Taking the Heat by Victoria Dahl Read Free Book Online Page B

I’m saying this, but yes, I actually feel better.”
    â€œMakes sense. Oral sex is a great icebreaker. But I don’t need to tell you that. You’ve probably given that advice a hundred times.”
    â€œYou’re awful,” she said, still grinning.
    â€œI know. I’m sorry. But your hands were shaking.”
    â€œOh.” Her smile faded. “I didn’t realize.”
    The waitress interrupted with a new cocktail, and Gabe watched Veronica take a deep breath. She touched the new glass but didn’t lunge for it the way she had with the first one. She really had been scared. No wonder she’d been so hesitant to join the crowd.
    â€œYou have no idea how good these drinks are. So good.” She took another sip. “And you distracted me from the terror. Thank you.”
    He noticed how her dress had ridden up to expose more of her smooth thighs and made himself look away, if only so he wouldn’t get caught. “I honestly had no idea you were nervous. It was a great show. You’re a natural.”
    â€œReally? I can’t tell how it’s going when I’m up there. It feels like my brain shuts down and my mouth is working on its own.”
    â€œNo, your brain is definitely working. Everything you say is really damn smart.”
    She blushed again, and Gabe liked that. A lot. That she blushed over sex talk and then blushed when he called her smart. She was...intriguing. And nothing like the first impression he’d had of her.
    â€œYou look like you got some sun today,” she said.
    â€œIt was my day off. I finally got a chance to do some climbing.”
    She sat back in her chair. “Rock climbing? That’s crazy.”
    â€œIt’s not crazy,” he said, the same answer he’d given to a hundred other people. It was the most typical reaction. “It’s fun. You should try it.”
    â€œOh, sure. I’ve got the perfect body type.” She flexed her right arm and pointed at it. “Check out these guns.”
    â€œYou don’t need much upper-body strength for the beginning climbs. It’s all in the legs.”
    â€œAre you saying you’re not impressed with my guns?” she asked, flexing again.
    â€œI’m saying your legs look strong.”
    â€œOh.” Cheeks going pink again, she looked down at her legs. Her hands settled on her thighs as if to cover them, but then her fingers spread.
    Gabe watched, wondering what her skin felt like. Warm, probably. Soft. Nice.
    â€œThank you,” she said. “If that’s a compliment.”
    â€œIt’s definitely a compliment.”
    â€œAre you flirting with me?” she asked, then immediately shook her head. “I’m sorry. I always ask weird questions like that. It’s a problem.”
    â€œHow is it a problem?”
    â€œWell, it’s a little awkward, isn’t it? That’s my flirting technique. Complete awkwardness. Look, it’s happening right now. Are you entranced?”
    â€œI kind of am,” he said, smiling at her until she smiled back. “If awkwardness is your flirting technique, then you’re clearly into me right now.”
    She threw back her head and laughed. “Clearly. But isn’t everyone into you?”
    He was the one who drew back this time. “What?”
    She watched him as she sipped from her drink, her eyes still sparkling with laughter. Her gaze dipped down his body when she set her glass on the table. “Come on. Look at you. You’re so damn hot.”
    â€œI am?” he asked, feeling his own cheeks get warm.
    â€œYes, with your little beard and your shoulders and all this.” She waved her hand up and down, while Gabe touched his beard in confusion. “Never mind,” Veronica said. “I’m drunk. Ignore me.”
    â€œMaybe you shouldn’t—” But before he could finish his sentence, she downed the rest of the drink.
    â€œNo, I