Summer Fling Read Online Free

away. “What?”
    “Desperation.”
    “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
    “No, you misunderstand me. You were desperate
to make that jump. You want to be impulsive and spontaneous, deep down. You’re
a thrill seeker, same as me.”
    She opened her mouth to respond and then
hesitated as the waitress delivered their coffees. She sipped the strong
espresso. Only then did she reply, “I’m really not.”
    He leaned back, taking a swallow of his
latte. “If you say so.”
    They studied each other for a moment. His broad
shoulders led to muscular brown arms and large, strong hands. The new,
skin-tight All Blacks rugby tops were not for the faint-hearted. They showed
off every ounce of fat on the wearer, but emphasized Garth’s lean, toned body
perfectly, the material clinging to sculpted muscle. Fine brown hairs highlighted
his tanned legs. She raised her gaze back to his just in time to see him
looking at her breasts before his eyes met hers. The amusement had vanished
from them, and now they positively sizzled.
    Chloe gulped her coffee. This reckless
risk-taker was the absolute last thing she wanted in her life. The sooner she
finished her drink and left, the better.

Chapter Four
    Garth met Chloe’s eyes and saw the shutters
came down. Her body language spelled it out—whereas before she’d been leaning
forward on the table, eyes dancing, now she leaned back and folded her arms,
and the light in her eyes dulled. She’d decided not to nurture the spark that
had sprung up between them.
    The chase had never been the part of a
relationship that interested him. Also, he had enough emotional baggage to fill
the luggage claim area of the airport, so her obvious reluctance should have
made him decide to end it there.
    It didn’t.
    Her phrase “Too much excitement sends me
into overload” intrigued him. She’d been thrilled after the jump. He knew
another thrill seeker when he saw one. But she was obviously determined to deny
any desire to take a risk.
    He swirled the coffee in his cup. “What’s
so scary about being impulsive?”
    She looked at the plane outside the
terminal. The flight assistant lowered the steps and passengers began to cross
the tarmac. “My mother’s Bipolar Type I. She’s reckless enough for the both of
us.”
    Ah. That made sense. He didn’t know anyone
personally who was bipolar, but he understood enough about the condition to
realize why she craved stability. “That must be difficult for you.”
    She continued to watch the passengers,
although she’d fixed her gaze in the distance. “It’s not so bad now I
understand what’s wrong with her. It was harder as a youngster. Being promised
a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disneyland, only to have it cancelled at the last
minute because she couldn’t cope with the journey. Coming up with all these
great, enthusiastic ideas for businesses, hobbies, places to go, which
invariably ended up being unfulfilled.”
    She met his gaze then. “Having a steady
stream of men through the house, each one the man of her dreams, whether the
relationship lasted for one year or one night. I counseled her through numerous
heartbreaks, even to the point of talking her out of suicide.” She spoke
firmly, full of conviction. “I’m not going to be like that.”
    “I see.” She was worried about turning into
her mother. Fair enough. But using it as an excuse never to do anything
impulsive meant missing out on the excitement of spontaneity. And yet she’d
done the jump because she’d been hurt that her ex had interpreted her sensible
lifestyle as boring. She wanted to be exciting but was afraid where it might
lead.
    As a man who very much valued his freedom,
he had to battle with the urge to help her discover her impulsive streak.
    He decided to tease her. “So you’ve never
had a one-night stand, then?”
    Her eyes widened. “Honestly. I’ve known you
for less than an hour and you’re asking questions about my sex life.”
    “Just curious.”
    Her lips