Moving a Little Heart Read Online Free

to blackmail her into compliance. She shook her head, recalling the embarrassment she felt when he actually made her spit her gum into his hand as though she were a little child.
    She was still surly when Hayden returned with his 'cocktail'. He placed a mug on the edge of the tub with a plate of chocolate chip cookies and offered her a cheerful smile. "Here you go, sour puss. It's hot, so don't scald yourself. I got you a t-shirt, towel and washcloth." He handed her the items. "There is soap and shampoo right on the shelf, and new toothbrushes in the bottom drawer. Use anything you need."
    Despite her annoyance, Baylor was impressed. Clearly, the man was accustomed to having houseguests, but she had never thought a guy would have thought of little things like this. Still, she refused to give Hayden even well-deserved kudos.
    "Why are you doing this? Hasn't anyone had that talk with you about 'stranger danger'? I could be an axe-murderer or a serial rapist. Or worse!"
    "Worse? Please don't tell me you're a Christmas elf! Or… or… a Smurf!" Hayden acted horrified. "You are the right size, but I don't see any pointy ears under those ponytails, and your skin doesn't have that lovely cyanotic sheen. Except for your eyes. They are a beautiful shade of blue. What's this? Are you giving me the 'look of death'? My mum used to do that. Didn't work."
    "Ha ha." Baylor glowered. "You don't know what I'm capable of."
    "I know you don't have your pretty little face plastered on wanted posters at the post office. I haven't checked with Chuck E. Cheese yet. For all I know, you have been banned for life for kicking kids out of the ball pit or stealing their prize tickets." Hayden laughed.
    "I haven't been to Chuck E. Cheese in over ten years and have no intention of going back. How do you know I'm not a criminal?"
    "Jake ran your license when he stopped you, didn't he? See this?" He pointed to his handsome face, which was marked with a frown. "This is my serious expression. It would be wise to remember what it looks like, because when it's put on, there's a reason."
    "Why are you giving me 'Mr. Serious Face'?" Baylor wrinkled her nose.
    "Because I want you to take your time and spoil yourself for a while. Do not leave this tub until you've either finished your cocktail or your skin looks like a prune."
    "Hayden, this domineering crap you and Jake do is inappropriate. I will not—"
    He interrupted her mid-sentence. "I'll be downstairs watching TV if you need me. I promised to make you a burger, too, if you're hungry. Just tell me. Oh, and Baylor?"
    "What?" she snipped.
    "The chocolate chip cookies are homemade. Terry's special recipe."
    Baylor watched him exit the bathroom and close the door behind him. Shaking her head again, she stripped herself of her black tank top and shorts and looked at her body in the mirror with skepticism. Her tiny five foot one frame had lost several needed pounds over the last month and her cheeks had become somewhat angular, making her long, sooty lashed eyes appear huge and doll-like. She had her dark, shoulder-length hair pulled into two ponytail, giving her an even more youthful appearance than her age of twenty-three. No wonder Hayden had treated her like a child and made the Chuck E. Cheese comment! She looked no more than eight years old!
    She stepped cautiously into the tub and lowered herself into the cloud of fragrant bubbles. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and submerged her head under the steaming water, enjoying the sound of a world without air. She came up to breathe and started washing her hair, musing about how nice it would be to have someone else run his fingers through her thick strands. Maybe even rub her neck and shoulders a bit, and gently kiss that sensitive little patch of nerves secreted behind her left ear. In some other life, perhaps.
    Baylor rinsed out the shampoo and then picked up the mug, sniffing suspiciously. Cautiously, she took a tiny sip and released a satisfied moan.