Freedom's Treasure Read Online Free

held it waist high with one hand. With the other he reached toward the panicked female.
     
    Anna turned to run, felt a hand reach her shoulder. As she spun around to beat the marauding rapist to within an inch of his life her eyes landed where the towel was falling. Her mouth had opened for another scream and she was barely able to stifle a giggle. Going with the feeling she pointed and started to laugh.
     
    “Jesus Christ, lady! Are you trying to kill me?” It took a moment for Hunter to realize what she was laughing at. He whipped the towel back over himself. “Have a little compassion. It was a cold shower!”
     
    Anna got herself back under control. “Who are you and why are you in my house?” A few giggles kept escaping and her eyes roamed back and forth over the body before her. Long, toned legs led to a narrow waist before a broad chest Anna swore she could show movies on. The man was built! Except for that one unfortunate area, she mused, he could have starred in movies.
     
    “I’m Hunter. I own the place. Your turn.” He spun his finger in the air and Anna turned around to give him a moment of privacy.
     
    “I’m Anna Mylan. It must have been your mom I spoke to in town. Elisa? She sent me out here with the keys. I’m going to be renting for a while. Um, do you usually take showers in vacant houses? It seems like a dangerous habit, not to mention weird.” Highly amused, Anna watched his reflection in a mirror on the wall as he dragged jeans on over his wet flanks. The denim fought every glorious inch. Anna barely contained the urge to lick her lips.
     
    “I was mowing, it was hot, I was dirty, empty shower, etc. Jesus.” Hunter looked for his shirt and remembered throwing it in the truck. He prayed he’d stop blushing some time this year. Attempting casual, he ran the towel over his dark hair once more before draping it over his shoulders. “You can turn around again. How long have you been here? I never heard you pull in.”
     
    “It seems I should be asking you that question,” Anna checked her watch. “Unless you have the quietest machine on the planet you couldn’t have been mowing. I’ve been here about an hour and never heard a thing.” A trail of hair ran down his stomach to where he had yet to button the fly of his jeans and droplets of water glistened across his upper body.
     
    Hunter mimicked her action, checked his watch. He needed to be back in town to meet the boys after school but it would be better to smooth this over. His mother would never forgive him when she heard this story. Traumatizing renters was pretty high on her list of Things Not To Do.
     
    “Look, I have to make a call and then do you want to continue this conversation over coffee?” Anything to get to the truck, get a shirt on and drape some dignity over his now bruised ego. The musical sound of her laughter stayed with him and he wanted to hear more of it so long as it wasn’t at his expense.
     
    Anna thought for a moment. This would be great material for her book. “Sure, let’s go have some coffee. I have to freshen up, assuming you’re finished with my bathroom?” She looked pointedly toward the open door.
     
    Hunter flushed, again. “I’m good. I’m parked in back. Meet you out there?”
     
    “I think I’d better follow you in,” Anna reminded herself she didn’t know this man and it was better to be safe than sorry. “Then you won’t have to drive me back out later and I have some things I need to pick up in town.”
     
    “I’ll wait for you,” Hunter escaped, his tattered dignity waving behind.
     
    As he waited he called his mother to tell her the story before she heard it elsewhere. Yes, Hunter knew they were alone in the woods but his mother had ESP or something, especially when it came to embarrassing stories about her only son. He also asked her to give the high school boys their assignments and said he’d see them tomorrow.
     
     
    The diner was a few doors down from the