Playing for Keeps Read Online Free Page A

circles. He took every new step slowly, as if giving her a chance to stop him. But stopping him was the last thing on her mind. Whatever this man wanted to do to her, right here, right now, was fine.
    A s if reading her mind, he pulled away. "We probably shouldn't do this."
    "I know," she agreed wistfully.
    Rob settled into his seat, then took her hand. He gently kissed the back of it as he had done earlier. "You mentioned another date? Make no mistake about it, there will be another date. Many more, if I have anything to say about it. But nothing's going to happen until you're ready. You mean too much to me for a quick roll in the hay. I'd like to take my time and really get to know you."
    She nodded, overwhelmed by his words. He feels the same way I do. She closed her eyes tight to keep an errant tear from falling.
    Rob squeezed her hand, smiled, then quietly drove her home. "Here we are."
    " Home again, home again, jiggity jig."
    He chuckled. "You know all the best nursery rhymes. I'm totally jealous."
    She yawned. "Yeah, I'll bet. I can't believe I got so drowsy all of a sudden. Must be the beer kicking in." She looked at him. "I had a really good time."
    " Me, too." He helped her out. "If you give me your keys, I'll unlock your door then go."
    She obliged.
    He opened the door and flipped the light on. Maddie looked at him. "You never told me where you live."
    He leaned against her porch railing. "I have a house on the edge of town, on a little piece of property. Can't hardly be called a ranch yet, but it will be someday. I built it myself. It's a work in progress."
    " Wow." Maddie was amazed. "I'd love to see it sometime."
    "How about tomorrow ? We could have a picnic by my pond."
    " Only if you'll let me bring the picnic."
    " It's a deal. Why don't I call you in the morning with directions? Your eyes are only half open now, and I don't want you to get lost."
    Maddie pulled him by a handful of his t-shirt toward her for a kiss. They embraced gently for one moment, then it ended. "Call me tomorrow." She let her hand drop from his chest.
    " Sweet dreams, beautiful." He ran a hand over her face then walked back toward his truck.

 
     
    Chapter Two
     
     
     
    "This is not the finest example of my work," Maddie explained, setting a box of store-bought fried chicken on the blanket Rob spread out the next day. "With a little more notice I can whip up a picnic that would knock your socks off." She offered him a can and said "Soda?"
    " Sure." He chuckled as he helped her set out the food. "Well, I'm sorry. But I couldn't wait any longer to see you again. After that debacle last night, I'm lucky you'll let me see you at all."
    S he nibbled on a biscuit. "Last night was great. Definitely not a debacle."
    "It felt like it, there at the end ."
    "Nah." Maddie looked around the grounds. The house was set at the front of the lot, with a huge yard behind it. There were fields off to the side and a big pond, where they sat now. "It really is beautiful out here."
    " I think so, too. Someday, I'm going to have horses in a stable over there," he motioned, "and a red barn over there. Just because I've always wanted a red barn."
    M addie nodded as they ate. "So, did Sophie's mother live here with you?"
    Rob looked at her then back at his chicken. He seemed to be deciding if he wanted to talk about it. "No, she didn't. We lived in Oklahoma City. I moved here after we split up."
    " When did you build the house? How long ago did you break up?"
    He grinned at her. "Are you going to answer all these questions about yourself when we finally get around to talking about you?"
    Maddie wiped a crumb off Rob 's lip with her thumb. "Of course. Anything you want to know."
    He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again, he was smiling. "Actually, this place was one of the reasons we split up. I started working on the house, thinking one day we might live here. Dionne is a lawyer in the city. She had no interest in living out here in the