Snowbound with the Boss Read Online Free PDF Page B

didn’t like complications.
    His life would have been a lot easier if only he’d been able to escape Wyoming and put several hundred miles between himself and Kate. That wasn’t going to happen, though, so he had to find a way to survive this enforced closeness.
    â€œWhy are you staring at me?”
    He came out of his thoughts and focused on the woman now looking at him. “Just thinking.”
    â€œNow I’m worried,” she said, a half smile curving her mouth. “Thinking about what?”
    Well, he wasn’t going to tell her the truth—that he was thinking about how soon he could get her out of her clothes—so he blurted out something that had been on his mind lately. “Wondering how you became a contractor.”
    Her brow furrowed, her eyes narrowed and he had the distinct feeling she didn’t believe him. But then she shrugged and answered.
    â€œMy dad is the easy answer,” she said, shifting her gaze back to the fire snapping and crackling just a few feet away from them. “He’s a master carpenter. Started his own business when I was a kid.” She smiled in memory, and Sean noticed how her features softened. “I used to work for him every summer and he and the guys on his crew taught me everything I know about construction.”
    â€œFunny, I worked summers for my dad, too,” Sean said, remembering how he had tried desperately to get out of work so he could go surfing instead.
    â€œWhat’s your dad do?”
    â€œLawyer,” Sean said, bracing his hands on the floor behind him. “He wanted my brother and I to go to law school, join his firm.”
    â€œNo interest in being a lawyer?” she asked.
    He shuddered. “No. When you worked for your dad, you were outside, right?”
    â€œUsually, yeah.”
    â€œNot me. Dad had us shredding old documents, sweeping, mopping and in general doing everything the building custodians needed us to do.” He shook his head. “Hated being locked up inside, so I promised myself that I’d find a job where I could take off and go surfing when I wanted to.”
    She laughed. “Not many employers allow surfing breaks, I imagine.”
    â€œNope.” He grinned and added, “Just another reason I like being my own boss. You’d know what I mean by that.”
    She nodded. “Yeah. I do.”
    A moment or two of silence, broken only by the snap and hiss of the fire, stretched out between them. It was almost companionable, Sean thought. It was the first time since he’d met Kate Wells that they’d gone so long without an argument. It surprised him how much he was enjoying it.
    â€œSo,” he asked, “who’ll run things for you while you’re stuck here?”
    â€œWith a blizzard this heavy, the guys will just hole up at their homes and take a few days off. They won’t be expecting to work through it,” she said, then looked around the room.
    It was filled with shadows that moved and shifted in the flickering light. “As soon as the snow stops and the roads are clear, we’ll get started on the renovations. The structure’s sound, but for needing some new shingles on the roof and some of the porch railings replaced. We’ll be working on the inside for now, of course, and move to the outside when spring finally gets here—”
    â€œAnd we’re talking about work again,” Sean interrupted her. He’d noticed that whenever their conversations threatened to get personal, she “ran home to mama” so to speak and turned to talk of the job.
    â€œYour fault this time. Besides, work is why we’re here,” she pointed out.
    â€œNo,” he argued with a wave of his hand toward the closest window that displayed a view of swirling white, “snow is why we’re here. We’ve talked about the job enough for today.”
    â€œWell then,” she said abruptly, “what do you