The Kissing Season Read Online Free Page B

met.”
    “And don’t think I don’t remember—” he grinned, which only worked to amplify the heat within her “—but I didn’t get your name.”
    “Hannah. Hannah Elliot.” It wasn’t a sin to give the man her name now, was it?
    “Matteo.” Sarah, blonde like her daughters but not at all as svelte, landed beside them and glowered at her son. “It’s time to go home.”
    Hannah didn’t know what that was all about but she smiled at Sarah anyway. “Hi Sarah. I met your son earlier when—”
    Matt’s voice was loud, overriding her sentence. “In the bakery. Hannah was buying a gingerbread man.”
    She looked at him, confused at his lie but kinda stoked he’d paid enough attention to notice what she’d been eating. “Yes, I must admit a weakness for them at this time of year.”
    “Oh, if you like gingerbread, I’ll drop you round some of my Christmas cookies.” Sarah beamed. “I made a big batch this morning.”
    “That would be lovely,” Hannah replied honestly. After all, she was eating for two, didn’t she deserve a bit of extra sugar?
    “Anyway, we must be going now, come on,
Matteo
.” Sarah had a viselike grip on Matt’s arm and tried to pull him away. The use of his full name made Hannah wonder what he’d done to displease her.
    “Nice seeing you again, Hannah.” Matt nodded and ran his gaze down her body, making her feel as if he had X-ray vision and could see right through the summer maxi dress she wore. Her knees swayed again. “Maybe I’ll see you soon.”
    It was a statement, not a question, and Sarah didn’t appear to like the idea. “I doubt that, Matt. Hannah will be far too busy with the emporium this week.”
    As Sarah practically dragged her son away, Hannah wondered if she should feel insulted. She got the impression Matt’s mum didn’t think Hannah was good enough for her boy, but instead of being offended, she thought it sweet. It probably wasn’t her—Matt was a good-looking man and she guessed he was quite successful in business as well. Like most mothers, Sarah probably didn’t think any woman would make the cut.
    “Who was that?”
    “Is that Sarah Brown’s prodigal son?”
    Laura and Jayne, each carrying a sleepy child in her arms, spoke at the same time.
    Hannah blinked a few times, her gaze still glued to Matt’s retreating behind. His butt looked tight and incredible in those shorts. Man, she was hopeless. Lost cause material. You’d think she’d learn from past mistakes.
    “Earth to Hannah? Did that guy hit on you?”
    “Yes, twice.” Hannah could never lie to her best friends.
    “Then what the hell are you still doing here? Go after him,” Laura commanded.
    “And be sure to take notes so you can tell us all about it in the morning,” Jayne added with a suggestive smile.
    “You two, stop it.” Hannah tried to look stern. Fact was, Laura and Jayne—although totally happy in their marriages—had been living vicariously through her shenanigans for quite some time. She used to send them daily emails when she was circumnavigating the globe. “I told you, I’m sworn off men after Larry.”
    Jayne’s eyes narrowed and she hissed like a wildcat. “I have conflicting feelings about that ex of yours. Half of me doesn’t want to meet him, but the other half of me would love to get him alone, naked, in the salon with a big pot of wax.”
    Hannah sniggered. Jayne owned the beauty salon in town and reckoned the best way to get revenge on a man would be to tie him up and then wax his nether regions.
    Recovering from her own giggles, Laura said, “Jayne’s right. You can’t let Larry the Loser ruin your life. You deserve good sex as much as the rest of us.”
    Why was Matt synonymous with good sex all of a sudden?
    “Hey, the blame can’t lie solely on Larry’s shoulders,” Hannah said defensively. Although if they knew the truth, they’d likely take a shotgun to her ex-husband’s head. “He was just the final nail in the coffin, but I