Purely Unconditional: A Romantic Tale of Snow Days and Second Chances Read Online Free Page B

how to make a pot
a la Demi Moore in Ghost—and if I could get a Patrick Swayze to sit
behind me and help, I’d take that, too), but I also enrolled in six
sessions of krav maga.
    Jack seems surprised, but pleased. “Aggressive. I
like it.”
    “Maybe it’ll be good for me. If I’m having a bad day,
I can just punch something.”
    “I don’t think that’s the krav maga motto. I think
it’s something about learning to protect yourself, to defend
yourself…”
    “Tomato-tomahto. Either way, you better watch out.
I’ll be able to throw you over my shoulder with enough
training.”
    “They’re worse things in life.”
    I laugh. In the span of less than an hour, I feel
like I’ve climbed Everest. Or, at the very least, have gotten to
base camp one. And for a gal who hasn’t been off the couch in a
while, what a feeling. I pull out my paper and pluck a pen from my
purse.
    “Aw, look at that,” I say, handing the list to Jack.
“Three things crossed off already.”
     
    Glory’s Twelve Challenges of Christmas
    1. Wear high heels to work. And jewelry. Express
yourself! You’re twenty-nine and have legs for days. Show ‘em off,
honey!
    2. Sign up for a class. Expand your horizons.
    3 Compliment ten random strangers. Be sincere!
     
    He nods. “And you’re even doing them in order. Very
efficient. And hey, if you wanted to knock off another one, my
sister was telling me about this big sale she just went to at
Fortino’s. It’s about three blocks away and—”
    “We have about two minutes left to haul ass and get
back to the office. I can’t do a shopping spree in two
minutes.”
    “Okay then. I’ll see you at seven.”
    He nods, pleased with himself, then turns and starts
to walk away.
    “Seven?” I quickly grab his arm. “For what?”
    He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “For you to
shop. Oh, and we can double-up and do that tofu thing too. It’ll be
great.”
    “But—”
    He grins. “See you tonight.”

Chapter Four
    Snow Globe and Saxophone
     
    Ten minutes left. Ten minutes until he knocks on the
door and for the first time in years, I invite him in. My heart is
racing. Denny Crane watches me with supreme boredom.
    “You don’t get it,” I say to him. “Jack is coming
over. Do you remember him?”
    Denny Crane blinks. Then he sits up, lifts his back
leg high and starts grooming himself.
    I scoff. “No I didn’t do that to him. In fact,
I didn’t do much of anything.”
     
    The rain had threatened to shatter the windows. Jack
and I refused to use the elevator; the lights kept flickering on
and off and we weren’t about to tempt fate. Instead, we used the
emergency stairwell, turning the five flight trek into a stunningly
ill-conceived race. I was neck and neck with him for all of three
seconds before his long legs propelled him to the second floor
before I even made it up the first flight.
    “Come on,” he shouted down. “I’ll be old and feeble
by the time you make it up.”
    I gave him the finger and he grinned. With the light
shining down, his rain-soaked hair looked like it was shimmering, a
piece of anime artwork come to life. His eyes were bright in his
flushed face, his tawny skin looked vibrant and warm. My pace
slowed even more as I took in the way his shirt clung to his body,
accentuating a toned definition that his loose button-downs never
even hinted at. He was leaning against the railing, watching me as
I climbed up, and I couldn’t help but think I was approaching a
lion in his lair.
    He must’ve seen what I was feeling, or sensed it in
the air. The minute I hit the landing, he grabbed my wrist and
hauled me against him. His lips crushed on mine and he kissed me
like he wanted to devour me. A delicious stretch shot all through
my body as I rose on tiptoe to throw my arms around his neck and
kiss him just as deeply. He lifted me off my feet. The feel of his
wet shirt against my burning skin made me gasp aloud.
     
    Knock knock knock.
    Denny Crane makes a