[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
all the mistakes I missed out on while I wasted four years on my idiot ex.
Right. Well, you let me know if I can help with any of that.
Natalie nodded, eyes on the road, adrenaline pumping as though she d just avoided
a deadly collision with a tanker truck. Will do.
46
Getaway
Chapter Three
As they drove, Natalie s initial panic eased, mixing with relief then mingling with
Shane s odd energy and sparking. She parked and as their doors slammed in the still
winter air, Natalie felt free. Even if Alex hadn t spooked her, she didn t really want to
be at the bar with him. She didn t really want to be anywhere with Alex. After just a
day s reacquaintance with Shane, Alex felt too tidy and too polite. Too slender. Too
logical.
Natalie s body had an aversion an allergy to good choices when it came to men.
She heard six feet three inches of bad decision crunching on the flagstones behind her,
felt two hundred-plus pounds of it thumping up the front steps at her heels.
Once inside, they ditched the shoes and coats. Natalie hung up her scarf with a
weary sigh, feeling wrung out as both the adrenaline and alcohol left her system. She
turned to Shane. You want a drink?
His face was tough to read& part deferential, part smug. Yeah, sure.
Too wiped to play hostess, she didn t bother asking his preference. She got two
glasses and filled them with red wine. When Natalie turned she found him crouched by
the fireplace, arranging wood in the hearth.
Where d you get all that? She walked to the couch and set the glasses on the
coffee table.
Grocery store.
Oh. Thanks.
Shane finished the prep, got the fire started and closed the screen. He stood and
tucked his hands into his back pockets. Natalie walked over, keeping a couple feet
between them as she joined him in staring into the flames. They stood without speaking
for five minutes or more and she felt her body shift again, from exhaustion to curiosity.
47
Cara McKenna
Shane broke the silence, clearing his throat. He swallowed before he spoke. You
might feel different tomorrow. Bout his offer.
I won t, but thank you for pretending to want me to make the grown-up choice.
You deserve somebody good, Shane said softly, glancing at her sideways. You
deserve a surgeon.
The statement made her feel acutely guilty. Maybe, she muttered. Just not
anytime too soon.
Somebody who s got their shit together, Shane added, going back to staring into
the fireplace.
You sound like my mom.
He shrugged. Just some advice from a man who spent the last year wasting his
time on his own mistakes.
Huffing out a long breath, she registered the workweek s toll in her brain and body.
She stepped to the couch to take a seat and patted the spot beside her, slid one of the
glasses over on the coffee table.
Shane walked over and sank onto the cushion, the feeling of his weight another
sinful reminder of what Natalie should be trying to keep her mind off of. Was he right?
Had she just made a stupid mistake? Her sister would probably think so.
Shane picked up his glass and they clinked. To the surgeon who got away, he
said.
She smirked but kept her lips pursed, staring at her wine.
Shane caught the chill in her mood and bumped her shoulder with his big firm one.
All done talking about it, I take it?
It s fine. I m just tired. She stretched her neck from side to side. But hey, it s the
weekend now. Nothing but sleeping in and being lazy.
Sounds good. If we don t freeze to death trying to make it to the movies or
something.
48
Getaway
She shook her head. Wuss.
You and me are kinda the same, he said.
Natalie looked up and found Shane wearing an expression she d never seen on him
before somber regret. How do you mean?
We re lousy at commitment, but when we do manage it, we pick the worst
possible people to do it with.
She nodded. It s just that the lousy ones are so damn good in bed. Maybe the well-
adjustedness gene cancels out the decent lay gene& She trailed off, brain going fuzzy
as her body warmed with ill-advised cravings.
They drank in silence, zoning out to the motions of the fire. Natalie wondered if
Shane s body was full of questions too, wondering how close they might be to reprising
their experience from the previous summer. Without quite meaning to, she let her knee
nudge his the next time she leaned forward to set her glass down. Shane glanced over
and caught her eye for a second, then looked away. If he wanted something to happen,
he was clearly waiting for her to initiate it.
You know what I always liked about you, Shane?
What s that?
How pushy you can be when you want something.
Like last night?
Natalie nodded. She toyed with the ring on her middle finger, wondering what he
was waiting for.
He cleared his throat but didn t speak.
She glanced at him. What s on your mind?
Not sure how I feel about you thinkin of me as a mistake, I guess.
I never said that s how I think of you.
But I know that s what it d be. Like you cleansing your palate after your doctor left
some sour, grown-up, good-decision taste in your mouth.
49
Cara McKenna
And what would I be? she asked. I know you came here with something to
prove to yourself, about you and women. And I m fine with that. In fact, I m honored. I
don t want to overthink everything& if we re both looking to use each other, let s just
use each other.
I never used to be the kind of man who overthought things&
So don t. Just do what you want.
After a moment s silence, he did. In a flash his hands were on her holding her jaw,
tangling in her hair as his mouth took hers. His aggressive sexual energy knocked [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl chiara76.opx.pl
all the mistakes I missed out on while I wasted four years on my idiot ex.
Right. Well, you let me know if I can help with any of that.
Natalie nodded, eyes on the road, adrenaline pumping as though she d just avoided
a deadly collision with a tanker truck. Will do.
46
Getaway
Chapter Three
As they drove, Natalie s initial panic eased, mixing with relief then mingling with
Shane s odd energy and sparking. She parked and as their doors slammed in the still
winter air, Natalie felt free. Even if Alex hadn t spooked her, she didn t really want to
be at the bar with him. She didn t really want to be anywhere with Alex. After just a
day s reacquaintance with Shane, Alex felt too tidy and too polite. Too slender. Too
logical.
Natalie s body had an aversion an allergy to good choices when it came to men.
She heard six feet three inches of bad decision crunching on the flagstones behind her,
felt two hundred-plus pounds of it thumping up the front steps at her heels.
Once inside, they ditched the shoes and coats. Natalie hung up her scarf with a
weary sigh, feeling wrung out as both the adrenaline and alcohol left her system. She
turned to Shane. You want a drink?
His face was tough to read& part deferential, part smug. Yeah, sure.
Too wiped to play hostess, she didn t bother asking his preference. She got two
glasses and filled them with red wine. When Natalie turned she found him crouched by
the fireplace, arranging wood in the hearth.
Where d you get all that? She walked to the couch and set the glasses on the
coffee table.
Grocery store.
Oh. Thanks.
Shane finished the prep, got the fire started and closed the screen. He stood and
tucked his hands into his back pockets. Natalie walked over, keeping a couple feet
between them as she joined him in staring into the flames. They stood without speaking
for five minutes or more and she felt her body shift again, from exhaustion to curiosity.
47
Cara McKenna
Shane broke the silence, clearing his throat. He swallowed before he spoke. You
might feel different tomorrow. Bout his offer.
I won t, but thank you for pretending to want me to make the grown-up choice.
You deserve somebody good, Shane said softly, glancing at her sideways. You
deserve a surgeon.
The statement made her feel acutely guilty. Maybe, she muttered. Just not
anytime too soon.
Somebody who s got their shit together, Shane added, going back to staring into
the fireplace.
You sound like my mom.
He shrugged. Just some advice from a man who spent the last year wasting his
time on his own mistakes.
Huffing out a long breath, she registered the workweek s toll in her brain and body.
She stepped to the couch to take a seat and patted the spot beside her, slid one of the
glasses over on the coffee table.
Shane walked over and sank onto the cushion, the feeling of his weight another
sinful reminder of what Natalie should be trying to keep her mind off of. Was he right?
Had she just made a stupid mistake? Her sister would probably think so.
Shane picked up his glass and they clinked. To the surgeon who got away, he
said.
She smirked but kept her lips pursed, staring at her wine.
Shane caught the chill in her mood and bumped her shoulder with his big firm one.
All done talking about it, I take it?
It s fine. I m just tired. She stretched her neck from side to side. But hey, it s the
weekend now. Nothing but sleeping in and being lazy.
Sounds good. If we don t freeze to death trying to make it to the movies or
something.
48
Getaway
She shook her head. Wuss.
You and me are kinda the same, he said.
Natalie looked up and found Shane wearing an expression she d never seen on him
before somber regret. How do you mean?
We re lousy at commitment, but when we do manage it, we pick the worst
possible people to do it with.
She nodded. It s just that the lousy ones are so damn good in bed. Maybe the well-
adjustedness gene cancels out the decent lay gene& She trailed off, brain going fuzzy
as her body warmed with ill-advised cravings.
They drank in silence, zoning out to the motions of the fire. Natalie wondered if
Shane s body was full of questions too, wondering how close they might be to reprising
their experience from the previous summer. Without quite meaning to, she let her knee
nudge his the next time she leaned forward to set her glass down. Shane glanced over
and caught her eye for a second, then looked away. If he wanted something to happen,
he was clearly waiting for her to initiate it.
You know what I always liked about you, Shane?
What s that?
How pushy you can be when you want something.
Like last night?
Natalie nodded. She toyed with the ring on her middle finger, wondering what he
was waiting for.
He cleared his throat but didn t speak.
She glanced at him. What s on your mind?
Not sure how I feel about you thinkin of me as a mistake, I guess.
I never said that s how I think of you.
But I know that s what it d be. Like you cleansing your palate after your doctor left
some sour, grown-up, good-decision taste in your mouth.
49
Cara McKenna
And what would I be? she asked. I know you came here with something to
prove to yourself, about you and women. And I m fine with that. In fact, I m honored. I
don t want to overthink everything& if we re both looking to use each other, let s just
use each other.
I never used to be the kind of man who overthought things&
So don t. Just do what you want.
After a moment s silence, he did. In a flash his hands were on her holding her jaw,
tangling in her hair as his mouth took hers. His aggressive sexual energy knocked [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]