Chased by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders): Trish Ryder Read Online Free PDF

Trish went to use the ladies’ room. When she came back out the car was unlocked, but Boone was nowhere in sight. She had no idea what to make of him, but the more time they spent together, the more curious she became.
    He walked out of the grocery store a few minutes later with a little gray kitten snuggled against his chest, a litter box tucked under his arm, and balancing a full grocery bag against his side. Her heart melted a little at the sight. She took the grocery bag from him and peeked inside. Cat litter, kitten chow, and kitty toys. Toys? She just about liquefied.
    He climbed into the car and settled the kitty on his lap.
    “Did you get lonely?” she asked.
    “Found him wandering around the parking lot. He has no collar, so I went inside and asked around. No one seems to know where he came from.” He lifted the kitty and looked into its tiny little eyes. “I couldn’t just leave him there to starve.”
    “So, you’re keeping him?”
    He put the kitty back in his lap, laying one big hand protectively over his fluffy little body. “Would you rather I gave him to a shelter? They kill animals when they’re not adopted.”
    “No, of course not, but you don’t seem like a kitty type of guy.” She reached over to pet the kitten and their hands touched. Electricity sparked up her arm. He must have felt it, too, because when their gazes met, those sparks had nothing on the blazing heat their connection created.
    She pulled her hand away, a little flustered. “What’re you going to name him?”
    He shrugged as he pulled back onto the road. “Hell if I know.”
    “That’s not a very nice name,” she teased, earning her first-ever true Boone Stryker smile, and she liked it a lot. A whole heck of a lot. She wanted to fan herself. Instead, she rolled down the window and let the cool air wash over her heated skin.
    “Too bad he’s not a Siamese cat,” she teased.
    He laughed.
    Darn it. She should have known she’d like that, too.
    **
    TRISH WAS RIGHT about Boone not being a kitty type of guy, but he also wasn’t the kind of guy who could pass by someone—or something—in need. But he wasn’t about to name it. The minute he did, it would be his forever and would be added to the list of things he needed to worry about. Nope. No name for you, little buddy . He’d find him a good home with someone who had less crap going on in their lives. Maybe he’d give him to his mother or his sister.
    They set out to find the farmhouse. The GPS directed them to a narrow winding road that took them fifteen minutes away from any signs of civilization and forked at a wide creek. Boone stopped at the end of the road, having absolutely no clue which way they should turn, or even if they were in the right place.
    Trish was busy texting, sitting cross-legged on the passenger seat, like she was completely comfortable with herself, which wasn’t at all what he’d expected given how uptight she’d seemed. But then again, he’d expected her to dress the part of an uppity actress, too, and he’d been pleasantly surprised to see her wearing a pair of tattered form-fitting jeans shorts, a black scoop-neck shirt, and sandals. He’d also been surprised by the large colorful tattoo of a butterfly on her left arm just above her elbow and the hint of another tattoo peeking out from the collar of her shirt. They must have covered them with makeup when they were filming. And she definitely hadn’t come across as the type of woman to wear a sexy black and brown leather wrist cuff like she had on today. The one that gave him ideas of other types of cuffs he’d like to see around her wrists.
    “Take your pick,” he said. “Left or right?”
    “It’s a right-handed society, so go that way.” She eyed the sleeping kitten on his lap.
    “Okay, but you should really stop checking out my crotch.”
    “You wish.” She waved her finger toward the kitty. “I’ve seen what you have down there, remember?”
    “Yeah, and I also