Before That Night: Unfinished Love Series: Caine & Addison, Book 1 Read Online Free PDF

‘settle down,’ before he’d headed on over to the station for his shift.
    “Fine,” he amended. “I just don’t like to sleep; I prefer to stay up as long as I can.”
    “That’s what she said,” she quipped with a wickedly winged eyebrow, before jolting to a stop in her tracks, eyes blinking in surprise. Shaking her head, she lamented dramatically, “Oh no, I’m starting to sound like you.”
    He grinned. “You’re welcome.”
    Smothering back an amused smile, she hopped up onto the empty stool next to him to stick up another collage of colorful Easter eggs on the wall.
    And swear to God, Caine felt his brain blitz out for a second or two.
    The woman was a petite little thing. But she had curves for days. He’d never once seen her in anything other than a ‘Joe’s Diner’ t-shirt and some worn jeans. Regardless of how much she downplayed it though, a man would have be blind not to appreciate that naturally feminine hourglass figure of hers.
    …Which was currently inches from his face.
    Good lord.
    “So back to Max,” she broke into his thoughts, clearly oblivious to her effect on him. “You mentioned before I got slammed with the dinner rush that you’re not totally on board with your brother’s plans to start his own business. You think he’s making a bad decision?” she asked quizzically as she wobbled a bit to try and reach a spot about a foot beyond her reach.
    His hands shot out automatically to grab her waist and steady her.
    It took all his energy and effort not to flex his fingers into her soft, pillowy hips.
    What in the world were they talking about again?
    “Thanks. I’m okay now.” She finished taping up the eggs and blushed from the apples of her cheeks to the tips of her ears when he picked her up off the stool and gently settled her down on the ground. “Um, yeah. Again, thanks for the assist.” Quick as a skittish kitten, she scurry-shuffled back behind the counter.
    Meanwhile, Caine felt like his entire body was drifting in slow-motion—his brain especially, which was taking its sweet time un-fuzzing. Jesus, she’d felt good in his arms.
    Dude, she’s asking you another question.
    “…So you think he should keep on designing video games instead?”
    Oh right, they were talking about his brother.
    That was definitely a safer topic to focus on, though not nearly as interesting as trying to figure out if that faint scent of raspberries was coming from her soft, sun-kissed skin, or that silky, tumbling mass of mahogany waves she wore up in a long, no-nonsense ponytail every day.
    Cheeks no longer flushed pink, Addison soon had her serene, almost zen-like grace wrapped all around her again as she finished gluing on some fluffs of plastic neon green grass on a coloring book image of an Easter basket she’d printed off the internet. Sounding as puzzled as she had when he’d first expressed his concerns over his brother’s new career aspirations, she gave him a questioning glance. “I figured you of all people would think it’s great that your brother wants to start his own security business. Isn’t that right up your alley?”
    Finally, his brain was functioning enough again to answer. “I do think it’s great.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he tried to turn all his jumbled feelings on the matter into words. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad that Max has found something he’s passionate about. From what I hear, there’s a steady stream of some high-paying people who go to my folks’ antique arms shop just to hire Max to install all his fancy security systems in their homes. Frankly, he’d be crazy not to start his own business.”
    “Buuut?” she prompted.
    What was it about her that made him want to open up and bare his innermost thoughts, share his soul?
    “The ‘but’ of the matter is that he’s wanting my brother Gabe and I to work with him.”
    She shrugged. “Again, that sort of sounds like a great idea. You’re a cop; you can see the security