Drawn To You (Taking Chances #3) Read Online Free Page B

for the new registration sticker attached to it. Had he gotten Sam to listen? Miracles did happen. But what was she doing here?
    Lucas approached the car and placed one hand on the open door. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of two shapely legs poking out from the backseat, legs which were encased in black knee-high sandals that resembled gladiator shoes. Interesting, but not very practical, as expected. “Fancy footwear you’ve got there,” he called out. “On your way to a fight?”
    “What?” Sam straightened and bumped the car roof with a dull thud , landing her back onto the seat .
    “This is one time that being hardheaded comes in handy.” He grinned, then winced at the sight of her rubbing her head. “You all right?”
    “Lucas Choi! Are you checking up on me? Let me guess, you’re running around the neighborhood looking for cars with expired registration stickers. You always were an overachiever. Well, you can move on from here. I told you I’d get mine renewed, and I did. Here, I’ll prove it.” She bolted to her feet, but stumbled when she took a step.
    He grabbed her elbow. “Hey, slow down, Firecracker. You must have hit your head pretty hard.” Placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned close. “Are you dizzy?”
    If Sam wasn’t dizzy already, she would be soon. She swallowed slowly as the heat from his palms threatened to melt her resolve. Why did he have to look at her with such tenderness? More importantly, why did she still have such a weak spot for him after all these years? “Wh—what?”
    “Can you focus?”
    His gentle demeanor almost made her forget who she was dealing with. She reminded herself that this was the guy who turned her in when he caught her copying Sean Casey’s precalculus homework. The same one who had ratted her out when he overheard her plans to play hooky with Devin Mitchell. And the only guy who had ever rejected her affections. He found joy in her suffering. He had to have ulterior motives behind this good guy farce. “I’m fine. I can see perfectly fine.” Sam shook herself free from his hold. “And I can see through your whole good cop, bad cop routine. You’re just buttering me up before you charge me with some violation. Am I illegally parked or something?”
    “Okay, we can check off yes for easily upset or angered. But since you don’t have any physical symptoms of a concussion, I think you’re in the clear. It must have been the hair that protected you. You have two inches of padding with that French”—he cocked his head to the side for a better look—“oh wait, Dutchbraid going down the center.”
    “It’s called a fauxhawk, and it took half an hour to achieve the perfect height.” She narrowed her eyes. “How do you know so much about braids? My sisters don’t even know the difference.”
    He gave a small shrug. “Call it a hobby of mine.”
    “Something you do when you’re not stalking people? You didn’t answer my question, Lucas. What are you doing here? How did you find me?”
    “The question is why are you stalking me ? This is my house. What are you doing here?”
    “ Your house?” Sammie glanced at the black numbers above the two car garage door. It was the right address; she was sure of it. But the facts of the circumstances didn’t add together. I’m here for a birthday party … Her eyes grew round as the pieces started falling into place. His ringless hand. The cleft in his chin that matched her favorite student’s. “Wait, you’re Lucy’s dad?”
    “You’re her art teacher? I thought Sam was your last name. What a small world.”
    “No kidding.” All her presumptions of him and his perfect life faded away. Her heart softened to know the tragedy his family had gone through. How could she have talked so negatively about his wife? “Hey, I had no idea when I saw you yesterday … I shouldn’t have said those things.” She bit her lip as she fumbled for the right words to say.
    “It’s fine. You had no