kasey. If that doesn’t work I’ll go quietly.” He grinned again, his dimple flashing appealingly.
    Don’t do it!
    Do it or you’ll regret it.
    Sighing at her own vulnerability, she opened the door and waved him in.
    “Do I get a chance to get dressed or do you want to do this with my early morning self?”
    “Nope. I’m doing this right.” He settled himself on the couch and looked at his watch. “You’ve got fifteen