Storm Front (Reunited Hearts) Read Online Free Page A

something like innocence lingering under the surface—in the way she blushed,
in the way she glanced away.
    It
fascinated him. Mesmerized him. Called to him in a way that just a beautiful
body wouldn’t.
    He’d
seen hundreds of beautiful women before. He’d taken an endless number of them
to bed.
    But
there was so much more to Allison that he couldn’t yet define. She was a
mystery, a puzzle, a challenge.
    Even
the frown she was giving him now, obviously annoyed at the way he was staring
at her, made him want to sink into a kiss, sink into her body.
    Clearly
the head injury had hopelessly rattled his brain.
    He
turned back to dump the soup into the pot on the stove, and Allison puttered
around, filling up a tea kettle with water from the sink—which thankfully still
worked—and then starting to search through the rest of the drawers.
    After
a minute, she let out a squeal. Michael turned to see her holding up three
packs of batteries. “What size do we need?” she asked.
    “C.”
    Allison
tore open a pack, beaming at him with a breathtaking smile. “We’re in luck.”
    While
Michael heated up the soup and poured it into two bowls, Allison got the radio
working and turned the dial until she found a station.
    They
listened to weather reports while they ate their meal, and by the time they
finished they’d heard enough about the situation to be relieved.
    The
storm had reduced in intensity significantly by the time it hit land, and it
was moving fast. The immediate coastal areas were the ones in most danger from
the storm surges. The rest of the region, including where they were now, could
expect tumultuous rain and heavy winds, but the forecasters expected the worst
to be through by tonight.
    It
wasn’t going to be as destructive as storm as everyone had feared.
    “Whew,”
Allison said, leaning back in her chair. “That’s a relief. We should be all
right here, then.”
    “And
we can probably get out tomorrow. One night shouldn’t be too bad.”
    Now
that he knew they weren’t in a real crisis, Michael decided it wouldn’t be
unreasonable to indulge some of his other impulses.
    They
were stuck together for one night. They were obviously attracted to each other.
His headache had reduced to just a low throbbing. And they had nothing else to
do to entertain themselves.
    His
engagement to Gina had lasted six months. For a while, he’d actually thought he
was in love. He’d known Gina for years, and he’d believed she truly understood
him. She was sweet and pretty, and she fit well into his social world as a
beautiful companion who could charm everyone they met. She didn’t make Michael
worry too deeply or stress too much. She was easy, and it seemed a natural
match.
    She’d
been pliant and accommodating—in the bedroom and out of it—which had suited Michael
just fine. But he’d never felt the kind of hot, intense physical need for Gina
that he was experiencing now.
    For
Allison.
    Whom
he hadn’t seen for years.
    And
who really wasn’t his type.
    He’d
been dead wrong about Gina, in every way that mattered, and it would be a long
time before Michael let himself commit to a woman in that way or let himself be
so vulnerable again.
    But
one passionate night with Allison wouldn't be a risk, and it might be exactly
what he needed.
    She
was attracted to him too. He knew it. He saw her cheeks flush deeply and her
breathing quicken to an eager panting as she stared at him, the heat in her
green eyes smoldering to match his before she glanced away.
    What
was it about her that he found so compelling? He still couldn’t identify it.
But his body tightened excitedly as he noticed the outline of her erect nipples
and the delicious curve from her waist to her hip.
    Michael
definitely wasn’t going to waste this one night.
    *
* *
    Allison wished Michael
would stop staring at her that way.
    It
was as if he wanted to swallow her alive, as if she’d be burned to embers by
the heat of his intensity.
    She
remembered