Choices Read Online Free Page B

can’t believe you eat these.”
    “They’re really good. I can cook them for you with meat. You may like them.”
    Hale made a face. “I’ll pass.”
    Taylor smiled, partly at Hale’s reaction and partly because she’d just remembered her promise to cook for Alder. She wondered if quail eggs would make good omelets.
    Once she had a good-sized pile, Taylor began brushing the dirt from her hands. “Hey, how are we going to carry these back?”
    She’d forgotten to bring a basket and she couldn’t carry them in her hands while riding on Hale’s back. Even when walking at a slow pace, he often made sharp turns and jumps that necessitated using both hands to hold onto the back of his neck.
    “Carry them in your dress.”
    She looked down at her dress and then back up at him. “How? I don’t have pockets.”
    Looking utterly guileless, he said, “Take it off. I can tie it into a sack for you.”
    “I’m not doing that.”
    “It won’t ruin the dress. It might get some dirt on it, but nothing that can’t be washed out.”
    Her lips pursed. “I mean, I’m not getting naked.”
    Hale leaned back on his hands, looking amused. “Who’s going to see you? We can go straight back to the cabin.”
    “You’ll see me,” she said impatiently. “And it’s obvious that you just want to get me naked.”
    At that, Hale scoffed. “Your nudity has no effect on me. I’ve been around naked females my entire life.”
    Now, it was Taylor feeling amused. She kept her eyes on Hale and reached down to the hem of her dress, pulling it up and over her head. When she handed him the dress, he looked annoyed.
    “Why are you wearing those?” he asked, referring to her bra and underwear.
    Suppressing a grin, she cupped her hands under her cotton-clad breasts. “My breasts are pretty big.” She rubbed them for emphasis. “They get uncomfortable without some support.”
    Taylor was only trying to be silly, as Hale didn’t seem the type to fall for such an overt sexual ploy. But to her surprise, his eyes focused intently on her breasts, his mouth hanging open. The exaggerated expression of desire made her laugh.
    She nodded at the dress, which hung limp in his hand. “Are you going to tie that up, or what?”
    Regaining his focus, he let out a grunt of acknowledgement and began working. Taylor noticed that he now had a full erection between his thighs. The sight of him, thick and swollen, stirred a familiar feeling in the pit of her belly, and she did her best to ignore it.
    Hale must have spotted her staring, because he said, “Nudity does not normally affect me. Your body is different.”
    “How so?” she asked, feeling a little self-conscious.
    His gaze flicked to her in a quick appraisal.
    “I like your size,” he said. “For an herbivore, you have a lot of meat on your bones.”
    Taylor folded her arms beneath her breasts. “Are you calling me fat?”
    “I said that I like your size,” he reminded her. “I also like your hips and your ass.” He paused, a speculative look on his face. “Especially your ass. I like the shape of it and how soft it is. Yesterday, when I was behind you—”
    “I get the picture,” she said, cutting him off. His words had made her cheeks burn and had awakened other parts of her body as well.
    He was silent as he finished tying the dress. When he was done, she helped him to gather up the onions. She’d pulled up way more than she could eat in a day and hoped they would keep well in the summer heat. Hopefully, Lark and Glenn would help her eat them. If not, maybe she could even replant some of them in her garden.
    Hale’s low voice drew her from her musings. “I also like your breasts.”
    Maintaining her poise, she said, “I wasn’t aware that you saw them.”
    At the river, Hale had taken her from behind. While he’d had an excellent view of her rear, her breasts had been pressed against Alder’s chest.
    Then, she remembered the night she’d met Hale, just hours after