Reaching Hearts (Hearts Series) Read Online Free PDF

this.
Brendan Clark can kiss my ass.
    “Annie. Someone’s at the window. You want me to tell him to go
away?”
    I
spin to look. Peering through the glass, leaning with his hand over his eyes to
shield away the reflection, Brendan smiles, giving me the same little wave as
when he left. I walk past Manny to get out from the behind the bar. “I can’t
believe it.” Then louder, “Um, Manny, you can take off for the night. Thank
you.”
    “You
sure?” he asks, surprised.
    A
smile grows in me so strong it fills my whole body. “I’ve never been more sure
of anything in my entire life.” Wiping my hands on my jeans, I pull on the
chain hanging from my belt. For the last time tonight the key goes into the
lock, but this time lightning quick. “Hey.”
    Looking
troubled, Brendan steps forward and leans on the doorframe. “Hey.”
    Manny
scoots by, holding his jacket. “See you tomorrow, Boss.”
    With
my eyes on Brendan I mutter, “Thanks Manny. Um… You want to come in or would
you rather stand there frowning?”
    The
cloud dissipates around him in an instant as he chuckles and shakes his head.
“I just didn’t think you were going to be here. I’m sorry I’m late.” He leans
over to hold open the door, to take the weight off me. “After you, Freckles.”
    “Freckles? I like it. Come on in.” I walk
in, motioning for him to join me. I’m so happy, it’s nuts. I’m not even thinking to hide it. Who can think at a time like this? The
door closes behind him, holding the world at bay. We’re alone. And there’s no
Corinne waiting in bed on the other side of a door. It’s just us this time.
    “He
called you Boss. You’re the manager?”
    I
spin around, walking backwards to answer, “I’m the owner. This is my bar.”
    He
takes it in with a new appreciation. “Really? Wow. Impressive.”
    “Thanks…
but I need to get more people in here before anyone gets impressed.” I turn
away, but he jogs up and reaches out for my arm. Spinning me back around in the
middle of the room, he pulls me toward him so close that I can see black flecks
swimming in blue. So that’s why his eyes always seem so dark and tortured.
    “Hi.”
    “Hi,”
I whisper back.
    He
moves in closer, holding just short of us touching. I wait, the hammering in my
chest hopefully not audible. I close my eyes and tilt my head just a little,
excitement roaring through me. I can’t breathe. He’s about to kiss me. I can
feel it but I can’t believe it. His arms tighten around me. Our lips touch. He
presses his onto mine for the very first time, holding there as a shiver floats
all the way down to my feet. Stopping there, he pulls away. My eyelashes
struggle upward. He smells like heaven, if heaven were made up solely of men.
    “What
do we need to do to clean this place up?”
    “Um…
well…” I back away to get my head on straight, tucking my hair behind my ear
and looking to the floor for my sanity. “Manny already did the bathrooms so
you’re lucky. But I need to wipe everything down. Put the chairs up on the
tables so the cleaning crew can do the floors in the morning. I guess that’s
pretty much it.”
    He
smiles. “I can do that.”
    My
lips are still zinging. “Great. I’ll get you a towel.”
    He
stops just short of walking behind the bar.
    I
smile and put one hand on my hip. “You can come back here. You’re an employee
now, you know.”
    He
laughs. “Great, what do I make?”
    “Me
happy.” I toss a damp towel at his face.
    He
grins and catches it. “I guess that’s all the payment I’ll need.”
    “Oh,
you’re so smooth. You know that? But well played. Now
get wiping.”
    He
laughs, looking more and more comfortable. Strolling over to the booths, he
begins there, bending over. “Like this?”
    I’m
already staring at his ass. “Just like that. What kind of music do you like?” I
skip over to the iPod, happier than I’ve been since my loan got approved.
    Brendan
straightens, deep in thought as he tosses