JAXON (The Caine Brothers Book 4) Read Online Free

inside, she grabbed a towel and washcloth from the cupboard and placed them on the counter, then snatched his wrist and placed his hand on the linens. “Here are towels. Soap and shampoo are in the shower. I absolutely will not stay and help you shower.”
    Spinning on her heel she marched to the door before turning to regard him. His smile should have pissed her off. Made her indignant and embarrassed. Instead, it touched off a corresponding conspiratorial spark inside that she squashed with alacrity. The last thing she wanted was to reward him for teasing her.
    She lifted her chin and gave him a dismissive sniff. “And I’m sorry I sprayed you. But you really should be more respectful of people’s space.”
    Then she made an emphatic exit.

CHAPTER 3
    While Jaxon showered, Summer showed up to pick up some produce from the garden.
    Lily hauled a box of sweet potatoes out to Summer’s van. She spent a lot of her free time at Summer’s restaurant, Houston Fresh, delivering surplus from her garden, and helping out. Maybe for a chance to eat Summer’s cooking, too.
    Summer picked one out of the box and wiped the dirt off it. Holding it up to her nose, she took a long whiff of it. “Ah,” she said. “These will make amazing soup. And pie.”
    “Mm-hmm,” Lily said, but her thoughts lingered on the man upstairs.
    “Whose car?” Summer asked.
    “House guest of Uncle Larry.”
    “Isn’t Larry in Europe somewhere?”
    “He is, but this guy’s a friend of a friend, and Larry said he could stay for a while.”
    “It’s a guy?” Summer asked, her smirk suggesting her interest.
    “I’ve never had sweet potato soup,” Lily said, changing the subject. “I can’t wait to taste it.”
    Summer shot her a skeptical look. “Fine. Ignore my question. I’ll cook dinner for just the two of us next week. It’s the least I can do to pay you for all the food you donate. If you think you can fit me into your schedule, that is.”
    The fact that Lily stretched herself too thin had been a sticking point between her and Summer for a while. They’d been best friends since high school and knew each other better than either of them knew anyone else. That Summer—who owned and operated her own restaurant and pretty much worked herself into the ground—accused Lily of overwork, really said something about Lily’s life.
    “Well, now that James and I have broken up, I’ll have more free time.”
    Summer looked up from examining a basket of green onions, surprise written all over her face. “You finally dumped him?”
    “We came to a mutual agreement.”
    Summer snorted. “That sounds about as stiff and boring as your entire relationship with him.”
    Lily stiffened, folding her arms across her chest in what she recognized as a classic defensive posture. Yet, she couldn’t help it. Her hackles always went up when anyone criticized her choices in men. Maybe that reaction should have been her first clue. “It wasn’t stiff and boring. It was respectful and intellectual. We had a lot in common.”
    “Uh huh. Stiff and boring, just like I said. Your taste in men is horrible. They’re all the same.”
    “I like nice, proper, non-threatening men.”
    “You treat romantic relationships like a job, or a mission, or another one of your causes. What happened to the romance in romance?” Summer paused from sorting the pallet of snap peas, a look of epiphany on her face. “Have you ever just let go and had a fling?”
    The man upstairs in the shower came unbidden to Lily’s mind. She pushed him out. “Why would I do that? It seems like such a waste of time.”
    Summer laughed. “Lily, I love you dearly, but you are the most uptight person I’ve ever met. Not everything needs to be planned and calculated. Maybe just once you should let loose and have some fun just for the sake of having fun.”
    Flinging her hands up in frustration, Lily said, “And what am I supposed to do, throw myself at the first man who comes along?”