The Fight for Us by Elizabeth Finn Read Free Book Online Page A

because for some odd reason, she just really, really wanted this man to respect her, and she suspected he didn’t.
    “So…”
    He smirked as she said it, nodded his head once, and pulled his hand from hers. “So…”
    “What kind of house were you interested in?”
    They spent the next ten minutes discussing his must haves, his wants, his deal breakers, and his price range. He could obviously afford plenty of house. By the time they were done discussing, she had the list narrowed down to twelve homes, eight of which were vacant, thanks to owners who only resided there seasonally. The other four would have to be viewed by appointment.
    “So, you need to decide which of these you’d like to take a look at.”
    “All of them.” He simply watched her as he responded.
    “Well, that could take a while.”
    “I’ve got a while.”
    “Like all day.”
    “Then we better get going. I’ll drive.”
    He stood then, and she did as well. All day with a man who didn’t much care for her. Hmm…
    She climbed into his car as he started it. This was a first. She always drove, and while some buyers met her at a home, they certainly didn’t drive her. It was a foggy, cool day. Winter could hit fast and early in these parts, and given it was only the first week of October, she’d say they’d thus far been lucky. Not even a snowflake yet, but the gray clouds, blustery wind, and fog out over the water said their luck might just be turning against them finally.
    She directed him to the first home. It was a secluded, contemporary house on the waterfront. It had a large dock and boathouse and a private stretch of beach. There were few like it on the island. The waterfront was easy to come by, but the seclusion was nearly impossible.
    He followed her up to the front door and watched as she punched her access code into the key holder. As she ran down the features and walked him around the house, he continued to watch her, and even when she’d point something out—the slate fireplace, the granite countertops, the large walk-in master closet—his attention never seemed to give any of it much thought. Instead, he was just studying her.
    “You’re not saying much.” As she spoke, she turned to him and leaned back against the lovely dark gray granite countertop in the kitchen that he’d yet to notice.
    He smiled. It was a nice smile. She wasn’t entirely sure she’d seen a genuine one at this point. He leaned up against the opposite counter, crossing his feet at the ankle. When his arms crossed on his chest, it wasn’t defensive in the least. He was still studying her.
    “I’m thinking about something.” His voice was nearly playful as he finally responded to her.
    “Is that so? Care to share?”
    “I feel like perhaps I owe you an apology, and I’m not terribly good at those.”
    She chuckled for a second. She couldn’t say she was very surprised to hear that. “They’re quite simple really. Two words, nothing more.”
    “Hmm…” His eyes never left her, and she was starting to get horribly uncomfortable—not bad uncomfortable. Rather it was the discomfort of having a handsome man staring at her when she was trying really hard to appear normal. Her insides didn’t feel at all normal at the moment either. Instead, her body felt more like a wobbly JELL-O mold.
    When she bit the side of her lip, his attention snapped to her mouth and his nostrils flared as he inhaled a deep and slow breath.
    He cleared his throat as his focus shifted back up to her eyes. “I’m sorry.” His expression was sincere. “I overreacted. Natalie sent me a text that night and then turned her phone off, so I couldn’t respond. She knew I’d disagree, and she didn’t want me to.”
    “Why would you have disagreed?”
    He was the one who chuckled this time, and she knew very well his chuckle was loaded with the promise that this conversation could deteriorate quickly. For some odd reason things always seemed to fall apart when their