Second Look (A New Beginning Book 3) by Connie Stephany Read Free Book Online Page B

I appreciate you even trying.”
    Mandi sighed. “You know I’m stuck in the middle here, right? Between my best friend and my brother?”
    Adam nodded. He figured it was worth any grief she’d give him if he had a chance to talk to Jennifer one last time.
    *****
    That evening, Sarah texted him, asking him to stop over. He smiled as he walked up to her door.
    Okay, sure, he was ready to grow up. But he wasn’t quite ready to give up his fling with Sarah.
    As he was just about to her apartment door and was raising his hand to knock, her door opened. Adam’s eyes widened as he took in her naked body, a seductive smile on her face.
    Holy. Shit.
    “Well, hello, handsome. You caught me just getting out of the shower.”
    Adam winked at her. “Then I have perfect timing.”
    Sarah grinned and grabbed his arm to pull him inside.
    They barely made it to her bedroom.
    A couple hours later, Adam was getting dressed when she asked a question that stopped him in his tracks.
    “So, handsome. Why don’t you just spend the night instead of running off?”
    Adam tried to play off the question with a wave of his hand and a simple response. “You know that isn’t our thing.”
    Sarah’s lip turned out in a sexy pout. “I know, I just thought it would be fun. Make your morning start out right.”
    Adam looked up and met her eyes as he continued to button up his jeans. He was still overheated so his t-shirt still remained on the floor. The cool breeze from the ceiling fan felt good on his bare chest as he pondered how to respond.
    He didn’t know what to say, so he muttered, “Hmm.”
    “You know, we’ve been seeing each other for almost two months now, right?”
    Crap. “Has it been that long?”
    Sarah nodded. “And my divorce is final now.”
    He leaned down to pick up his shirt. He could tell where this was headed and he shook his head, regret filling him.
    “And I guess what I’m trying to say is, couldn’t we maybe try for…more? Go out to dinner or something? Get to know each other?”
    He’d been honest from the beginning. It was just sex for him. And he thought she felt the same way. When the hell had it turned into more for her?
    He did not see that coming.
    He gave a warning edge to his tone. “Sarah…”
    “What? I tried to keep it just about sex, but I don’t think I’m made that way.”
    He sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed and looked at her pretty face. She was gorgeous, no question. Her husband was a dumbass for cheating on her. She was amazing in bed and seemed very sweet. But she just wasn’t…ugh, he didn’t know. She just wasn’t what he wanted long term.
    Sarah gasped. “You really aren’t interested in more, are you?”
    Adam shook his head and made his voice as gentle as possible, but tough enough for her to understand. “I’ve been honest from the beginning, Sarah. I wish you’d have said something earlier, if you were starting to feel something more. I just…I’m not in a good place right now.”
    Sarah tried to hide the hurt, but he could see it flicker across her face. “Oh, that’s okay. We can just leave it as-is.”
    Again, Adam sighed. He certainly didn’t want to give up his nights with Sarah, but he wasn’t so much of an asshole that he’d continue to see her knowing she was developing feelings for him. He already knew he’d never feel that way in return.
    Regret filled his voice. “I think it’s best if we just say goodbye.”
    Sarah’s eyes widened. “What? No! I just…I wanted to see if you…I mean, it’s okay. Really.”
    Adam shook his head. Sarah looked down, hiding her eyes from him.
    He felt like a complete jerk.
    “I’m sorry I hurt you. It was never my intent.”
    “I’m…fine.”
    Fine. That word. He wasn’t such an idiot that he didn’t know it meant she was anything but fine.
    Adam stood back up and finished getting dressed. “Goodbye, Sarah.”
    “Goodbye, Adam.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
    Adam realized as he walked out of