Alluring Temptation (Bayou Stix #3) Read Online Free

of us for most of our lives, so he’s protective. He’s a bit of a playboy, but I wish he would settle down. He raised me for the most part, so I know he’d make someone an amazing husband and an even better father. But his house is not quite big enough for me, him… and Liam.
    Damn Liam.
    I must have made a sound because Bradi looks at me closely with her piercing green eyes and sets her chin in her hands. “How is that going? You and Liam being alone together? You doing ok over there?”
    I sigh and clench my hands. “It’s going ok. He hates me. He hates that I’m there. I do my very best to stay away from him, but ugh…”
    She cocks her brow. “What’s the deal with you two? Why are you so jumpy around him?” As she’s talking she’s just watching me. She’s so observant. I shrug. “Yes, I know he’s extremely gorgeous. I have eyes, but you jump a mile when he’s near and if you’re not jumping, you’re shrieking at him like a banshee. What did he do to you, Clove?”
    I blush and manage to get out through my mortification, “Nothing.” I shake my head in denial. “He’s done nothing to me… ever. He just irks me. And I annoy him just as much. He looks at me like I have a disease.” I’m playing with my silverware and not looking at her. “He just makes me uncomfortable.”
    She chuckles. “Uh huh. And does he annoy you more or less when he makes you tingly?”
    I choke on the sip of water I just took and spit it out. “Wha-What?” I shake my head rapidly. “No. No. No. He does not make me tingle. Are you crazy?”
    She’s looking at me with her brow arched and a smirk on her beautiful face. “Ok. Keep telling yourself that. People don’t act like that,” she points at me and swirls her finger around the air, “when they are unaffected .” She takes a sip of her mineral water and watches me.
    Ok, so he affects me. I mean look at him. So what?! He’s gorgeous and he knows it.
    I hate that. I hate men like that. But, no. No, he does not affect me. I don’t have time for that anyway. I need to find a job and get myself settled. No time to be tempted and distracted by Liam.
    Right Clove. Keep telling yourself that. I’m sure one day you’ll believe it.
    Bradi has been watching me the whole time I’ve been talking to myself like a crazy person. I’ve never had a poker face, so I’m sure everything was written as plain as day on my face. I take a sip of water and wipe my palms on my pants. “Ok, so he affects me. But he’s gorgeous and I’m not blind. So, what? I don’t like him. He doesn’t like me. End of story.”
    She chuckles, “Right!” And winks. “Ok, then.”
    Our salads come and we dig into them. I’m starving. I’m always starving lately. Once my plate is clean, we finish our drinks, and decide to head to Java and Sweeties so she can help me with my resume for tomorrow.
    I follow her in Dade’s Hummer and as usual, the place is packed when we get there, so we have to park on the side. There is rarely a parking spot here. Erik and Lexi have really made a name for themselves in town.
    Erik sees us walk in and gestures to our large table by the window. We walk over and sit. It’s always empty and is kind of “reserved” for when we come in. Within a few minutes, he’s walking over with my caffeine-free fruit and nut hot tea and Bradi’s grande skinny caramel mocha with extra whip cream. She’s so funny. Fat free with extra whip cream.
    He pulls out a chair and straddles it as he looks at me. Reaching over, he plays with my hair. His brows arch and he smiles. “I like it, Clove. Very different and very sexy. Why the change?”
    Running my hands through my hair self-consciously, I shrug and answer. “I just wanted to try something different. So, you like it, really?” It’s such a big change.
    Laughing, he winks. “Yeah, I do. It looks great on you. But you could shave your head, doll, and still look beautiful.”
    Bradi wads up a napkin and tosses it at