Air Ryder (Harper's Mountains Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

wouldn’t dish any dirt, which is pretty shitty of a second best friend.”
    “So I would be your best friend after Alana?”
    “Yeah,” he said, as if the answer should’ve been obvious. “We hardly know each other. I found you on the Internet.”
    “You mean you stalked me.”
    “Whoa, whoa, whoa, lady,” he said, holding up his hands. “I didn’t stalk you. I just tracked down your job, where you would be working today, and the road…you…take home.” He frowned. “It’s not weird until you say it out loud.”
    “Well, you didn’t have to go to the trouble because I planned on stopping by Alana’s café on Tuesday to watch the train wreck that is your love life and possibly sit with you to offer my support while your ex reams you.”
    His answering grin was stunning. His freckles stood out against his pale skin, his eyes were a bright and beautiful blue color, and dimples sank into his cheeks as his smile lines deepened. It didn’t help her hormones that he was shirtless and his nipples had tightened to sexy little bitable buds right now.
    She was staring. When she forced her eyes back up to Ryder’s, he had the cockiest smile she’d ever seen on a man’s lips. Shaking her head, she prepared to make her exit because this man was trouble with a capital T. “It’s been nice chatting with you, but I have to get home.”
    “Say no more.”
    Good, at least he got the hint. But when Ryder slid back into the passenger’s seat, she leaned on her open window and shook her head in exasperation. “Out.”
    “When should I pick you up for our first friend-date then?”
    Lexi narrowed her eyes at him, but Ryder only relaxed back and rested his feet on her dashboard, and now his muscular butt-cheeks were hanging out of the shorts. Ridiculous man. Sexy, yes, but ridiculous first. Why did she find his behavior so amusing? She’d always been one to date serious types. But this wasn’t dating. It was just friendship with a funny guy who made her laugh.
    “How about you drop by my booth during Taste of Bryson City on Saturday morning? I’ll be giving out samples of food in a purple tent near the middle of Main Street. You can hang out with me there if you want.”
    “Done. I will do that for you,” Ryder said, sliding out of her Jeep. He strode around the vehicle, and she expected him to jog back across the street to retrieve his plastic pitchers, but instead he sauntered straight up to her and wrapped his arms around her.
    Lexi froze, shocked to her bones.
    Ryder tensed when their torsos met. He huffed a small breath as though surprised, too, then gently rested his cheek against her temple. Gads, he was tall, and so strong against her. She should balk at hugging a complete stranger but after Blake, it felt so good to have a man willingly touch her. Slowly, Lexi wrapped her arms around his waist and relaxed against him. She didn’t know how long they stood there like that on the side of the road, just hugging, but after a while, she wanted to cry for some reason she couldn’t understand or explain.
    Ryder was a goofball and liked to joke around, but this was a different side. A softer side that pleasantly surprised her.
    He moved his cheek slightly, and she could’ve sworn he kissed her there on her hairline, just a silent peck before he eased back. She thought he would have on a silly smile like he’d been wearing before, but he looked down at her with an intense, almost confused, expression on his face.
    “I’ll see you Saturday,” he murmured in a deep, rich timbre that sent warmth streaking down into her middle.
    “See you,” she whispered.
    And then Ryder opened her door for her, waited for her to get in, never taking his eyes from her, and shut the door beside her gently. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again and patted her open window twice before he pushed off and waited for her to leave.
    As she drove away, she looked into her rearview mirror at the confounding man who