UNEXPECTED compile Read Online Free Page A

pocket had fallen into the mud puddle at their feet. He frowned and retrieved the pack, water dripping from the cellophane wrapper. With an expression of resignation, he tossed it into the trash. One of his large hands scrubbed through the bristly copper hair atop his head. The scar tissue of an angry jagged slash snaked from jaw to collarbone. How had she missed that before? He shifted slightly as if to block it from her view. She averted her eyes, trying to look anywhere but at him.
    “I’ll be fine,” she said, to convince herself as much as him. The shock of seeing Jerome and the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach might never go away. “What are you doing out here anyway?”
    “Just enjoying the smog and the heat,” he said dryly. “You look like you’re going to puke. Do you need to sit down? Maybe we should go inside…”
    “No!” The protest burst from her lips. The last place she wanted to be was inside with Jerome and his wife. “I mean, thanks, but no. I just need a breath of fresh air and then I’m going to catch the bus home.”
    Silence expanded between them until she looked up at him.
    “I’ll walk you to the bus stop then. You shouldn’t be out here alone. Especially in that getup.” The dark eyes crawled over the swell of her breasts, skimmed the strip of bare belly below the band of her tank, and flitted over the tiny kilt, white knee socks, and black shoes. When his gaze at last dragged to her face, the approval was evident but tempered by the kindness in his eyes. Her cheeks flushed at the unspoken compliment.
    “I do it all the time. It’s no big deal.” She waved an airy hand through the air. “But I appreciate the offer.”
    “People are twisted. You can never be too careful.” He shoved his hands into his pockets as if unsure what to do with them and gave her a flicker of a smile. “Ally would be really pissed if she knew I let you walk by yourself. And honestly, I’m a little afraid of her.”
     
     
     
     

 
     
    CHAPTER 3
     

     
    The route to the bus stop passed through a wooded park, thick with brush and aged trees. Although street lamps lit the sidewalks with golden pools of light, the dark shadows of the park remained deep and mysterious. At Randy’s insistence, they walked down the center of the deserted street. His vigilance caused the hair on the back of her neck to prickle. She swallowed hard, forcing along the lump of nerves caught in her throat, and tucked her purse into the crook of her arm.
    They walked side by side without speaking, the quiet broken only by the rustle of leaves and branches. The occasional brush of his bare arm against hers sent tingles of gooseflesh over her skin. He was close enough to see the rise and fall of his chest with each breath, to smell the musk of masculine perspiration mingled with testosterone and shower gel. She took a delicate sniff. Even his sweat smelled good.
    Randy broke the silence first. “You handled that pretty well,” he said. “I think I would have punched the guy in the nuts.”
    “Really?” She arched an eyebrow in his direction, secretly pleased with his praise. “I wanted to punch him in the nuts. I still might,” she added. He laughed.
    More silence ensued, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. With his hands in his jean pockets, he had an easy air about him, as if they were old friends taking a stroll. The moonlight highlighted the strong lines of his profile, a bold forehead, straight nose with a slight bump at the bridge, and an angular jaw. They were fierce, masculine features like those of an ancient warrior passed on through generations. Every inch of him exuded confidence and capability, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he was as capable in bed.
    “So what’s with the water and lemon, anyway?” Not liking the direction of her thoughts so soon after an encounter with Jerome, she changed the subject. “Are you on the wagon or something? Dieting?”
    “Hell, no.” A deep throaty chuckle