Bound by Their Kisses Read Online Free PDF Page B

then let it go.
    “Sounds like both of you have good heads on your shoulders,” he said.
    “How did you end up here?” Zander asked.
    Tessa was having a really hard time concentrating with Zander’s arm around her. His scent was getting to her. She wanted to lean into him and let him hold her for a few minutes, safe from the world and all the things she worried about. But that was folly. He was one of the very things that kept her up at night.
    “Just where I ended up. I’ve been moving around for a few years. Didn’t want to live back home after Mom and Dad were gone, and Chicago isn’t for me. My aunt is living with her daughter in Skokie now anyway. I was never very close to Sandy. I just kept moving until I ended up here, and I like it. The people are nicer than a lot of places I’ve lived.” She closed her mouth, hating that she’d somehow dropped the fortress she’d built around her past and shared it with Tag and Zander of all people.
    “We’re pretty pleased you like it here, too, kitten. I can promise you this. Nearly every man in this town would drop everything if you needed help. You can count on all of them to keep you safe. Don’t ever forget that,” Zander told her, a serious expression on his normally relaxed face.
    “I won’t,” she promised without thinking.
    Everything seemed to drift around her as she listened to the muted sounds of kids playing on the other side of the hedges. The picnic they’d prepared had caught her by surprise. No one had ever spent so much time trying to impress her or do anything special for her. They’d gone out of their way to create a little getaway where she could relax and not have to worry about anything. They’d even secured a longer lunch hour for her to spend there. How could she continue to resist their advances when they treated her like she was special? To them, maybe she really was.
    It wasn’t like she couldn’t change her mind and walk away if they started making demands she wasn’t comfortable with. What could it hurt to just see where things led? She wanted them and wasn’t going to deny it to herself anymore. The problem became how to explore their attraction to each other without giving in to anything they wanted even when it wasn’t something she wanted. Falling in love happened whether a person wanted it to or not, but falling under someone’s spell could be prevented. At least she hoped it could be.
    Tessa shook her head as if shaking off a spell and started to get up again. This time Zander let her move, and his arm dropped away from her waist.
    “I really should get back. Thanks for lunch. It was really nice.” It sounded so blasé, but she really didn’t know what else to say.
    “It was our pleasure.” Zander stood up as well.
    When she started to walk off, he captured her wrist and pulled her back toward him. She was so startled that she didn’t even try to pull her arm free of his light grip. Instead, she found herself surrounded by him and Tag, cocooned between the two men like a child wrapped in a blanket.
    “Before I walk you back,” Zander began, “we need to talk about tomorrow night.”
    “What? What about tomorrow night?” Tessa was afraid of what they were going to say.
    “We want to take you out, Tessa. How about we pick you up about six thirty? Will that give you time to wind down and relax some after work?” Zander asked.
    “I–I really don’t think it’s a good idea for us to see each other. I’m really not interested in dating anyone at all right now.” She stared at his chest because it was easier than looking into those amazing blue eyes of his. They seemed to be able to see inside of her and figure out what she was thinking.
    “Baby girl, it’s a very good idea. We’ll take good care of you. Just give it a chance. We’d never force you into anything you don’t want, Tessa. I’d hoped you would know that by now,” Tag said, his voice rough as if some emotion was clogging his throat.
    She