Craving a Hero: St. John Sibling Series, book 3 Read Online Free Page A

the oversized side mirror.
    "That doesn't look good," he said.
    "Maybe now you'll listen to reason—understand why I want you to see a doctor."
    He climbed into the truck. "I don't need a doctor. But I'd sure like to avoid being seen by the paparazzi booked into the motel room next to mine."
    "Isn't that just typical of you Hollywood types, more concerned about your looks than your health," she said, inserting the key in the ignition.
    One man-sized hand covered hers, stopping her from starting the truck. "Kelly—"
    It was the first time he'd called her by her given name and it made her stomach do flip-flops. Or maybe it was his touch, or the quietness, the sincerity with which he spoke her name. Or maybe he was a better actor than she had expected him to be.
    "What?" she snapped.
    "This business I'm in, it's focused on looks way more than I like. But, worse, it feeds on gossip. One front page tabloid picture of me looking like this, and it'll set off a firestorm of outrageous stories."
    She thought of the tabloid papers her mother religiously read, of how they filled the racks at every checkout in the grocery store and gas station in little Copper Ridge—how, whenever she picked her mother up at the beauty shop, the content of those rags was all anyone was talking about. She'd always thought it better than their gossiping about their neighbors. But, now, with one of the popular subjects of the tabloids sitting next to her in her truck, she had to wonder.
    "The headlines will read everything from Action Star Brought Down By Hornets to Action Star Struck With Career Ending Virus," he said.
    She settled back in her seat, pulling her hand out from beneath his. "You sure you feel okay?"
    "Yes," he said.
    Still, she took one more shot at convincing him to let her take him to a doctor. "I thought the saying was better any notice rather than no notice."
    He motioned to his welted face. "I know this is hardly a career ending story. I'm just not accustomed to being in the spotlight so much."
    She gave him a you-chose-the-career look. "Comes with the territory, no?"
    "Yeah. I just never expected that every little move I made, every little mistake I make would be front page news."
    "So you admit you made a mistake in not listening to me."
    He threw his head back and laughed. "Didn't I already say I did?"
    She smiled. "How badly do you want to avoid that paparazzi?"
    He sobered and settled his head against the headrest. "Real bad."
    "Bad enough to rough it for a day or two until those welts disappear?"
    He tipped a roguish grin at her. "I can rough it with the best."
    She snorted and started the truck. "We'll see about that."
    His grin stretched. "Guess not everything I did today was a mistake."

 
    CHAPTER TWO
     
    What had he meant by, not everything I did today was a mistake?
    More to the point, what did she want his words to mean? That kissing her wasn't a mistake?
    Those were the questions haunting her as she'd driven Dane St. John deeper into the woods to her family's camp, as she'd unlocked the cabin for him, and muttered apologies for the sparse accommodations.
    "It's a great place," he'd said, not a hint of mocking in his tone or his eyes, as they'd taken in the one room cabin with double-wide bunks built-in on one end and kitchen and living area on the other.
    "Outhouse is out back," she said, almost challenging him.
    He didn't gasp in horror, just nodded.
    "I'll prime the pump for you before I leave and show you how to do it in case it loses its prime," she'd said.
    "I know how to prime a pump," he'd said, increasing her curiosity of the man. She was beginning to realize she knew very little about him beyond the tabloid gossip.
    "If you want to wash up, you can heat water in the kettle on the gas stove." She turned a knob on the stove and the burner flamed to life. "Stove's good to go." She turned off the burner and found him peering out the back window between the cook stove and free-standing wood stove.
    "Is that a shower