Falling From Grace Read Online Free Page A

through — or the countless men she’d allowed to bend her over the nearest surface. His gaze dropped to the granite countertop and he swallowed the rush of bile as his imagination did cruel things to his mind. Hey, who cared? It wasn’t as if he’d been celibate since their break up so he couldn’t expect her to suddenly join a nunnery just because the thought of someone else touching that smooth skin was enough to make him want to die. Although, that would’ve been a nice stroke to his ego if she had. “Are you seeing anyone?” he asked, striving for a casual nonchalance — as if he could care less what her answer was and he was just making polite conversation — but he could feel the anxiety dogging the edges of his inquiry.
    “No,” she answered, following up with, “You?”
    “I was put off by dating for a while. You never know when someone’s telling the truth or just lying through their teeth and I really don’t have the time to deal with the bullshit.”
    Yeah, honey that was directed at you . And she knew it. “Passive aggressive much? Jesus, Miles, when did you turn into such a whiny bitch?”
    He glowered at her for calling him out but he supposed he’d walked right into that one. He was being a whiny bitch. He had to move on and let go one of these days. Too much unresolved crap in his head — and heart. Miles forced a chuckle and loosened up. “You’re right. I ought to just come out and say what I need to say and be done with it.”
    “ You’d probably feel better. I know I always do,” she said but there was a reticence about her gaze that belied her false bravado. She was afraid to face the music and her body language was screaming it from the rooftops. “I mean, if you think it’ll help you, you know. I suppose I owe you that.”
    He opened his mouth to unload —  she’d asked for it, right? — but when it really came down to it, there was no point in dredging up the poison from the past. He wasn’t here to vent, he was here to help Lindy. Miles sighed and waved off Dani’s offer. “That’s not necessary. I’ll stop with the passive aggressive digs. I’m just here to help a friend. Let’s leave it at that.”
    Dani nodded and slowly rose from the chair, saying, “I’m going to shower” and then left the room. And damn if he couldn’t help himself as he stared hard a t that perfect heart-shaped ass before wrenching his gaze to focus on his task. Why did she have the power to turn him inside out and sidewise just by being in the same room together? He’d known staying impartial was going to be a struggle but he’d had no idea it was going to be this tough.
    Don’t think about her smooth, porcelain skin and how they ’d loved foreplay in the shower . That way lies madness and heartbreak , he warned himself as he quickly cleaned and chopped vegetables and fruits for the blender. A few minutes later, Dani emerged, fresh-faced with her long red hair swept up in an easy ponytail and he was struck by the memory of when they’d first met.
    He’d been working as the on-site physician for an up-and-coming action flick directed by Michael Bay when he’d first seen Dani. She’d nabbed a bit part — possibly her first speaking role that’d enabled her to get her SAG card — but she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen in his entire life. Her laugh, her smile, the way her eyes sparkled and snapped with pure vitality, yeah, he’d been hooked from day one. He hadn’t known she was married but then she hadn’t been wearing a ring, nor had she advertised that she was taken. In fact, quite the opposite.
    “So you’re the doc?” she’d said, popping into the chair beside him between takes. The assistant director was off yelling commands and all production had ground to a halt, which gave everyone a chance to regroup, go to the bathr oom, or grub. “My name’s Dani.” He accepted her outstretched hand with a smile that matched hers. The minute their skin