Happy Ever After Read Online Free PDF Page B

little rattled.”
    “First time I’ve seen you that way. Hold on.”
    He walked to the truck, and while he spoke with his driver she sipped the water and ordered herself to settle down. Everything was fine, just fine.The driver would give her a ride home, and she wouldn’t even be late.Ten minutes home, five minutes to freshen up. She’d give the simple flat tire story after the consult.
    Everything was just fine.
    She looked up as Malcolm walked back and handed her a fire-engine red helmet. “You’ll need this.”
    “Why?”
    “Safety first, Legs.” He put it on her head himself and his grin edged ever so slightly toward smirk. “Cute.”
    “What?” Her eyes popped wide. “If you think I’m getting on that motorcycle—”
    “You want to make your meeting? Keep your rep as Ms. Prompt and Efficient? Rain’s stopped.You won’t even get wet.” Again he reached past her, but this time their bodies bumped. He pulled out again holding her purse. “You’ll want this. Let’s go.”
    “Can’t the driver—can’t he just drop me off ?”
    Mal strapped her purse to the bike, swung a leg over. “You’re not afraid to ride a bike, are you? And for what, about six miles?”
    “Of course I’m not afraid.”
    He put on his helmet, turned on the bike, gave the engine a couple of muscular revs. “Clock’s ticking.”
    “Oh for God’s—” She bit off the words, clipped her way to the bike in her heels, and, keeping her teeth gritted, managed to get a leg over the bike behind him. Her skirt hiked up high on her thighs.
    “Nice.”
    “Just shut up.”
    She felt rather than heard his laugh. “You ever ride a Harley, Legs?”
    “No.Why would I?”
    “Then you’re in for a treat.You’re going to want to hold on. To me,” he added after a beat.
    She put her hands lightly on either side of his waist.
    But when he revved the engine again—she knew damn well he did it on purpose—she swallowed pride and wrapped her arms around him.
    Why, she wondered, anyone would want to drive something so noisy, so dangerous, so—
    Then they were flying down the road, and the wind blew cool and balmy and gorgeous over every inch of her.
    Okay, a thrill, she admitted, and her heart skipped as he leaned into a turn. A terrifying sort of thrill. Like a roller coaster, which was another thing she could admit was exciting without being a necessary experience in a well-rounded life.
    The landscape whizzed by. She smelled the rain, the grass, the leather of his jacket, felt the throb of the bike between her legs.
    Sexual, she admitted. Add arousing to that terrifying thrill. Which was surely the reason people rode bikes.
    When he swung onto her drive, she had to resist flinging her arms up in the air to feel the wind give her palms a slapping high five.
    As he stopped in front of the house, Del came out.
    “Mal.”
    “Del.”
    “Parker, where’s your car?”
    “Oh, I had a flat just down the road. Mal came by. His tow truck driver’s fixing it. I have a consult.”
    Her brother cocked his head, and she saw the corner of his mouth twitch. “Parker.You rode on a motorcycle.”
    “So what?” She tried to ease off gracefully, but the heels and skirt added challenge.
    Mal simply swung off, then plucked her off like a package for delivery.
    “Thank you.Very much. I have to run or—”
    “You’ll be late.” He unstrapped her purse.“You probably don’t want to wear this.”
    He unclipped the helmet, took it off for her.
    “Thank you.”
    “You said that already. A few times.”
    “Well . . .” Uncharacteristically blank, she turned and hurried toward the house.
    She heard Del say, “Come on in and have a beer.”
    And tried not to wince when Mal drawled out a “Don’t mind if I do.”
    Mal followed Del inside, and caught a glimpse of Parker charging up the stairs.The woman had legs, what he thought of as Hollywood legs.
    The rest of her partners—the cool blonde, the raven-haired beauty, the willowy