Going All In Read Online Free PDF

was an incredible friend who constantly reassured her there wasn’t anything wrong with her, that some things just weren’t meant to be. He’d repeated it often enough she’d started to believe him, and then he helped her restore her faith in herself and rebuild her self-esteem. She was still a work in progress, but she was light-years ahead of where she’d been two years ago.
    While Jason had been, and remained, a great friend, they didn’t have the chemistry necessary for sustaining a romantic relationship. Part of that stemmed from her belief he was just plain too nice. As ridiculous as that sounded, even to herself, she wanted someone with more layers, not someone who always wore a million-watt smile because they never had a bad day. She wanted someone like Gavin, who was mostly content but wasn’t afraid to show emotion when pissed off or frustrated… Because face it, life wasn’t always perfect.
    It took her a while to figure out exactly what she wanted, but she’d recently realized the elusive quality she sought was passion. Someone who displayed a passion for life, but more importantly, a passion for her. A man whose look could sear her… or heal her, whichever she needed at the time.
    “Hey, you okay?”
    Wade’s voice, softer than usual and laced with concern, startled her and broke her dashboard stare. He had his keys in his hand, ready to exit the truck, and she hadn’t even noticed they’d stopped. Jeez, now who was zoning out?
    “Yeah, I’m fine.” Pleased to hear the lie sounded believable, she added a quick-flash smile for emphasis.
    Ready to escape her thoughts and the painful emotions they dredged up, she grabbed her purse, shoved the door open, and bolted for the safety of the restaurant. However, as Wade quietly followed her inside and paid for lunch, her uneasiness grew. Her mind began processing this as a date, which wasn’t only ridiculous, but dangerous.
    Wade was dangerous.
    From all she knew of him and had seen, not just today, but since their first meeting, he had wide and deep layers like she’d been searching for. He wasn’t afraid to express his opinion; over the past year, he’d made his extreme dislike for her crystal clear. His alpha nature reeked of sexual prowess and confidence that drew her to him like a curious kitten creeping up on the elusive and ever-changing light of a laser pointer. And she didn’t doubt for a second his intensity carried through in everything he did, from his job to his play to his personal relationships.
    Which made him completely out of her league.
    Besides, they’d just barely started being civil toward each other, and she still wasn’t sure exactly what his sidelong glances—the ones that started at her toes and ended at her mouth—meant.
    However, if he didn’t eat like an animal and continued to be kind, she knew she’d find herself lying in bed, tossing and turning and conjuring all sorts of wild fantasies about him, because that’s what she did when she was attracted to someone.
    And, unfortunately, no man had ever lived up to the hype.
    *
    It had been nearly twenty-four hours since Wade last ate, and it took every ounce of willpower not to go face down on the butcher block table and scarf up his bacon cheeseburger and Cajun fries like the starving Georgia Bulldog he was at heart. But rather than give in to his gluttonous urge, he forced himself to slow down, keep his face off the table, and use his hands like the well-mannered man his mama raised.
    However, even on his best behavior, he still finished his meal in half the time of Callie.
    Damn, that was a great burger.
    He wiped his mouth with his napkin, balled it up, and dropped it on the grease-laden burger wrapper, then stretched his legs out so his feet slid under her side of the booth.
    Fifteen minutes… just fifteen minutes of shuteye would knock off the lingering effects of the tequila and beer. And oh yeah, don’t forget the friggin’ apple pie moonshine. He rubbed