Torn Read Online Free

doing
great! “I should text her and let her know
I’ll be home late.” And . . . now you’ve
really made it sound like you want to be gone all night. Crap!
Crap! Crap! “I mean, the movie should take
an hour and a half, right? I’ll probably beat her home, but I’ll
text her anyway.” Good recovery, she sighed, and typed a quick text to
Maggie:
    Catching a movie. Be home
late.
    Katie was surprised there were no
black leather couches or beer cans lying around. Salvador Dali
posters decorating the walls and mismatched furniture confirmed it
was a bachelor pad. A stack of books on Architecture was evidence
that Branson had a roommate, and Katie wondered if he was home. She
walked over to an aquarium and studied the black goldfish with
large eyes. “What kind are these?”
    “ They’re Black Moor
goldfish. Their names are Voldemort and Saruman.”
    “ Clever.”
    “ You know who they
are?”
    “ Of course—the evil
wizards from Harry Potter and Lord of the
Rings .”
    “ Are you kidding me right
now?” Branson said as he looked up. “She knows the classics and she’s
beautiful?”
    Katie’s entire body tensed at his
words. She found a seat on the couch and pretended to fix something
on her shoe, trying to control the urge to smile like a girl with a
mad crush.
    Katie had a difficult time
concentrating on the movie. She wanted to know everything about
Branson from his favorite color to how many children he wanted.
Most of all she wanted to know what his lips felt like against
hers.
    Branson broke the silence. “What kind
of music do you like?”
    “ Hmm?” Katie’s heart raced
as she tried to get her bearings.
    “ Sorry, I’ve seen this
movie a hundred times. I asked what kind of music you
liked.”
    Katie scooted around to face him.
“That’s a hard one—I have a diverse collection—I like classical,
opera, folk rock, R & B . . . I guess I like it all, except
country. What about you?”
    “ I have a wide array of
tastes too, but I do like country music. I mean, you’ve gotta love
Johnny Cash!”
    She nodded in agreement. “He’s the
exception.”
    Branson wound his finger around a
loose thread from the small pillow next to him. “Where did you grow
up?”
    “ I was born in Vermont,
but recently moved to York, Maine. What about you?”
    “ Born and raised in
Austin, Texas, ma’am.”
    “ I thought I detected a
Southern accent.”
    “ Southerners do not have accents. I have
a Texas drawl,” he huffed in mock offense.
    Katie rolled her eyes. “Okay, Mr.
Texas Drawl, what brought you all the way to
Connecticut?”
    “ My father’s business
brought us to New Hampshire just before I started my junior year of
high school, and Yale was the closest and best choice for
college.”
    “ That had to be
hard—leaving all of your friends in Texas.”
    “ It was at first, but I
played sports, so I met people quickly.”
    Katie smiled and
thought, I could talk to him all
night.
    They almost did.
    The cessation of music after the movie
credits finished, interrupted their conversation. “It’s late. I
should get you back to your dorm.”
    As they pulled up to the front of her
building, she paused before getting out of the car. “Thank you for
the coffee and movie.”
    “ Wait.” Branson got out of
the car and jogged around to the passenger side, offering a hand to
help Katie out. “I enjoyed the evening too.” Branson walked her to
the door and softly kissed her cheek. He wanted to pin her against
the wall and smash his lips onto hers, letting his hands roam over
her body, but he restrained himself. Something told him it was
important not to rush her. He watched her reaction, and knew he had
made the right choice in not pushing her.
    A jolt of electricity
touched Katie’s cheek and coursed throughout her body. Visions of
being in his embrace flooded her imagination and brought a heat
wave with it. She felt her cheeks begin to warm in reaction and
quickly turned toward the door. Don’t
crumble