Kiss Me Read Online Free PDF Page B

the cushion, cleared his throat and looked out at the shoreline. “So what do you plan to do with your Ph.D.?”
    Jenna drew her legs under her. “Where’d that come from?”
    Hell, he’d discuss the whole, long, tedious auditing process…anything to keep his cool and his eyes off her tempting body. “I’m just curious.”
    She shrugged. “You really want to know?”
    “I wouldn’t have asked.”
    Her mouth tilted with a quick smile. “Okay, so I have this little nest egg.”
    “You’ve managed to save, even with paying for school?”
    “I had some help. My grandparents set up a trust fund for me when I was a baby. Although I bought the house on my own, I’ve been using the funds to pay for my education. When I’m done with my degree, I’ll still have quite a bit left over and no loans, thank God. So, I’m thinking about buying a big house and turning it into a group home for young women. I’ll offer them counseling as well as a place where they can stay until they get on their feet.”
    Luke shook his head. “You are an amazing woman. I admire your selflessness.”
    She waved him off as if her plans weren’t a big deal.
    “Seriously, you’re like this little Mother Teresa. I had no idea.”
    “Whatever,” she said with a smile. “I’m hoping to obtain government grants and donations to help keep the place afloat. But, no matter what, I’d like my group home to be private, where a young woman can go when she has nowhere else. There’s so many women who are running, from their past, an ex or a bad home life…” She shook her head. “At the youth center, I counsel troubled teens, and for the most part, they come out okay. It’s the few that slip through the cracks I want to help.”
    He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I can help you with the accounting end of things. Nate’s a great attorney, and between the two of us we could handle all the nitty-gritty details when you’re ready.”
    She looked away. “Nate already volunteered to help me with the legal stuff, but I wouldn’t want to put you through the trouble.”
    “No trouble,” he replied, and couldn’t help feeling a little jealous. Not necessarily of Nate, but because she’d depend on his friend over him.
    “Look, at this point I still have another year before I can consider —”
    “Not so,” he interrupted and decided to push the issue further. If she were to rely on anyone, it would be him. Not Nate. “If you can afford it, and I’ll run the numbers for you, you might want to consider purchasing a home now that we’re in a buyer’s market. Plus, if you’re planning on obtaining government assistance, you’ll have to wade through a bunch of red tape. Then there’s making sure the building is up to code, so you’ll need to worry about renovations, contractors, your business license, your —”
    “Okay, okay,” she laughed. “I get it.”
    “I’ll help you set up a business plan and get a timeline together. If you want to do this within a year of obtaining your Ph.D., now’s the time to start.”
    Jenna couldn’t think straight. She stared at him for a second, then at her lap. How the hell could she even contemplate a business plan with Luke stripped down to his khaki shorts, the hot sun glistening across his tanned, smooth chest. What a chest. A sucker for big pecs, she itched to run her hands over the hard slabs of muscle, not to mention his flat abs. He was ripped, his arms, his shoulders, his legs.
    She shifted her gaze to the lake and tried to refocus on what he’d said. She’d be a fool not to take him up on his offer. After all, she did need an accountant. From what she’d heard, Luke was very good at what he did, and not just in bed, either. Darci had mentioned that Luke took care of all of Nate’s accounting needs, both personal and professional. While tempted by his proposition, she worried how it might interfere with their personal relationship.
    “Listen,” she began,