A Man for the Summer Read Online Free PDF Page A

made out of what looked like shiny lavender mosquito netting. Underneath was a little white tank top that hugged her breasts and revealed their snug little outline, setting Griff’s pulse racing. Under that was a faded cotton skirt that appeared to be made out of a fifty-year old tablecloth, big pink peonies strewn across the fabric.
    And to top it all off, she was wearing men’s sandals. He was nearly positive. They were big and clunky and black, with thick rubber soles.
    And her toes were painted iridescent shell pink.
    Griff licked his lips, which were suddenly dry, as he took in those toes. Something about them, prim and pale and pink-tipped, in those horrible shoes…
    “Something wrong down there?”
 Junior’s voice, cool and faintly amused, snapped him out of his reverie.
    “Nothing. Just…the floor. They sure like green around here, huh?”
    His two older dining companions laughed. The big one fanned her substantial bosom with a paper menu.
    “Why, yes! And you know the very best thing of all?”
    Griff stifled a sigh and forced himself to look interested.
”I can’t imagine,” he said.
    “It’s run by a family named Green!”
    This was greeted by a round of delighted giggles that even Junior joined in.
    “Thomas Green, his wife Cheryl and their kids—”

    “—remember they wanted to name the little one Olive, you know like ‘olive green’—”
    “But honey I think it was best they stuck to the regular names, though, don’t you? That would have been a little much—”
    Junior’s eyes, when he glanced her way, crinkled at the corners with laughter.
    That made it all worth it.
     
     
    “Now look,” Junior said accusingly. “You’ve made me late.”
    “Me! All I did was sit there. I wasn’t the one who had to check in with every single person in the place.”
    They were walking back to Junior’s office. Lunch hadn’t been half bad, but Griff hadn’t been able to get a word in, the ladies’ conversation being joined frequently by comments from everyone else in the place. Evidently it wasn’t considered the least bit rude around these parts to eavesdrop on anyone you felt like and then throw in your own two cents for good measure.
    Might be something for the book, Griff thought. Local color and all that. But he didn’t much feel like thinking about work.
    “You know, you’re going to have to have dinner with me now,” he said.
    Junior stopped short. Griff anticipated her, though, and placed a hand at the small of her back. She was all motion, energy whizzing around without much in the way of coordination. But somehow she managed to be almost elegant about it.
    He felt her skin jump at his touch, decided he liked getting a reaction from her, and left his hand there.
    “Says who?” she finally managed.
    “Me. That lunch didn’t count.”
    “Didn’t count for what? I thought you wanted to express your gratitude. Well, consider it expressed.”
    “Nope.”
    Griff pressed her a little closer, so they were standing inches apart. “Come on, I felt like an exhibit at the zoo in there. We’ll try again tonight. I’m afraid you’re going to have to cook.”
    Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Damn, it was easy to get under her skin. Griff couldn’t help wondering what she would be like, later, when he slowly unbuttoned that ridiculous blouse, eased his hands up those lean, silky thighs…
    He’d go slow, of course. Keep his mind on what he was doing. It wasn’t about him, much as he would enjoy himself. It was about her. Griff was going to give Junior the gift she so badly wanted.
    It was almost sweet, her tough, brazen exterior. If he didn’t know better he would think she knew her way around men pretty damn well. A virgin!
    Griff had to bite his lip to keep from whistling his opinion of that fact.
    “I won’t be cooking anything tonight. I’ll be reheating something. By myself .”
    “Uh uh, Junior. Come on, I’d do it myself but there’s not a whole lot