A Christmas Together Read Online Free PDF

was ever to insult. “Considering what’s been on your mind, why on earth did you drag me out for a run?”
    “I needed to make sure horniness isn’t clouding my judgment. Exercise helps clear the head.”
    She was beginning to understand why he’d remained single. “It also decreases your chances of success.” Leveling one hand with her temple, she clarified, “The Brennan-battery has a limited charge. If you use it up on a run, there’s not much left for anything else.”
    He rubbed his chin. “You know…Even if you were a dude, I’d still like you.”
    As far as backhanded compliments went, that one was a vast improvement. Keeping a straight face, she deadpanned, “If you were a chick, I’d totally paint your nails.”
    “Is that a good thing?”
    She patted his forearm. “The very best.”
    He looked down at her hand. “But you don’t paint your own nails.”
    “It’s kind of a group activity, and my friends are out of town.” Looking up at him through lowered lashes, she asked, “Want to come up for some coffee?”
    As come-ons went, that one couldn’t have been more blatant.
    He stared at her for a long moment. “I should tell you…My orders came in last night. I’m flying out tomorrow. Not sure when I’ll be back.”
    “Thank God.” She sagged with relief.
    His mouth fell open. “Excuse me?”
    With a grunt, she grabbed his hand and dragged him into her building. This whole song and dance had gotten old. The time had come to put everyone’s cards on the table. “Saves us a lot of awkwardness, don’t you think? Despite your bad attempts at the whole dating thing, you’re basically sniffing around me for some purely physical post-deployment stress relief. I’m cool with it, so you can stop pretending. No-strings sex is more my style than relationships anyway.” She pressed the elevator call button.
    “How many of those have you had?”
    She frowned. “Of what?
    “Sex, with or without strings.”
    Very few, but it was none of his business. It’s not her fault each experiment turned out to have disappointingly boring results. “Enough to spot your type when I see one,” she remarked as they stepped inside. “As I said. Don’t worry, I’m not the clingy type.”
    For some reason, he didn’t seem too happy about her statement. “How can you even be sure I want to jump into bed with you?”
    She glanced at his visible erection before batting her eyelashes. Did men seriously think they weren’t transparent when it came to this stuff? “You kissed me last night, and you dumped an overnight bag in my hallway this morning. Pretty sure you plan on staying until you fly out.”
    The electronic bell chimed, signaling their arrival on her floor. As they stepped out, he scratched his head. “For some reason, I thought you’d be more…traditional.”
    She shrugged. “People mix up nerd with prude—no idea why. You want sex, I want sex. We’re healthy responsible adults who like each other. Trust me, it’s rare for all these factors to exist in the same place at the same time. I’m smart enough to take the next logical step.”
    Reaching her door, she jammed her key into the deadbolt. As she turned the knob and swung the thick wood panel open, he muttered, “What if I’m the clingy one?”
    The unexpected question rooted her to the spot. “Huh?”
    Nudging her inside, he shut them in. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I…umm…want strings. It wouldn’t be fair to jump you without telling you first.”
    Her brain chose this moment to shut down. Heaving a sigh, she slid out of her shoes and focused on the mundane. “I’m too tired to deal with this.” She stepped away from him before turning to sniff his shirt. “And we both need to shower. Feel free to use the guest bathroom.”

Chapter 3
    “How can you own a French press and a burr grinder but not have any coffee?”
    Her hair wet, Brennan padded barefoot across the carpeted room. Her apartment had an open