Secrets from Her Past: Scandalous, Book 2 Read Online Free PDF

your way.”
    Cori nodded. “I appreciate that, but I may be in town longer than I first thought.”
    And wasn’t that another shocker. “No kidding?”
    “But I promise not to bother you anymore,” she told him, shifting her purse higher on her shoulder. “I’ll let you get back to work.”
    When she started to go around him, he stepped in front of her and grabbed her slender arms.
    “Cori, I know we have a past and I know you’re probably going through a rough time, but don’t feel like you can’t ask me for help if you need it.”
    Well, hadn’t he just surprised himself with this whole knight-in-shining-armor routine? He hadn’t planned on waving the white flag and calling a truce, but she was apparently hurting, her mother’d had multiple strokes and her world was crumbling around her. He knew all too well what that was like.
    “I just wanted you to know that…since you’re staying by yourself,” he finished, suddenly sounding like a high school boy vying for the attention of the pretty girl in class.
    She bit down on her lip as her chin started to quiver and he thought for sure she was going to lose it. But she swallowed, tilted her chin and offered a sad smile that kept ripping away at the heart she’d torn out so long ago.
    “I’ve been alone for so long, Dylan. That means a lot to me.”
    And with that she maneuvered around him and walked on down the hall.
    What the hell had that meant? Been alone? She was a supermodel, for crying out loud, and more than likely had had men sleeping over. How had she ever been alone? Dylan doubted she knew the meaning of the word.
    And for the second time within twenty-four hours, he’d found himself apologizing to the woman who up and left with barely a goodbye over ten years ago. God, he was pathetic. But he didn’t want her parting image of him to be one of a heartbroken boy like last time, or one of a jerk, like he was being this time around.
    Why did he have to be one or the other? He was a man, damn it, and he needed to act like one. He could treat Cori with the respect she deserved, or he could spend his time feeling guilty for his actions, like he was now.
    It was obvious the girl needed a break and whether she had or hadn’t done what she was accused of was absolutely none of his business.
    Dylan headed out the side door and toward his truck to get his tools. He needed to concentrate on work and when he was sure Cori was gone, he’d pop in and talk to Carl and Inez. He hadn’t been lying when he’d said he would help Cori if she needed it, but he wasn’t purposely putting himself in the direction of her seductive path either.
    And, yes, that woman still had the power to seduce him. Killer body aside, now he was fighting that vulnerable side she had and damn if he didn’t want to slay all those proverbial dragons for her.
     
     
    Corinne didn’t care if it was after midnight. Time never meant too much when you hopped planes from time zone to time zone. Besides, she couldn’t sleep, and running was not only a great way to keep her body in shape, it was also a nice stress-reliever.
    Hearing from her agent that major companies were not renewing her contracts was enough stress to physically break someone. Corinne truly had no idea where the money would come from to continue to foot the bill for the rehab center. Those places weren’t cheap and this one wasn’t the best to look at. But, it was close to where she was staying now and with Dylan working on it, she had no doubt the place would be in perfect condition in no time.
    Her feet slapped against the sand, sending fine granules flying up onto her legs. She’d chosen the sand as opposed to the pavement because she wanted to feel that burn, to concentrate on something other than her immediate issues. And there was no way she’d let herself get out of shape because she was going to show everyone, including her agent who thought they should “take a break”, that she was going to come back