Let It Ride Read Online Free PDF Page B

thing he wanted to talk about with Kylie was his past. Or himself. In fact, the less she knew about the real Deacon Prescott, the better it would be for all concerned.
    “What was the same?”
    He took her hand and brought it to his lips, brushing a kiss against her knuckles. “School and stuff.”
    “Deacon—”
    “Tell me about yourself. Other than Nellis, where did you live as a child?” he asked, placing her hand back on his thigh and resting his hand on top of hers.
    “Oh, San Diego, Germany, Florida. We lived everywhere. My older sister, Ramona—she’s the smart one—calculated the miles in her head and she knows exactly how many we’ve traveled since birth.”
    “Do you have any other siblings?”
    “Yes, there’s Jessica. She’s the pretty one. She always had tons of guys following her around. She made them build us an outrigger when we were in Hawaii.”
    “Hmm…so Ramona’s the smart one and Jessica’s the pretty one. What does that make you?”
    “The ordinary one.”
    He realized that Kylie didn’t realize that her own uniqueness was what made her special. “You are many things, Kylie, but ordinary isn’t one of them.”
    “I…thanks, I guess.”
    “Is this that blarney thing again?”
    “It’s just hard to believe what you’re saying when I know the opposite is true.”
    He vowed that even if the marriage thing didn’t work out between them, he’d show Kylie Smith exactly how sexy and sweet she was. And he doubted that the smart and pretty sisters could hold a candle to her. Kylie changed the subject by telling him how Jessica’s boys had spent five days building an outrigger.
    He pulled into the valet line at the Golden Dream and motioned for the valet to wait until Kylie finished her story. Then Deacon turned off the car and they entered the hotel. He liked the way she talked about her family.
    He had a strong feeling that her family was a close-knit one. And for a moment he felt a pang. But in the end it was another point in the wife column. She would know how to create the kind of family he craved.
    He glanced at the lobby clock: ten minutes until midnight. He saw Angelo Mandetti talking to one of his dealers, who was on a break. He nodded to the older man to let him know he’d be with him in a few minutes.
    “Just like Cinderella, I’m back before midnight,” she said.
    “I hope you’ll leave me with more than a shoe.” He pulled her out of the crowded lobby into a small alcove. There was a brocade love seat and a large tree that provided them some privacy.
    “What do you want?” she asked.
    He wanted a lot. More than he was prepared to ask for on their first date. He’d settle for a token. “Another one of those kisses of yours.”
    “Just one kiss,” she said, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes were bright with excitement.
    “For now.” He leaned closer and took her mouth in a searing kiss, leaving a respectable space between them and letting his mouth show her all the things he wanted to do with her later.
    She tasted of the wine they’d shared. Her hands came up and clung to his shoulders. He opened his eyes and saw that hers were closed. She held him tightly and stood on tiptoe to give him greater access to her mouth. He cupped the back of her head and angled his mouth over hers.
    He thrust deeper into her mouth tasting the essence that was Kylie. God, it was addictive. He didn’t want to stop. Hell, there was a sofa of sorts right here. He could settle her slight weight over his lap and let things move to their natural conclusion.
    In fact, he would have if she’d been any other woman. If she hadn’t been the woman he wanted for his wife, he would have taken her upstairs to his suite, instead of to this alcove.
    He lifted his head.
    “Oh, Deacon.”
    Oh, what? he wondered. But she said nothing else, just wrapped her arms around her waist and smiled at him with such sweet sincerity that he knew he was lost.
    “I’ll walk you to the elevators,”