Winning Dawn Read Online Free Page B

me.” She looked up at him with shiny black lashes decorated with tiny, shiny jewels. “Where’s the dental floss?”
    “Dental floss?”
    “You know, the blond you brought to Kayla’s rehearsal dinner last week.”
    He grinned. So he wasn’t completely invisible to her. “It didn’t work out.”
    “That was quick.”
    “Yeah, I can be pretty decisive. I know what I want and what I don’t want.”
    “Dumped you, huh?”
    He laughed. “Let’s say it was mutual.”
    “Definitely dumped.”
    “I want to fuck you.”
    This time, it was Dawn who stopped abruptly on the dance floor. “Excuse me?”
    He could have bitten his tongue off. He was doing a web search on social graces as soon as he got home. “I didn’t mean it to come out like that.”
    “Just how did you plan to phrase it?”
    He shook his head. He was at a complete loss as to what to say to make this situation better. “May I fuck you, please?”
    “You don’t date much, do you?”
    He pulled her closer and resumed dancing. Josh and Kayla were staring at them. When she gasped, he knew she could feel his erection. “Dawn, you may have noticed that I tend to be brutally honest. I’d like to think it’s a trait we share. I don’t date. I was married once and let’s just say committed relationships don’t work for me. But I’m not a eunuch. And I want you very much.”
    She bit her lip and looked away. When she met his gaze again, there were tears in her brown eyes. “And you thought that since I let one man string me along for fourteen years without the benefit of marriage, now would be the right time to ask me for no strings sex?”
    He really was a clod. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I didn’t mean it that way.” Could he screw this up any worse? He hadn’t given her feelings any consideration. He’d been so thrilled to learn that she was available that he’d immediately moved in to ask for what he wanted. And she was still Kayla’s cousin. This made her his cousin-in-law of sorts. And to think he usually accused Josh of thinking with his dick. “I’m really sorry.” He would have said more, but the music ended and she walked off the dance floor without another word to him.
    Kayla was glaring at him. Josh, the bastard, looked amused. His eyebrows raised, he gestured with a jerk of his head in Dawn’s direction. “Follow her, you dummy,” he mouthed.
     
    * * * *
     
    Dawn checked her makeup in the ladies room mirror. The damage from her crying jag was minimal. Her false lashes were holding strong. She generally didn’t cry at weddings, but she had at this one. Twice. The first time had been when she’d seen the tears in Josh’s eyes as he’d watched her cousin coming down the aisle. Why couldn’t she find a man like that? She was more than a little envious of her cousin. Everything came so easy for her. Kayla was perfect. She’d gone to college and finished. Then, wham , she’s co-owner of a successful business with her gorgeous best friend. Of course, he falls head over heels in love with her and marries her. Dawn loved her cousin, but it was damn difficult living in the shadow of the younger woman sometimes.
    Now, here she was, crying again. Damn Evan. He’d offered her something she wanted, but in the most repugnant way possible. She refreshed her lipstick. Maybe she should have said yes. It’s not as if she’d want any type of committed relationship with him. She’d decided upon her course of action since the breakup with Reggie. She would take time to rediscover herself. She’d concentrate on her work. Maybe take some online courses. Then after six months or so, she’d start dating again and find her Mr. Right. He would be an ambitious, intelligent, employed, supportive and faithful African American male within the age range of thirty-three to forty. She wasn’t asking for much, she thought with a smile at herself in the mirror.
    As she walked out of the restroom, she passed one of the twins that worked