Sandy Sullivan Read Online Free PDF Page B

to
Montana?"
    He
shrugged, focusing on his plate. He hated talking about himself.
    "Oh,
come on. Something drew you to our fair state," she said, wiping her mouth
with the napkin.
    "It's
kind of embarrassing actually."
    "It
certainly can't be any more embarrassing than my love of riding fences and
branding cattle."
    Surprise
whipped down his spine. "You brand cattle?" The sexy laugh made him
hold his breath waiting for her answer.
    "I
can brand 'em with the best, huh Dad?"
    "You
bet, honey. She's one of the best wranglers and ropers I had until she went off
to Los Angeles for school." Mitchell patted her on the hand as he took
another bite.
    "Remind
me not to give her any rope."
    "You
would be in so much trouble."
    His cock
pulsed behind the fly of his jeans, riding the zipper so hard he imagined the
teeth of the fly gouging his engorged flesh. Fuck. This is getting out of control. Easy man. She's off limits.
    With
their plates clean, they all pushed back from the table and moved toward the
kitchen.
    "Why
don't you two grab a beer and head out back? I think you two probably have a
lot in common. I've got some work to do on the books, but it's a beautiful
night. Might as well enjoy it."
    "I
would love to be able to talk to someone about doctor stuff. There aren't too
many people I can talk to who understand at least a little of what I'm saying. What
do you say, Marcus?"
    "I
really should be getting home. It's been a long day and I—"
    "Just
for a few minutes?"
    He
sighed, mentally kicking himself as the words spilled from his lips. "All right."
    The
moment they stepped outside, she moved toward the swing to sit down.
"Dad's right. The night is gorgeous. I'd forgotten how pretty the night
sky is here. In L.A., you can't see the stars very well."
    "Do
you miss California?" he asked, taking a seat next to her even though he
knew it was a bad idea.
    "No.
Things got bad right at the end of my schooling. I'm glad to be out of
there."
    "Do
you want to talk about your situation?" Stupid Marcus, really stupid. "I mean you don't have to if you’d rather not…"
    She
inhaled a sharp breath before saying, "I found out my boyfriend was using
me while he fucked around with everything in a skirt between home and
Singapore." A quick brush of her fingers across her cheek revealed the
wetness that tore at his heartstrings. Her rueful laugh sounded hollow and
forlorn. "Sorry. I guess I'm still a little bitter. I found a receipt from
one of the jewelry stores on his desk. I thought he was about to ask me to
marry him. When I went to meet him at the airport on his return trip from New
York, I got a really rude surprise."
    Unable
to stop himself, he reached over to grab her hand, squeezing it in comfort.
"Any man would be a fool to do something so stupid to you."
    "Thank
you," she replied, turning to look at him full on.
    Moonlight
spilled across her face as she frowned, pulling her hand from his grasp. Crap.
    "Are
you sure we've never met?"
    "I—"
    After a
sharp inhalation, she said, "You're him. My masked
stranger."

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
    "I'm
not sure what you mean, Elizabeth."
    The
perplexed look on his face almost made her think she might be wrong, but no.
She knew those eyes, the striking blue color had mesmerized her from the moment
she'd stared into them. "The guy from the ball last
year. In the tux. We danced. You kissed me! "
    "Elizabeth,
I…"
    She
followed him to the rail, forcing him back around with a hand on his arm.
Tingles raced down her spine as her breathing sped up, pushing her straining
nipples against the rough fabric of her shirt. What the hell? Indignation rushed through her. He'd deliberately kept
something from her. The lack of a relationship between them didn't matter. He
knew all along who she was and he didn't say a word. "What kind of game
are you playing?"
    "I'm
not."
    The
sincerity and hurt in his eyes made her flinch. "Then why not tell me who
you were?"
    "The
man from the ball isn't me. The whole