His Kind of Wonderful (Sugar Bay #2) Read Online Free

about a tap dancing hippo.”
    Joe hummed the familiar tune in her ear and she groaned, mortified.
    He winked. "Please, Dani. Won’t you sing me a lullaby?"
    She flung the soapy sponge at him then watched as it bounced off his chest. He laughed a deep belly laugh, clutching his stomach and smacking the counter. She turned away but it was hard to block out the sound of his merriment. The whole evening he’d let her think he hadn’t heard her today. She slammed the dishwasher door closed and turned to leave but he caught her elbow, “Hold on, Pavarotti.”
    She elbowed him and was pleased to hear his pained grunt.
    “I’m teasing, you little wildcat.” He pulled her around and cradled her shoulders. His eyes sparkled and she eyed him suspiciously. Were those tears? She stared harder and noticed a hint of moisture gathered in the corners of his eyes.
    The skunk—they were. She stomped on his foot.
    “Ow,” he muttered, clutching his injured limb. She went after his other foot and he lifted that one to avoid her. “Cut it out.”
    “You’re lucky I took off my boots when I came in.”
    They continued their stomp and avoid dance for a few minutes with him holding her upper arms trying to get her to stop.
    “Calm down. It was cute. You’re a good aunt.”
    She shook her unbearably hot head. “Thanks.”
    He stroked her arms slowly. But if he’d wanted to calm her he’d failed because it did the opposite. She went from embarrassed anger to heightened awareness in an instant.
    Awareness wrapped around them, wound its way between them and tightened its grip. She noted his thick, dark eyelashes and the golden striations mixed with dark brown that gave him such a distinct gaze. She traced the slight crook in his nose with her eyes and watched as his eyes tracked a path to her lips and stayed there for what seemed like forever but was probably a few seconds. She licked her dry lips and watched as he mimicked her. He lowered his head as if to kiss her and her heart stopped. But instead, he brushed her hair away from her face.
    “Soap bubble.”
    She stared, embarrassed by her assumption. “Oh. Okay.” She hated how her voice sounded. Hated the note of yearning she hadn’t intended.
    He released her and stepped back.
    “We’re finished here, right?” Joe looked around, his movements jerky and not as smooth as usual. “Why don’t I take a look at Thelma?”
    He grabbed her keys from the counter and hurried away without another word while she stumbled in the opposite direction, breathless and bewildered.
     

Chapter Three
     
    Joe walked into the firehouse the next morning for his shift and spotted George, his mentor and captain.
    “Hey there, son.” George was twenty years older and not his family by blood but he’d taken an interest in Joe as a boy.
    “How’s it going?”
    “Not bad. Lisa wanted me to let you know she’d be by later—something about a charity request. She thinks you can help her so I told her you’d be here today.”
    It was hard but Joe held on to his grin. George’s wife had been nothing but a pain in the ass lately. He’d avoided any place or event she might attend but increasingly, she’d been more aggressive in her pursuit and the other firefighters had started to notice. They sent weird looks his way as if he actually wanted the woman to flirt with him. Shit. Everyone knew he loved women, but he drew the line at cuckolding his mentor and it pissed him off they thought he enjoyed the attention.
    “She’ll be by in about thirty minutes. She’s dropping Collin off at Karate.”
    He nodded—not wanting to offend George and take off to avoid the guy’s wife. For her to go through George to request his presence was a seriously fucked up situation. He hoped his mentor knew he would never dishonor their friendship.
     
    Half an hour into their shift, Lisa walked in.
    “Joe! I’ve been looking for you. Why haven’t you returned any of my messages?”
    He shrugged. George stood