Crash and Burn Read Online Free PDF Page A

beautiful she looked. He admitted it bugged him not because she had a date, but because she was going a date with someone other than him. He needed a pit stop to gather his thoughts.
    He grumbled as he went in the house and walked up the stairs. It never crossed his mind she might have a boyfriend–someone to occupy her Friday nights. Someone who would kick his ass for the thoughts swirling around in his mind.
    He felt his way down the hallway to his new room. When he nudged the door open, light from the street shown on two lumps in the bed.
    He pressed his lips together, debating whether to protest his rightful place in the comfy bed or not bother the sleeping couple. One lump was his wife, but it wasn’t as if the marriage was in any way other than a shared name.
    He sighed and stepped back, shutting the door silently. It wasn’t worth the trouble tonight. He’d already stirred the pot, as Grace had pointed out.
    When he’d been in Grace’s room earlier he’d seen an extra bed, so he closed the door to Divina’s room and headed down the hall. He was sure to hear about his decision tomorrow, but for now he needed the day to end. He stripped off everything except his tighty-whities. It was a compromise from how he generally slept, which would not soothe Grace’s sensibilities if she saw him in the morning.
    Maybe he’d have his RV brought over for good. He could sleep in the driveway. On second thought, he cursed his lack of foresight, the press would find him in the driveway, not in bed with his new bride. Bad idea. Sighing deeply, he shut his eyes.
    “What the hell?” he grunted. He was sure he’d only closed his eyes a few minutes ago, but the strange orange light coming through the window hinted otherwise.
    He felt another stabbing pain in his side, exactly like the one that had woken him. Squinting one eye open, he looked in the direction of the offense.
    “What are you doing in my room?” Grace hissed, poking him again with what appeared to be a ski pole.
    “Knock it off,” he said, reaching out and effortlessly taking the stick from her with a flick of his wrist. He opened his other eye.
    “What time is it?”
    “Time for you to get out of my room.” She stood over him with her arms crossed, her hair a wild, out-of-control mess and her eyes still sleepy.
    “What time is it?” he tried again.
    “Six.”
    “As in six-in-the-morning?”
    “Yes,” she said. There was delight in her one word.
    “I need to sleep a bit longer,” he said.
    “We are not sharing this room. Divina said you would be on the couch.”
    He groaned and tried to shield his lower regions from her.
    “Stop being a baby,” she said.
    He looked up at her. “Remember what I said about my jammies?”
    She narrowed her eyes. She remembered, because all of a sudden she glanced down to the part of him covered by the sheet.
    He chuckled. “That’s right, sweetheart. Unless you want a show, then I suggest you give me a few more minutes.”
    She scrunched up her face. “You want to jerk off here in my room.”
    It was his turn to be shocked. She looked almost amused by his reaction to her words. He’d guess words like “jerk off” didn’t cross her lips often. Actually he’d hope she would stop talking altogether and climb into bed with him.
    “Grace, please give me a moment,” he begged for the second time in twelve hours.
    She spun on her heels and left the room without a word.
    “Thanks,” he called out.
    * * * *
    “Your husband is in my room,” Grace told Divina a few minutes later in the kitchen.
    “So?”
    Grace had not slept well and finding Stone in her room had created a poor start to her Friday. “It can’t happen. You married him. You should have to sleep with him.”
    “Where would Hank sleep?” she asked with no trace of humor in her voice.
    “Not in my room,” Grace said.
    “See,” Divina said, trying to get her to agree. “You and Stone are guests in our house. You should share the guest room.