Second Chances Read Online Free PDF Page A

here.”
    She
shrugged. “I didn’t want to keep the humane society worker waiting. Besides, I
only live about a mile away. The exercise will do me good.”
    Dusty
muttered under his breath, something she couldn’t quite make out. He shook his
head and pulled keys from his jeans’ pocket as he strode over. “Come on. Ben,
stay here and watch.”
    “I
don’t understand.” She tilted her head in question, noting the dog laid down in
the shade at the stable’s entrance and stared at them with keen yellow eyes.
    He
paused and met her gaze. “It’s boiling out here, for one. Not to mention
there’s no sidewalk on these country roads. The way idiots fly over these
hills, they’ll smash you before you know what happened. Personally, I’d prefer
to avoid road kill. Dead clients don’t pay their stable bill.”
    She
blinked at him, and then automatically followed him to the large black truck.
Granted, she didn’t know this man from Adam, but something inside locked onto
his inner goodness. Not every man would see a damsel in distress and offer to
drive her home.
    The
thought comforted her as she hopped into the passenger’s seat and grinned
warmly at the man who stepped up to the plate in more ways than one. “I seem to
be thanking you a lot today.”
    He
shoved the key in the ignition, started the engine, and pulled out into the
road.
    Though
he remained mute, his actions spoke volumes.
     

Chapter Three
    Dusty
glanced up as April hopped out of her dark blue SUV and headed his direction.
He checked his watch. She’d been gone for a whole hour and a half.
    A sigh
of resignation escaped his lips. Women weren’t his strong suit and why this one
caught his interest, he would never know. The last one he dated taught him a
hard lesson he hadn’t thought of testing until now. Something about the
cheerful blonde with the pretty body made him toss out past wrongs and want to
reconsider his earlier rules about dating. Unfortunately, she seemed intent to
stick to him like a burr to a horse’s tail. His plan to avoid women worked much
better when they actually stayed away. If he needed a night of thrills, he’d
drive to one of the bars famous for hot ladies searching for a man to scratch
their itch. A few hours of pumping and dumping typically fulfilled his needs
for weeks at a time. That is, until April showed up, stole his attention, and
proved a heady distraction from a casual daily routine. She already made him
question the wisdom of allowing her to hang around considering how much effect
she had on him after such a short time.
    She
walked into the stable. The gentle sway of her hips drew attention to a
backside that curried attention and begged to be patted. Full lips tempted him
to seal his mouth over hers to find out if she tasted like a sweet treat, and
discover if her lips really were as soft and supple as they appeared. Modest
breasts strained against the lightweight shirt, jiggling slightly with each
step, sending a spear of desire through him as he pictured how her rosy nipples
would pebble with a bit of suckling.
    Damn, SEAL. You really need to
get laid.
    Irritated,
he shoved the erotic thoughts from his mind. Boarder. And certainly off limits.
Too bad his cock had other ideas and didn’t care for rational rules.
    April
headed directly to the far stall containing her horses, not breaking stride to
quickly wave his direction. He lifted his chin in greeting, not pausing in his
brush strokes over the back of one of the mares. As he worked, he watched April
slide into the stall and dote on the pair, speaking softly to them, and
slipping them a carrot as a treat.
    He
couldn’t help but grin. No matter what that filly had been through, she
obviously trusted and liked April. She snuffled her, lipped her hair, and
rubbed her head against the woman’s chest. Amazing considering how she acted
around him. If carrots and sugar cubes could win this pair over, he’d buy a ton
of the tasty snacks. Making a mental note to