Lovell, Cooper - Tessa's Highlander (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free Page A

she’d ask intelligent questions about the project. Other times, she tried to engage him in discussions about his work in general and other projects he’d done. Obviously unsatisfied with his consistently terse responses, she brought up their common ground, Jaime. Still, her questions were met with nods, single syllables, or silence. Her tireless and inventive efforts to engage him were intriguing, though, and he was tempted to put his tools down and talk with her for hours.
    But even more intriguing than her sweet attempts at friendship were her temper explosions. She had a hair-trigger temper that was a force to be reckoned with and that made his blood run hot. When she became frustrated with his behavior, her gray eyes darkened like a fierce storm rolling in from the sea. She usually spat a single put-down at him then stomped away, murmuring to herself a list of creative insults that could, at times, make a sailor blush.
    She was maddeningly adorable to him, and he could feel his guard beginning to slip.

    * * * *

    “Who is that luscious hunk of man doing your renovations, and why did I not know about him? I would have worn something more attractive than running gear and sneakers.”
    “Oh, he’s doing the work on my house instead of Jaime. He is sort of walking perfection, isn’t he?” Tessa grinned. “He’s a horrible grump, though. Downright rude, actually. But, Jaime says he’s the best.”
    Alex turned to her. “The best at what, exactly?”
    Tessa punched him in the arm. “Alex! You’re terrible!”
    Alex laughed and said lasciviously, “Yes. Yes I am. But if it turns out by some miracle that he’s gay, I’ve got some wood he can work with.”
    Following their run, Alex and Tessa walked around downtown, ducking in and out of the unique little shops, stopping for lunch at their favorite pub that featured a tiny little bar area with a fireplace you could literally stand in when there wasn’t a roaring fire. They’d been best friends since kindergarten, and she had missed him more than she realized while he was in Europe on business. He was the only person she’d trusted to read the outrageous storylines that began to pour out of her in high school. He was always completely honest.
    “ Ooooo ! That last scene was sick, sweetie.” She’d ask if she should eliminate it and he’d reply, “Don’t you dare! It was hot as hell!”
    Enjoying mugs of hot cider by the fire, Alex regaled her with details of his trip. By the time their french onion soup arrived, talk of Europe was over and she was filling him in on the progress of her book and the upcoming photo shoot. It was over dessert that he began needling her about her love life, or lack thereof.
    “Don’t start with me, Alex,” Tessa warned. “You know that I just don’t have any interest in finding somebody. I faced the facts a long time ago. I’m asexual. End of story. I’ve never found a man who interests me, and the two idiots I wasted my time with in college confirmed the fact to me that sex and relationships are not worth the trouble. Really just not my thing. Remember, Alex, I may write a completely different kind of subject matter, but I consume romances when it comes to my own reading. If it exists, love should be more than just”—she paused to find the right word—“ meh . Besides, how would I even go about looking for someone to be interested in? I mean, the bar scene? Ick . And the odds that the perfect man is just going to fall at my feet are slim to none.”
    Alex grasped her hand. “Honey, I think it’s possible that you’ve beaten the odds. I don’t know much about the man who’s in your home right now, but he must be a good guy if he’s friends with your brother and he’s definitely the picture of physical perfection. Not a bad place to start.” He winked.
    Tessa stuck her tongue out and gave Alex the most ladylike raspberry she could muster.

    * * * *

    Greatly in need of activity to keep him from conjuring up