The Taming of a Wild Child by Kimberly Lang Read Free Book Online Page B

It’s not even ten o’clock, and it’s a populated area. I’ll be perfectly safe.”
    “I meant your shoes. You’ll kill yourself in those things.”
    “They’re quite comfortable.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. They
were
quite comfortable—provided she was indoors and able to sit occasionally. An eight-block hike down Esplanade was a different situation entirely. That was why she’d asked for a cab in the first place. “I’ll be fine. Good night, Donovan.”
    Proud of herself, she began the trek home. This would be good for her, she told herself. It would give her a chance to clear her mind, enjoy the sights. This part of Esplanadewas heavily residential—folks out with their dogs, tourists exploring … It would be nice. And good exercise.
    Within seconds, though, she began to rethink the idea: the temperature had dropped to a reasonable degree, but the humidity was still high and her skin felt damp already. She’d barely gone a block before her heel caught in another crack and nearly sent her sprawling.
    She groaned as she righted herself. Pride and stubbornness would be her downfall one day.
    Donovan’s laugh floated down the street to her ears. “That was graceful.”
    Don’t take the bait
, her brain warned, but she was already turning around. “And you’re obnoxious and immature.” She held on to a streetlight and wiggled her ankle experimentally.
    Note to self: Buy some of those little foldable flats and keep them in your purse
.
    Better note to self: Next time ignore him and wait for a cab
.
    Even better note to self: Don’t let there be a next time. Avoid him at all costs
.
    She looked up from her mental lecture to see Donovan closing in. “Are you all right?”
    So much for ‘no next time.’ Or maybe she could consider this the same time as earlier. “I’m fine.”
    “I was just being polite, Princess—making sure you hadn’t hurt yourself.”
    “That’s very kind of you. However …”
time to be brutally honest
“… in case you haven’t noticed, I’m trying very hard to ignore you.”
    “I thought we were pretending it never happened?”
    “We are.”
    “Then why the need to ignore me?”
    God, why was he being so difficult?
“Because it wouldbe much easier for me to actually do the pretending if you weren’t around.”
    “You’re overreacting. We’re adults. It was consensual—if not intentional. It’s not half as big a deal as you’re making it out to be.”
    A man walking his dog slowed his steps as he passed, the look on his face a mixture of concern and interest. Lorelei bit back the words on the tip of her tongue. Reaching for Donovan’s arm, she dragged him a few feet away from the street into the shadows. “Believe it or not, I’m not in the habit of sleeping with random men. I find this situation to be awkward and quite disturbing.”
    “Which part?”
    That was not at all the response she’d expected, and when coupled with the fact that his voice lacked any mockery at all … She looked up and froze. Donovan was mostly in shadow, but his stance was relaxed, hands in his pockets. What she could see of his face looked genuine, with no trace of the usual smirk.
    It took another second for her to register that she’d pulled him into a secluded spot—one that might be considered romantic due to the lush greenery that draped over the courtyard wall, creating a mini-bower. Donovan’s white shirt stood out in the partial gloom, and he’d opened the top few buttons against the heat. He was so tall and broad-chested that even in her stilettos she was at eye-level with the hollow of his throat. The humidity had created a fine sheen of moisture across his skin, releasing the scent of his aftershave to mix with the fragrance of the hibiscus. The sounds of the Quarter were muffled, and the houses around them quiet. It felt … intimate—sultry, even—and it threw her off her game.
    She swallowed hard, completely forgetting what she’dplanned to say—or even