Homeless Heart Read Online Free PDF

“I’m sorry. It would be a mistake for both of us.”
    “Yeah, that’s what you say,” Nina bit back, her tone icy. “How dare you draw that conclusion for me,” she said with glaring eyes.
    “I’m sorry, Nina.” Drake shook his head. “The marriage would involve both of us…I guess that’s something you’re not thinking about.”
    “Fuck you, Drake Larson!”
    “Your daddy might be able to give you everything you want, but that doesn’t mean everyone else can, or will,” Drake told her, thrusting his chin at her. The slight blade of guilt he’d felt scoring into him the last few days turned to anger.
    “This is just great!” Nina yelled. Her eyes skirted around the room. Drake stepped back, thinking she might throw one of her many souvenirs at him. “How dare you embarrass me?” Her tone went cold, freezing him to the bone, that last chill he’d feel.
    “You don’t need me to do that,” Drake said. He chuckled dryly. “You do that all by yourself.” He couldn’t contain the grin that tugged on his lips. He’d never been malicious, but it was getting to be quite entertaining. “I’m being honest. Please don’t crucify me for that,” he told her, his tone softening around his words. “This is really for the best. You’ll thank me later.”
    “Fuck off,” Nina seethed. She spun and grabbed her purse off the bar and stormed past him, asphyxiating him with one last gust of her pricy perfume.

Chapter Nine
     
    The hot water rejuvenated her as it ran in torrents down her body. Kelly lathered her hair until the suds stuck out of her head like meringue. Steve was washing their clothes. Aside from a much-needed shower and clean clothes, it’d been an uneventful day.
    The air held an unfamiliar daytime chill, the sky a clear, iridescent blue. Last night still plagued her thoughts. Steve’s words kept swimming around her brain. What would a man like him want with me? It was all absurd.
    Kelly reluctantly turned off the taps and toweled off. She could’ve stayed in the steamy stall all day. After tugging her clothes back on over moist skin, Kelly was just finishing drying her hair over the hand dryer when she heard Steve whistle for her. She combed her fingers through strands of hair that felt deliciously clean and then tied it back into a high ponytail.
    Rounding the corner out of the communal bathroom, Kelly saw Steve sitting on a bench with their sack of laundry between his feet. His blond hair was wet and slicked back. The sun’s rays hit his smoothly shaven cheeks. Steve had that glamorous edge to his looks. With the right hair products and clothes, he’d look great on the runway alongside Kate Moss.
    “Felt great, didn’t it?” Steve asked, grinning.
    “Oh yeah,” Kelly laughed. “I was tempted to tell you to just leave me here.” She elbowed him playfully.
    “Not a chance. We gotta get down to the consignment store. I saw a two-man tent there a few days ago,” Steve said, his eyes lowering to hers. “Amy told me if she didn’t sell it, she’d give to me. You’re gonna need some type of shelter soon.”
    “What about you? How do you prepare for the winter?” Kelly halted her footsteps, needing to see his eyes. Steve rubbed his silken cheek, avoiding her probing stare.
    “Don’t worry about me.” Steve waved a hand. “This is old hat for me.” He smiled.
    “No.” Kelly’s voice grew loud. “I’m tired of all this vague crap. Stop making me your project,” she shot back.
    Steve’s hand rested on her shoulder, his tone soft. “Kel, I got places I can go, places with heat, but it’s like the arrangement that you and Sam have…I can’t bring anybody else in,” Steve explained. “Now we’re getting you that damn tent, so knock it off with all the independent, womanly heroics, will ya?” He frowned.
    “I think if it gets really cold, I may have to sleep in the restroom on the floor,” Kelly admitted, her tone lowered.
    “At least you’ll have heat,”