McKenzie, Cooper - Saving Chloe (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free PDF Page B

inside and sleep well tonight,” he whispered in her ear before pulling back and looking into her eyes again. “I’ll see ye tomorrow once ye’ve finished yer work.”
    Chloe relaxed and agreed immediately. “I’d like that. Good night.”
    As she went inside, she pushed away the regret of turning down a night in Declan’s bed. Instead, she focused on everything she needed to do before she could be with him again. Peeking out the window in the living room, she watched as he stopped at her sidewalk, held out his arms, and stood there for more than a minute. She thought she heard him say something, but couldn’t be sure. Finally, he dropped his arms and continued across the street and into his house.
    Only then did she step outside again.
    Looking to the stars overhead, she said to whatever higher power might be listening, “Please, put up one of those deflector shields like they had on Star Trek to keep everyone away until I finish working tomorrow.”

Chapter 5

    Chloe woke up feeling rested and relaxed and ready to tackle a day of editing. Hopefully there weren’t too many problems and she could get both books turned in before the day was over.
    Ten minutes later, as she ate breakfast while editing, someone knocked on the front door. She immediately recognized the solid, sharp thumps. Only one person had a knock with such attitude. What did Jasmine want this early in the morning?
    Looking down at her oversized “Geek Snoopy” sleep shirt and shorts, she shrugged as she crossed to the front door and opened it.
    “What’s up, Jasmine?” She didn’t smile or try to cover up the fact that she was still in her nightshirt. After all, it was early, and Jasmine was intruding, so what did she expect?
    “Are you going to the farmer’s market today?” Jasmine asked as she pushed past Chloe and entered the house. “You’re not even dressed yet. What’s wrong?”
    Chloe watched as the woman circled the living room as she always did, as if looking for clues to some mystery only she knew about. “I’m not going today. I’m spending the day working, though I think I’m coming down with a migraine.”
    “Oh, you poor baby.” Jasmine stopped her snooping long enough to look at her. “You do look a bit peaked. Maybe you shouldn’t be making out with strange men so late at night. I don’t think you should see that man anymore. He’s not very friendly. Winston has invited him to several Porch People gatherings, but he always refuses. And I’ve never been able to read him like I do everyone else. It’s like he’s got no soul or something.”
    Jasmine prided herself on being able to read people and tell whether or not they were inherently good or bad, liars, cheaters, or worse. Everyone she came into contact with heard about it and got read.
    Chloe ground her back teeth together to keep from screaming for Jasmine to stop talking to her like she was a child. They hadn’t been making out. They’d had the best sex of her life, and she didn’t care what Jasmine and the rest of the Porch People thought of Declan. She was already half in love with him.
    That thought stopped her cold, and she blinked. She had just met him and she was falling in love with him? Hadn’t her ex-husband and the two men she had dated since their divorce taught her anything? They had been out for what they could get. She had finally decided that they were not worth the time or effort it took to try and make them happy.
    “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said instead. “Was there anything else you wanted?”
    “Oh yeah, I forgot last night, but I was wondering if you could whip up a batch of those cookies that Brian loves so much. He’s still raving over the last batch, and he’s a little miffed at me for staying out so late last night. I thought if you made him some cookies—”
    Chloe closed her eyes and counted to ten, but it did not help. She could already feel herself giving in to Jasmine’s whining, pleading tone. She knew