The Guy Next Door by Lori Foster Read Free Book Online Page B

cabin is on a big vacation lake, there won’t be any swimming. I’m not sure we’ll even be able to take out a boat.”
    He found a T-shirt and jeans. “What did you plan to do there?”
    “Not much.” Watching him dress, Natalie decided that their bed activities must have ended. Disappointed, she slipped her legs off the side of the bed and stood. She realized that her clothes were in the other room, but she’d look foolish if she wrapped up in the sheet.
    Instead, she folded her arms around herself—which really didn’t do much for her modesty. Rather than tell him that she’d hoped to come to grips with her growing feelings for him, she said, “Walk, read, maybe catch a movie or two.” She lifted a shoulder. “Unwind.”
    “How long is the drive?”
    “Six hours or more, not factoring in time to stop toeat or take a break.” By way of additional warning, she said, “I take lots of breaks.”
    “Good. No reason it shouldn’t be a relaxing drive.” He found a flannel shirt in his closet and brought it around to her, holding it out so she could shrug into it. “You hungry? Because I could eat. How about I order up a pizza?”
    Incredulous, Natalie pushed her hair from her face. She looked at the challenge in his expression and huffed. “You’re changing things at Mach speed!”
    “A warning for you, Natalie.” He lifted her chin on the edge of his fist. “I always go after what I want.”
    What did that mean? “Um…” She swallowed. “I had planned to leave really early tomorrow.”
    “I’ll be ready.” He caught the collar of the shirt in both hands, pulling her a little closer. “But for now, you have to eat, right?”
    “I…”
    “You came here as soon as you got home and changed. You have to be hungry.”
    Expectation and apprehension set her heart to thumping in a wild beat. She bit her lip. “Jett, are we really going to do this?”
    Knowing he’d won, he gave a half smile of satisfaction. “Relax, Natalie. I’m not asking you to marry me.”
    Her knees turned to pudding. Of course he wasn’t asking for that!
    “I’m not even trying to tie you down. We enjoy each other in bed—”
    “An understatement, at least for me.”
    His eyes glittered, and he gave her a quick kiss. “So for as long as it lasts, why not enjoy each other out ofbed, too? Just let it happen, and I bet you’ll find it’s not the hardship you’re expecting.”
    A hardship, no.
    But a heartbreaker? Absolutely.
    She wouldn’t admit it to Jett, especially now that she knew how casual he wanted to keep things, but she had to accept the devastating truth: she was already in love with him. More time with him would make it only that much harder when things ended between them.
    But with him so persuasive, how could she possibly resist?
     
    A FTER J ETT ORDERED PIZZA , Natalie wanted to go back to her place and retrieve her cell phone. She needed a few moments alone to regroup, but Jett, seeming disinclined to let her out of his sight, kept finding ways to keep her in his place. He offered her the use of his cell phone, and she knew she’d sound silly if she insisted on running over for her own.
    Silly, and as afraid as he’d already accused her of being.
    She’d have to go back to her place soon enough, but for now, she accepted his phone. Moving to the other side of the room for privacy, she tried calling her sister. She wanted Molly to know that she’d be gone on spring break. They always checked in with each other, and neither made a big move without telling the other about it. They were best friends as well as sisters, and given the strained relationship they each shared with their father, they were the only real family either one had.
    Molly didn’t answer, so Natalie left her a message. Turning her back so Jett wouldn’t hear her, she said low, “Hey, Molly. I’m leaving for spring break tomorrow.Going to a lake. Not alone, either, if you catch my meaning. Call me and I’ll tell you all about