Sleepless in Savannah by Rita Herron Read Free Book Online Page B

tongue circling her breastbone as he dipped lower. "If you think this is erotic, let's go back to my room."
    Oh, gracious, he thought she'd said erotic?
    "Er, Rory—"
    "I can do things to you, baby, you've only dreamed about."
    With another man. "I do believe you're working the camera." Sophie swayed as he spun her around, brushing his fingertips across the tips of her breasts in the process. He was nothing if not a smooth mover.
    His sultry gaze lingered on her cleavage. "Will they join us later or will we be alone?"
    His cocky boldness amazed her. "Excuse me?"
    "If you want the cameras along, that's fine. If not, well... that's all right, too." His finger snaked out to trace a sensual line over her lip. "Either way, I promise to satisfy."
    Sophie fought the urge to bite his finger. "We have a long weekend, Rory; let's not rush things."
    His smile faltered slightly, but he recovered quickly. The man was accustomed to playing the game and winning. "All right. For now, I'll have to be content to hold you in my arms. But tonight I'll dream about finally getting you alone."
    Sophie remembered Maddie's rules for trapping a man and wished she had brought flannel instead of this strapless red sundress. Worse, so far Maddie's rules were working with Rory—the more she dangled the bait in front of Rory and yanked it back, the more Rory chased it.
    * * *
    First thing the next morning, Lance had ordered a roofing crew over to check out Sophie's house. The sooner he finished with this place, the sooner he could get some shut-eye.
    He had not slept a wink the night before.
    And for a man who'd always been able to fall asleep standing up, that was criminal. He'd counted sheep until dawn, then made coffee, met the plumber at six, and had ripped up all the cracked tiles from both bathroom floors by noon. By two o'clock, he had replaced the subflooring, by three he was sweating bullets and irritable as hell. Then Maddie burst through the doorway, chattering and making his head spin as he tried to keep up with her.
    "What are you doing here?" he finally asked between breaths.
    "I came to feed Jazzy. I promised Sophie I'd check on her while she was gone."
    The cat glared at him, tail swishing like a windshield wiper blade. "Uh, I guess I could do that, since I'm staying here anyway."
    "You're sweet to offer, Lance, but I didn't think you liked cats."
    "I like 'em fine." Except this one didn't like him. "Where did you find it, anyway?"
    Maddie frowned, then stooped and picked up the black furball. "Poor baby was scrounging for food near one of the unfinished houses on Skidaway."
    And Maddie couldn't resist bringing her home.
    Maddie glanced at her watch. "Oh, my gosh, look at the time. Sophie Knows airs any second. They're doing a special Saturday show just so we can watch Sophie's date."
    As if he'd forgotten. "I guess you'd better run along then."
    Maddie's eyes veered toward the TV mischievously. "But I don't want to miss it." She grabbed one of Sophie's diet Cokes from the refrigerator, then teetered toward the television set as if she owned the room, and plopped into the faded recliner with the cat purring in her lap. "Actually, I'll watch it here. My next appointment isn't for an hour, and it's around the corner. It'll be faster than driving all the way home and backtracking."
    "Of course." Lance grunted, wondering what exactly Maddie was up to. Did she plan to tease him by making him watch Sophie's date on TV?
    He stormed into the kitchen to begin repairs, refusing to give her the pleasure. But seconds later the head of the roofing crew called for him, so he ambled back to advise the workers on the job. He couldn't help but glance over at the television. And then he couldn't look away.
    Sophie, decked out in a bright silver string bikini that left little to the imagination, was running along the most beautiful beach he'd ever seen, the sun kissing her silky porcelain skin, the wind tossing that short black hair around her face, while