Sweet Revenge by Katherine Allred Read Free Book Online Page A

Jess. So bad that Chase had to hire someone to stay at the house when he had a class. That was after he came home one night and found A my all alone. Becky had gone out to the roadhouse and left her. Then, a little over four years ago, Becky just packed up and disappeared. The only time she came back was during the divorce proceedings, and she just stayed long enough to give Chase complete custody of A my. Didn’t even want to see her.”
    Jessie carried the salad and bowls to the table. “God, what some people do to their kids.”
    “I know. Chase has done his best for A my but it doesn’t seem to be working. He thinks she blames herself because Becky left.”
    “She probably does. Kids get weird ideas when their parents divorce. Lord knows I did, and neither of my parents were abusive.” They dug into the salad. “My dad was always yelling at me for leaving toys in the drive. The day he left, my skates were there. I’d simply taken them off and forgotten to move them. For years I thought those stupid skates were the reason he left.”
    “How are your parents? You know, I never forgave your mother for taking you away the very day we graduated.” Jessie grimaced. “Dad’s on the west coast, Mom’s on the east, and never the twain shall meet.”
    “Well, I can honestly say that I’ve never heard Chase so much as raise his voice with A my. That little girl is his whole life. He’d cut off his arm before he’d hurt her.”
    “Unfortunately, the damage is already done.” She glanced out the back window just in time to see Chase push a lawn mower past the end of his house. When he reached the edge of his yard, he made a neat turn and started back in the other direction. His T-shirt, damp with sweat, clung lovingly to his upper body, outlining each ripple of muscle. The bite of salad she’d taken promptly lodged in her throat. Damn the man for being so sexy. How was she supposed to make a rational decision about him when he looked like that? Or maybe she already had and her body just hadn’t clued her brain in yet.
    “Well, thanks for the rabbit food.” Bridget pushed her bowl aside. “I’ve got to get going or I’m going to be late. What time will you be at the dance tonight?”
    Jessie followed her onto the porch. “A bout seven, I think.”
    “Okay. See you later.”
    She waited while Bridget got into her car. The buzz of Chase’s lawn mower was louder out here and she snuck a quick glance in his direction. He wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to her. With a great deal of self-disgust, she squashed the surge of disappoint that hit her.
    Lifting her chin in the air, she marched back into her house. There was still a lot to do before tonight, and Dom could be here any minute.
    For just a second, she was tempted to turn around and stick her tongue out at Chase Martin. It would serve him right for stirring up her hormones like he had. She let the door slam behind her with a loud satisfying bang.
    * * * * *
    Chase grabbed the broom from the back porch and brushed the loose grass from his shoes, mentally going over everything he had to do before tonight. He knew there wasn’t really that much. It was simply a distraction technique. Something to keep his mind off Jessie.
    He felt as if his body had turned into a giant compass with Jessie being true north. A nd he was trying really hard to ignore the portion of his anatomy that had become the pointer. It wasn’t easy. It had taken every drop of his willpower not to stop and stare at her when she’d come out on the porch with Bridget earlier.
    Did she wear those skintight shorts just to drive him crazy? His eyes closed briefly in agony. The tiny T-shirt she was wearing hadn’t helped either. It showed a good portion of skin above the waist of her shorts, and he knew with a deep male instinct that she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath. It made the palms of his hands itch just thinking about it. What had ever made him believe he could be