The Heart Knows What the Heart Wants by Lori L. Clark Read Free Book Online Page B

die from that, right?
    She glanced around the space and noticed only two doors. One of them was open, and it was obviously the bathroom. She assumed the other had to be his bedroom. She walked over and stood outside his room. When she lifted her hand to knock, the door slid open. Cautiously, Star peeked inside. He was on his back, his right arm across his eyes. His bare chest rose and fell in measured, shallow breaths.
    "Shane?" she said quietly. She reached out and gently shook his shoulder. He made a moaning noise, which was unnerving. Star had to admit, it sounded kind of hot. She shook him once more and was about to repeat his name when his eyes popped open. He blinked, and Star could have sworn she heard him say, "Pinch me."
    "Shane?"
    Startled by her presence, his hand darted out and wrapped snuggly around her fragile wrist. In one swift movement, he leaped from his bed. As he did, the strategically placed sheet, which had been covering him, slid to the floor, revealing way more than she'd planned to see. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and wrenched her arm free from his grasp. Spinning around, she felt her face catch fire from embarrassment and shock. Shock that he'd grabbed her so roughly and embarrassment from seeing him in all of his tight body, nakedness.
    Saturn, Pluto, and Mars. "God. I'm so sorry. Please don't think I'm some sort of weird stalker chick. But your aunt fell, and we think she broke her leg. Michael is taking her to Mercy Urgent Care. They need you to come into work early. Like now. That's all. I'll just let myself out so you can get dressed," she blurted without stopping to take a single breath. She bolted toward the door to make her escape while she still had some semblance of pride remaining.

Chapter Thirteen

    Star held her breath all the way down the stairs. As soon as she cleared the threshold of the convenience store, she exhaled noisily. Michael and Ami turned to stare at her as though she'd lost her mind, and she burst into a fit of nervous giggles. The skin between Michael's eyebrows creased. "Is Shane coming?" he asked.
    The tops of Star's ears burned when she realized in her haste to get the hell away from the gorgeous, naked young man upstairs, she hadn't waited around long enough to find out if he was actually going to come and relieve Ami. "Um. I sort of forgot to get an answer," she said quietly.
    Ami's face split into a mile-wide grin. "Let me guess. Shane didn't answer the door, so you went inside. He was naked, right?"
    Star's cheeks reddened, and she gaped at the short woman, who was nearly as wide as she was tall. She wondered how Ami could possibly know that Shane had been naked, unless she'd witnessed the same thing at some point. Star averted her eyes to the toes of her shoes and nodded. "As a jaybird."
    Michael let out a groan. "I've got to get Neona to Mercy Urgent Care. We've wasted too much time as it is."
    Ami shooed him out the door. "Go. We've got this."
    He gave her a curt nod. "I'll stop back later," he said, and was out the door in two strides.
    "Get yourself one of these sexy red smocks," Ami teased and motioned toward the back room. "There are a few extras hanging up in Neona's office."
    Star disappeared into the back of the store, and after trying on several tops, she found a clean one that fit. When she came back out, Ami was busily ringing up the line of people at the cash register. "Go ahead and restock the soda coolers. You know how to make coffee?" she asked.
    "Sure," Star responded to both requests. She brewed two fresh pots of coffee right away and then worked on filling the coolers. She needed to take her mind off the very virile, very naked Shane Harper.
    Hard at work, intently focused on the job at hand, Star sat back on her haunches to fill the cooler's bottom shelves. She sensed him before she saw him. Her eyes fixed on his worn Nikes, and she refused to allow her gaze to roam any farther up his jean clad legs.
    "Sorry about what happened earlier,"