Spirit [New Crescent 2] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) by Mary Lou George Read Free Book Online Page B

her there in his arms. Awkwardly, he straightened, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and took a step back. He seemed lost for words. Embarrassed, Reggie pushed off the bench and tried to flee.
    Lightning quick, Chase grabbed her wrist. They looked at each other. At long last, he spoke in a very measured tone. “Reggie. Let me explain.” He shook his head. “Or rather, I wish I could explain. I don’t really know what just happened here, but I stepped way out of line. I’m sorry. It was so strange. I wasn’t myself.”
    She stood staring at him, completely flattened by his words. Yes, it was strange, otherworldly even, but for Reggie it had been magical and here he was apologizing for it. He claimed he wasn’t himself, and she understood him perfectly…he wasn’t normally tempted to do such a thing with her. He was making lame excuses, tripping all over himself to apologize, to dismiss it. Damn him!
    As Chase continued to fumble for the right words, Reggie ceased listening to him. Feeling battered and raw, she pulled away and lashed out.
    “Enough McCann! Stop babbling. You act as if I’ve never been kissed before. Forget it. No big deal. So you haven’t had any in a while. I get it. Maybe you should find yourself a regular squeeze and lay off me. Forget it. It was nothing. I’m going home.” She pushed past him.
    “The hell you are! Is this nothing?” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her fiercely. This time, there was nothing other-worldly about it. In fact, this kiss was as earthy as it gets. He mated with his mouth, and Reggie felt her knees give out for the second time that day. With one hand entangled in her hair and the other around her waist, he pressed her closer and closer to him. Chase tilted his head back and inspected his handiwork. Her eyes were glazed, and her lips were swollen and moist.
    “There, that’s better,” he said with a satisfied smile.
    He was gloating! Actually gloating. Reggie wanted to punch him hard, but she knew she didn’t have the strength to make a dent, so she drew her dignity around her like a cloak and said, “So you can kiss. I never said you couldn’t.” Pleased with how unaffected she had managed to sound, she pushed away and walked around him, giving him plenty of room.
    He tried to reach for her again, but she put up a hand to forestall him. “I’m going home. I’ve had enough.”
    “I’ll walk you to your car.” When she started to object, he said, “Don’t argue with me.”
    She didn’t get a chance to. The crash startled them both. It came from the other side of the house. It sounded like someone was boldly poking around. Chase put a finger to his lips and silently moved around the corner of the house in what Reggie assumed was an attempt to catch the intruder red-handed.
    For a split second, Reggie considered staying put, but that thought didn’t please her at all, so she crept around the other side. If she played this right, maybe they could trap the guy between them. She was as tall as many men. Surely she could use the element of surprise to gain advantage. For once in her life, she was grateful she’d worn flats. Navigating the grounds would have been impossible in heels. She heard a scuffle, a grunt, and then the sound of running feet. Without thinking, she took off after the fleeing figures. He had a good head start and lost her easily. Defeated, she made her way back to the house. Chase came back shortly after her, empty-handed as well.
    He shook his head and gave her a dark look. In her own defense, she said, “I was running, and it occurred to me that I had no idea what I was gonna do if I caught him.” She made a theatrical gesture. “Take it away Chase.”
    Instead of berating her for chasing after the prowler, he laughed. “We’ve had some petty thefts around here lately. Nothing major. I just thought maybe I’d catch whoever was doing it, but he was too fast for me.”
    “You’re always were a better long distance man than