Breaking Through the Waves Read Online Free Page A

if a woman was responsible for the hit, it still made her angry. He didn’t deserve to be treated like that.
    He noticed the tension in her shoulders. “Don’t let it bother you. Try some wine.” He pushed her glass closer to her.
    She picked it up and sipped it. It was good, not too sweet and not too tart. “It’s good.”
    “Have you ever been drunk before?”
    “No.”
    “Because you don’t like alcohol or because you know your limits?”
    “I hardly drink alcohol because I don’t trust myself. My mom was a mean drunk and I probably am too.” She let that fact slip from her lips without thinking. That was something she never told anyone. He didn’t react at all, bringing the glass to his lips for another drink. “And I just couldn’t trust anyone to not take advantage of me except Henry, and he wasn’t always there. It just gives me peace of mind when I don’t drink at all.”
    “You’re drinking now.”
    “I know you’ll take care of me. And it’s just a glass of wine—nothing too crazy.”
    “Would you like to get drunk? See if you are a crazy drunk?”
    “Not really.”
    “What if we stayed home and it was just us two?”
    She shrugged. “Maybe.”
    “I won’t let you do anything stupid and if you are mean to me, I’ll put up with it.”
    “Why would you want to do that?”
    “Because I know you aren’t a mean drunk. I just want to prove it to you.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “ Most people aren’t that different when they’re drunk. Yes, their emotions are heightened and they have less inhibition, but they really aren’t different people. You are friendly, quiet, and mellow. You would probably be the same if you were drunk. You definitely wouldn’t start cursing at everyone and throwing swings.”
    “What are you like when you’re drunk?”
    “People tell me I laugh a lot.”
    “So you are fun?”
    “I guess.”
    “That’s a bad combination. A fun drunk and a mean one.”
    “You wouldn’t be a mean drunk.”
    “We’ll see.”
    The waitress brought their food. “Do you need anything else?”
    “Can we have a bottle of this wine to go?”
    “Of course.” She walked away.
    Sydney raised an eyebrow. “You want to do this tonight?”
    “Not necessarily. It’ll be there if you ever decide to.”
    “I drink Tequila sometimes. It helps me sleep.”
    “How much were you drinking?”
    “Half a bottle straight.”
    “Wait. What? When was this?”
    She was quiet for a moment. “When you were gone.”
    He sighed. “Don’t ever do that again, Sydney.”
    “Okay,” she said automatically. She cut into her pasta and took a bite. Coen ate his dinner with grace, never spilling anything on the table or hardly using his napkin. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth with the napkin then placed it on the table. She stared at Coen across from her, admiring the beauty of his features.
    “What are you thinking about?”
    “What I always think about.”
    He smiled. “Damn. I am good.”
    “That’s an understatement.”
    “I wonder if I’ll ever tame you.”
    “I find it unlikely.”
    “That’s just as well.”
    The waitress brought the tab and Coen slid the money into the sleeve, handing it back to her. “I don’t need any change.”
    Sydney watched her walk away. “Since we are in a relationship, I would like to take turns paying for things.”
    “No.”
    “No?”
    “That’s never going to happen.”
    “Why?”
    “You’re my lady. I take care of you.”
    “We are both in college, totally broke.”
    “I’m not broke. My parents pay for my education and I make plenty of money as a trainer. I could get my own place without roommates, I just choose to live with other people so I can save more money. I pay for everything. That’s settled.”
    She glared at him. “I don’t accept that.”
    “Too bad,” he said as he rose to a stand. He grabbed the bottle of wine then her hand. They left the restaurant and returned to the car, placing the bottle in