A Heart Not Easily Broken (The Butterfly Memoirs) Read Online Free PDF Page A

face felt crimson. I took a moment to clear the expression on my face before grabbing three cold bottles of water out of the refrigerator and walking outside.
    I surveyed the yard while offering him a bottle. “It looks good.”
    “It sure does.”
    I glanced at him. He didn’t hide the fact his gaze started at my bare legs and slowly traveled back up. His expression made his thoughts apparent. I started to open my mouth and comment, until our eyes met. His gaze sent a warm tingle along my skin, reminding me of the way I felt when he held my hand. 
    “Thanks for the water,” he added, before whistling to get the other workers’ attention.
    Try as I might, it was impossible to keep my eyes off his body when his back was to me. I took the opportunity to peek at his tattoos again. Standing this close, I could make out a little more of the intricate design. To truly see it, I would have to get close, so close I could…
    I looked up to find his lips tilted in a lopsided grin. Damn, busted again.
    Not wanting him to think I was impressed, I forced my face to stay blank. “How much is it going to cost?” It was impossible to ignore the laugher hidden in those gorgeous blue orbs.
    Brian took long draws of water, apparently in no rush to answer my question. I forced my eyes to stay on his and ignore the fact that sweat should not look so good.
    “I haven’t decided yet.”
    I frowned. “What do you mean? You’ve been here for nearly an hour.”
    He shrugged, pulled a rag from his pocket, wiped his face, and then dragged the thing down his chest. I automatically followed the movement before snapping my eyes back to his. A slow grin spread across his face.
    “It depends.”
    “On what?”
    “On how honest you’re going to be with me.”
    I clamped my jaw tight while crossing my arms, fighting the irritation building. Brian apparently thought he could do or say anything to get his way. He did it when buying me a drink at the club. He’d done it when assuming I’d meet him in VIP. Now this.
    My lack of a sex life and unexplained physical attraction to him made my irritability worse.
    “Honest about what?” I ground out.
    Brian’s eyes flashed with humor as he finished off the last of his water. “Why didn’t you meet me the other night? I looked for you, waited around thinking maybe you got stuck in the bathroom.” He crossed his arms, taking a wide stance. “Nothing. Not a note, not a message left with security. You just disappeared.”
    Realization hit me. “You’re going to charge me more because I didn’t hook up with you?”
    “Hey, don’t put words in my mouth. I haven’t decided what to charge. That’s not the same thing.”
    “Okay, so what you really mean is if you like my answer, I’ll get a discount. If you don’t, then you’re going to screw me.”
    Brian’s mischievous smile caused me to suck my teeth. Bad choice of words.
    “Overcharging my customers is not good for business.” He chuckled. “Besides, offering a discount would be an incentive for you to answer the question and not avoid it the same way you avoided me.” He paused to unhook the weed whacker’s strap from around his neck and set it on the ground. He rolled his neck and shoulders then crossed his arms and resumed his wide-legged stance.
    I glanced down and noticed the slight bow in his muscular legs. Damn, he looked good.
    “Brian.” I forced myself to stare at the men bagging lawn clippings. “I went home.”
    “Obviously. Why didn’t you stick around? You could have left your number if you needed to leave.”
    Brian regarded me intently while waiting for my reply. His scrutiny made me nervous.
    I took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before blowing it out. “Why do you care? There were plenty of women ready to jump at the opportunity to be with you. Why are you interested in me?”
    “Why not? I’ve seen most of those women before.” He laughed at my screwed up facial expression. “That didn’t