Persuading Spring: A Sexy New Zealand Romance (The Four Seasons Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

shower.
    “Here.” He rose from the bed, surprisingly
graceful for a big guy, picked up a gray sweatshirt, and passed it to her.
    “Thank you.” She pulled it on. He’d worn it
before—she could smell his aftershave on it. It felt like he’d put his arms
around her.
    “What did you do with your wet clothing?”
he asked. “Do you want me to get room service to clean and dry it for you?”
    “No.” She spoke sharply and cleared her
throat. “I don’t want it. I want to get rid of it.”
    “All right.” He spoke softly. “I’ll deal with
it. Now, what would you like to drink? A hot cup of tea or coffee? Or something
stronger? The mini bar’s stocked. Wine? Whisky? Brandy?”
    The notion of drinking herself into a
stupor appealed, but she’d have to wait until she was on her own to do that—she
couldn’t get plastered in front of the boy. “Tea would be lovely.”
    “Sure.” He gestured to the bed as he passed
her to switch on the kettle. “Have a seat.”
    Somewhat shyly, she lowered herself down
beside Mateo. His little fingers fumbled occasionally at the tiny Lego pieces,
but he was surprisingly adept and appeared to be reading the instructions well
enough.
    “I wondered whether you wanted to call
someone to let them know you’re all right,” Aaron said as he put two tea bags
into mugs.
    “I don’t know.” Panic tightened her throat.
    “You don’t have to tell them where you
are.” He held her gaze, and suddenly she knew what it must feel like to be a
wounded animal someone had brought into his surgery for treatment. She could
imagine how he would handle an injured dog, talking to it in a low voice,
reassuring and comforting. “They’re probably very worried about you,” he said
gently before turning his gaze back to the mugs.
    She thought about her friends. They would be worried. Callie, Rowan, and Neve would be so upset, and the guys would be
considering tracking down Mal and castrating him. And as for her brother… She
thought about how he’d thrown his phone across the room. He was such a teddy
bear—she’d never seen him so angry. It brought a lump to her throat.
    “Okay,” she whispered.
    “Use my phone,” he said, indicating where
it rested on the table. “You can go outside if you want to.”
    “No, that’s okay.” Oddly, she didn’t want
to be alone.
    She picked up the phone and brought it over
to him. “How do I unlock it?”
    He showed her the pattern to draw between
the dots.
    “You’re very trusting,” she said wryly.
    “I think you’re the least of my worries.”
He folded his arms and leaned against the counter, watching her.
    She started dialing Hitch’s number. Then
she remembered that he’d smashed his phone, so she canceled that and dialed
Rowan’s mobile instead.
    “Hello?” Rowan’s voice, curious at the
sight of an unknown number.
    “It’s Birdie,” she said automatically.
Beside her, Aaron tilted his head to look at her, but she kept her eyes downcast.
    “Birdie! Thank God. Oh Jesus, we’ve been so
worried about you. Hitch, it’s Birdie.”
    Thank goodness, her brother was with Rowan.
“Can I talk to him?” she whispered.
    “Of course. Are… are you okay?”
    “I’m fine.” It was a lie, but Rowan wanted
reassurance and she was happy to give it.
    “Okay. That’s all I wanted to know. Hold
on.”
    A rustle as the phone changed hands. Beside
her, the kettle boiled, and Aaron turned to make the tea.
    Hitch’s deep voice came through the phone,
filled with relief. “Birdie?”
    Emotion rolled over her, and she could just
about manage a squeaky, “Hi.”
    “Where are you?” he wanted to know.
    She swallowed hard. “I just wanted to let
you know I’m okay.”
    “Where did you go?”
    “I just need some time to myself.”
    “You don’t want me to come pick you up?”
    “No.”
    “We can go anywhere you like. You don’t
have to come back here.”
    “No, thanks.”
    “What about if Rowan comes around?