Dare to Touch Read Online Free PDF Page A

what it looks like.” Dylan, obviously upset, met her gaze. “I went to see an ex-girlfriend. We’re friends .”
    Yeah, Olivia thought. She’d heard all that before. Like when she’d questioned how much time Jeff, her college boyfriend, had spent with his teaching assistant. We’re friends . And when she’d caught them huddled together… It’s not what it seems . And when she’d gone to tell him that she was pregnant, he’d been with said assistant, legs tangled, clothes off… They obviously hadn’t been doing homework. She’d learned to ask questions much earlier and to look further than what she wanted to believe.
    Olivia blew out a long breath. Listen and don’t jump to conclusions, she warned herself, but even years later, it was hard.
    “Look, we haven’t really been together since high school. She’s been having some boyfriend problems and asked if we could talk, so when you canceled lunch, I went over there.” He shrugged. “She works at an elementary school nearby. She teaches kindergarten,” he added, unnecessarily, in Olivia’s mind.
    “I see.” She bit down on her lower lip, worrying it with her teeth.
    “I can tell by your tone of voice that you don’t see. At all.”
    She folded her arms across her chest, using any defensive mechanism she could to keep him out. Because he’d gotten to her with that kiss. He’d slid his tongue into her mouth, and she’d forgotten all about that heavy floral fragrance she’d noticed when he’d leaned in—before overwhelming her completely.
    “How much of an ex is she?” she asked. “I mean, while you’re trying to pursue me and convince me to give you a chance, just how good a friend is this woman you went to see?”
    He held her gaze, telling her either he was a pro at lying or he had nothing to hide.
    He rubbed at his goatee. “Like I said, we’ve known each other since high school. We went out back then, split up for college, and when we both moved back here, we thought about getting back together, but it just … wasn’t there anymore. So we’re friends. And that’s it.”
    She blew out a long breath. “Right.”
    “What’s that mean?”
    “It means I’ve heard that ‘we’re just friends’ line before.”
    “Hell, Olivia, do you really think I could kiss you that way and still want someone else?”
    She blinked and shook her head, forcing herself to be in the present and not the past. She really gave his words thought and blew out a long breath.
    “I try not to be the kind of woman who jumps to conclusions.” Although her life experience had given her good reason to do just that.
    “Then don’t.” He stepped forward, more hesitantly than he’d done earlier.
    She nodded, knowing he was right. But that didn’t mean she liked what had just happened. Or how it made her feel. She had no right to be jealous about Dylan or anyone in his life, but the fact remained, she had been. And that meant what she felt for him, or could feel, was more than just casual. The very reason she’d been ignoring his push for more between them. Because the potential for getting serious about him was there. And that heightened the possibility of being hurt.
    “So … dinner tonight?” he asked.
    She shook her head slowly. “I’m busy,” she lied, forcing the rejection out of the same mouth that wanted to kiss him again.
    He eyed her through a narrowed, knowing gaze. “Yeah, right. I’ll be over around seven. I’ll bring the food. See you then.” He turned and headed for the door.
    “Dylan!”
    “Yes?” He turned and leaned against the doorframe, looking too damned sexy and appealing, making it hard for her to resist him.
    She could still feel the scruff from his goatee on the sensitive skin around her mouth. She lifted her fingers to touch her lips, caught herself, and dropped her hand.
    “You can’t just tell me what you’re going to do and expect me to do it.”
    He cocked his head to one side. “No, under ordinary