Deal of a Lifetime Read Online Free PDF Page A

daddy?”
    “Well, sorta, Nancy has lots of fun with her daddy. But I really want a baby brother. Aunt Sarah says I can’t have one unless I have a daddy.”
    Tam smiled. “Aunt Sarah’s right. No baby brothers unless you have a daddy.”
    “Then will you find me one?”
    “This is important to you, isn’t it?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’ll see what I can do.”
    “Thank you, Mommy. I love you.”
    “I love you too.” Tam made three loud smacking kisses into the phone, then placed the handset back in the cradle.
    “If that was your boyfriend, I hope you told him it’s over.”
    Tam jolted from the bed and turned. Con leaned negligently in the open doorway. She placed a hand over her racing heart. Had she forgotten to shut the door? How long had been there? “I didn’t hear you come in.”
    “No, you didn’t. You were too busy throwing kisses at your telephone lover.” He stalked her. Danger glittered in his eyes.
    She backed away. Thank heaven! He didn’t know who’d been on the other end of the line. Whatever else he might imagine didn’t matter. “Think what you like. My kisses are no concern of yours.”
    He crowded her toward the wall. “I disagree. Your kisses are very much my concern.”
    “Your disagreement is irrelevant.” She waved a hand, hitting the wall as she backed into it.
    “Let me demonstrate.”
    His voice rasped her nerves, and his face consumed her vision. His body’s heat swamped her. The spicy citrus tang of his aftershave and a deeper, more elemental scent teased her. Afraid to look in his eyes, she stared at his mouth. The urge to taste him nearly overwhelmed her, and she bit her lower lip in self-defense. A shallow breath narrowed the too-small space between them. Any closer and her breasts would caress his chest. She felt dizzy, shivery, and hot at the same time.
    “Tam.”
    She felt his breathy whisper in her toes. Afraid not to look at him, she met his heated gaze.
    “Kiss me.”
    “No.” Yes . Unable to resist she shifted her head the tiniest bit. Her lips brushed across his.
    Con followed that small hope, pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth. He touched his tongue to her sensitive skin, and she moaned, opening for him. Sweet. So very sweet. Tam, everything he ever wanted, and all he ever needed.
    Passion arced between them, her body sinking into his. Her hands clutching his arms, he longed to pull her to him. He couldn’t let her go, but he had to, for now. He had to regain her trust, get rid of the armor of denial that she hid behind, or he’d lose her all over again, and that might kill him.
    He lifted his head, looking into her kiss-glazed eyes.
    “Con?”
    Never had his name sounded so much like wonder and want. He stroked her shining curls. He forced his hands away and stepped back. He knew he wore a dopey grin, but he couldn’t help it. He felt higher than the Tetons. “I’ll meet you downstairs. You might want to fix your lipstick.”
    As Con left the room, his ego kicked him. Idiot! You couldn’t tell her she was beautiful. All you could say was “ fix your lipstick.”
    I was trying to be considerate , his conscience argued.
    Yeah, right. I never should have left the room. I should have taken Tam to bed and spent the next three days there. Hell, she was willing.
    She would never forgive me for trying to manipulate her with sex. Sex is all we’ll have unless we resolve our differences. I want more. I want everything, but sacrificing Tam’s confidence isn’t the way to get it.
    He entered the elevator wondering how Tam would fare with Buddswell. Con had known the man for five years. Buddswell’s reputation as a womanizer was richly deserved and as legendary as the snack food king’s short-lived pro-basketball career. Their host deserved watching. Until Con was certain Tam returned his feelings, he didn’t want her going one on one with Buddswell.

Chapter Three
    Standing near the bar, Con saw Tam step inside the wide double doors that opened