The Sex Solution by Kimberly Raye Read Free Book Online Page A

to stand beside the grave and breathe. Afterward she’d climbed into her car and left her small unsophisticated, going-nowhere town far behind, the way Sharon had always wanted to.
    Sharon?
    No, Maddie had wanted to leave, as well, and she’d done just that. She’d left her old life, her old self and her haunting memories of that night, and headed off to pursue her own dreams.
    And boy, have I got a piece of beachfront property smack-dab in the middle of Kansas to sell you.
    She ignored the nagging voice and the image that niggled at the back of her mind. A clear, star-studded sky. A gravel road. An enormous tree…
    She shifted in her seat, suddenly anxious to do something. “Can I have a bite?” she blurted before reaching over for a piece of Cheryl’s pancakes.
    The sugary sweet flavor of maple exploded on her tongue and consumed her senses, and she concentrated on chewing.
    “Um, sure. In fact, I’m not really hungry.” She slid the plate toward Madeline. “Anyhow, he scared off Sarah right then and there. The others are just as leery of him, but I know you won’t let Uncle Spur ruffle you.”
    Way back when maybe.
    But not now. She dealt with snotty marketing personnel and a bitch of a research director on a daily basis. She could hold her own with a difficult old man.
    “I can handle it,” she said, taking another bite. She would have to handle it, because she’d lost the game.
    Thanks to Austin.
    One measly kiss. That’s all she’d wanted from him. She might as well have asked for his balls on a platter. That’s how horrified he’d looked when she’d made the request.
    Far from the reaction she’d anticipated, considering that he’d actually given her The Look with those liquid blue eyes. The Look that said I want you and I aim to have you.
    Not that she’d ever been on the receiving end of one of his legendary looks. He’d reserved those for the school bad girls who’d always flocked around him. But for a little while last night, she’d felt like one of those bold women instead of the shy, frumpy goody-goody she’d been all those years ago. She’d felt truly attractive and drop-dead gorgeous and wanted.
    Felt? To hell with that. She was all three, even if Austin Jericho hadn’t recognized it. He was obviously still stuck in the past, viewing her in all her Gem glory.
    Geeky.
    Brainy.
    Matronly.
    As the familiar words she’d heard from her peers time and time again echoed through her head, she became aware of the mouthful of syrup and pancakes tantalizing her taste buds. She swallowed and pushed the plate away.
    Cheryl glanced at her watch. “I have to run. I’ll meet you at the house later to introduce you to my plants and go over Twinkles’s hygiene schedule.”
    Twinkles had a hygiene schedule?
    The question echoed through her mind and another sliver of apprehension went through her. Madeline fought it back down and smiled. Twinkles was just a dog, even if he did have a hygiene schedule, and Madeline liked dogs. While she didn’t actually have an animal of her own—she wasn’t home enough to take care of one—she’d always loved cute, cuddly puppies. As for the plants…how hard could daily watering be?
    “Have fun at the hairdresser and try to enjoy the rest of the day.”
    “I’ll enjoy the honeymoon, especially knowing that you’re looking out for Twinkles and my girls.” She stood and gathered up her purse and bridal book. “Oh, and don’t forget the sign. Uncle Spur can’t see to save his life.”
     

    “W ELL , WELL . Just call me a three-legged jackrabbit and put me out of my misery if it ain’t Maddie Hale.”
    Time seemed to have stood still for Spur Tucker. He’d looked ancient then with his shock of snow-white hair and his leathery skin, and he’d changed little. He stooped a fraction more and his hair had thinned some. Otherwise, he was every bit the man she remembered from all those childhood Christmases, with the exception of his eyes. Rather than cloudy