Hope Smolders Read Online Free PDF Page A

kids.
    After dinner, the kids were sent to their rooms to do homework, and he and Jane sat in the living room.
    “How are your parents doing?” Jane asked.
    “They’re great. Enjoying retirement in Florida.”
    “I’ll bet visiting them is nice.”
    “It is, when I get a chance to go down there. But they’re happy and Dad loves the condo. He says he doesn’t miss mowing the lawn.”
    She laughed. “I’ll bet. It’s not one of my favorite things, either, as you can probably tell from the prairie in my front yard. I really need to get to that.”
    “Well, you do have a lot on your plate.”
    “Speaking of plates, thanks for bringing pizza tonight. You didn’t have to.”
    He noticed she shifted the topic when he brought up how overwhelmed she was. “You’re welcome. I wanted to. Normally I go home to my empty apartment. Trust me, this was way more fun.”
    “Oh, sure it was.”
    He shifted on the sofa so he was fully facing her. “You think I’m lying? You have great kids, Jane. Very polite and animated and fun to talk to. You should be proud of them.”
    She looked down for a second, then back at him. “Thank you. They’re everything to me. My whole life. Which is why I can’t go out with you.”
    He cocked a brow. “You can’t go out because of your kids?”
    “I have to see to their welfare.”
    “Not twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. What about your welfare?”
    She swallowed. “There’ll be time for me. Someday.”
    He grasped her hand, and the surge of electricity between them hit him hard. He didn’t know if Jane felt it, but judging from the way her eyes widened and her lips fell open, he’d say she did.
    “Someday is now, Jane. It’s been two years. It’s time you get out and have a little fun.”
    She inhaled and let it out on a shaky sigh. “I shouldn’t.”
    “Give me a good reason why not.”
    She opened her mouth, and before she could object, he swooped in and took her mouth in a kiss he’d been thinking about ever since he first saw her walking down the hall in that stupid hat, her gorgeous legs peeking out of that hideous swimsuit cover-up.
    She tasted like lemonade and cinnamon, and he knew her kids were just down the hall, but he wanted to delve deeper. He slid his tongue inside, and she moaned, clutching his shirt as if she was going to fall right off the couch if she didn’t hold on to him.
    Oh, yeah. He liked that response, liked the taste of her, the softness of her body as she yielded against him. He wanted a lot more of this, wanted to put his hands on her, but resisted, because if one of the kids—
    “Hey, Mom?” Ryan called from his room.
    Like someone had thrown cold water on them, Jane shoved away from him at the sound of Ryan’s voice. She looked down at Will, regret and desire in her eyes.
    “Yeah, sweetie?”
    “I need help with this math.”
    Despite the hard-on raging against the zipper of his jeans, Will stood. “That’s my cue to get out of here.”
    Jane stood, too, and met his raging erection with her heated gaze. She finally met his gaze with a look of regret. “I’m sorry.”
    “I’m not.” He hauled her into his arms for another kiss, brief but just as damaging as the first. And just like the first, she gave as good as she got, kissing him with a pent-up fury that he knew, once burst, would be explosive. “It’s going to be a painful walk to my car.”
    She licked her lips. “Thanks again for the pizza.”
    “Thanks for letting me come over.”
    She walked him to the door.
    He turned. “Jane?”
    “Yes?”
    “Do you have a phone?”
    “Yes. Of course.”
    He pulled his out. “What’s the number?”
    She gave it to him. He entered it into his and smiled. “I’ll call you for that date.”
    She seemed hesitant, then nodded. “Okay. Good night, Will.”
    “’Night, Jane.”
    He walked out, uncomfortable, hard, and grinning.

CHAPTER FOUR
    “Y ou’re going out with Will Griffin?”
    Jane looked around. “Shhh. I