Almost Like Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

your legs.
    If any other man said that, she’d assume it was a come-on . . . or else that he was overcompensating for something.
    But neither of those scenarios applied to Ian. He’d made it clear that he wasn’t coming on to her, and she had a feeling he didn’t have to overcompensate for anything.
    Not that she’d ever be in a position to verify that, of course.

    Did Kate have any idea how hot and bothered she’d made him?
    He doubted it.
    He’d always known she was clueless when it came to the practical side of life, and apparently that included dealing with men. Which was why he’d pushed her to let him take her home. She was like an angelfish swimming in shark-infested waters, and he couldn’t count on the next guy who hit on her being like Arthur . . . or him.
    Not that he was usually so noble. But Kate had had a lousy day, thanks in part to him, and she’d been drinking. That was the only reason he felt so protective of her.
    It was guilt, plain and simple. Guilt and basic human decency, not to take advantage of a vulnerable woman.
    He had a sudden, visceral memory of Kate’s body against his.
    Sweet Christ. If it weren’t for guilt and decency, he wouldn’t even wait to get her home tonight. He’d drag her into a dark corner right here in the club, slide his hands under that tight little skirt, and—
    A loud honk brought him out of his heated fantasy.
    He’d almost walked into the street. Now he took a step back and looked around, spotting Stephen’s Harley a few doors down.
    By the time Kate came out of the club, he was waiting for her at the curb. Her eyes lit up when she saw the beautiful machine, and he couldn’t help smiling at her enthusiasm.
    The air had turned cool for a May evening. When Kate came up beside him, he pulled off his leather jacket and laid it across her shoulders.
    “Thanks,” she said, looking surprised and grateful as she put her arms through the sleeves. Then he handed her a helmet.
    “This is my first time on a motorcycle,” she confessed as she put it on. “I’ve always wanted to ride one.”
    “Of course you have. All right-minded people want to ride a motorcycle.”
    She started to climb on, and then hesitated. “I’m wearing a miniskirt,” she said. “Doesn’t this have the potential to be a little indecent?”
    He shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry about it. I’ll be facing front, so I won’t see anything—and that jacket’s long enough to hide you from the rest of the world.”
    She thought about it for a moment and then nodded, swinging a leg over the passenger seat and settling in behind him, putting her hands lightly on his shoulders.
    “You’ll probably want to hang on a little tighter than that,” he said.
    He wasn’t really concerned that she’d fall off—he wasn’t planning to go that fast. But with a woman like Kate on his bike, he’d be a fool not to get her as close as possible.
    He reached back to move her hands from his shoulders to his waist. Then he revved the engine, smiling to himself when her grip tightened instinctively.
    “Where to, ma’am?”
    “Seventy-Seventh between Columbus and Central Park West.”
    His eyebrows went up a trifle. That was a pretty swanky address. She lived on the Upper West Side near the Museum of Natural History, across the park from his even swankier address on the Upper East Side.
    “Okay, here we go. All set back there?”
    “Yes.”
    A lot of years had passed since he’d been on a bike, but it wasn’t something he’d ever forget. As he pulled out into traffic, he found himself smiling—partly from the pleasure of being on a Harley again, and partly from the sensation of Kate’s body molded to his, her breasts pressed against his back and her arms around his waist.
    It took him twenty minutes to get uptown, which wasn’t too bad for a Friday night. He didn’t hurry, either. It was a beautiful night, and he wasn’t in a rush for the ride to end.
    Or to say goodbye to Kate.
    As he turned