The Bridal Path: Ashley Read Online Free PDF

problem.”
    He grinned. “Already? We’re just getting reacquainted.”
    “Some people are just born nuisances.”
    “You look as if your life could use a little shaking up,” he retorted.
    The comment was more accurate than she might have liked. What she really needed, though, was time alone to figure out what she was going to do with herself if her modeling career was over. Fortunately, she had more than enough money to take her time deciding. What she didn’t have at the moment was the solitude she craved.
    “By the way, I noticed this morning that you’re a little short on groceries,” Dillon said. “Maybe we should take a drive to the market and pick up a few things. All this fresh air gives me an appetite. What about you?”
    Unfortunately, her appetite was flourishing, too. She’d staved off disaster by stocking only the bare essentials, a little soup, some fresh fruit, a mountain of vegetables. She’d worked her way through most of them the first few days, eating compulsively to satisfy a hunger that clearly wasn’t entirely physical. The thought of a grocery store, its shelves lined with temptation, made her mouth water.
    “If you’re not happy with what’s here, you go,” she said determinedly. “I have everything I need right here.”
    “There were three oranges and a pear, when I checked.”
    “That’ll do for today,” she said stubbornly. “And we do have those fish you caught.”
    He studied her so intently, she felt herself blushing.
    “You mean that, don’t you?” he said at last.
    It had cost her the last of her willpower to get the words out, but she would never in a million years admit that to him. “Yes,” she said instead.
    “What happens if I decide to claim half, say one orange and the pear, along with my share of the fish?”
    “I’d have to break your arm,” Ashley said grimly.
    Dillon chuckled, then fell silent when she didn’t even smile. “You mean that, too, don’t you?”
    “Try me.”
    “I don’t think so. I’ll go to the market by myself. You may have the appetite of a bird, but I don’t. I need junk food and meat to survive.”
    His words set off warning bells. “Junk food? Meat?”
    “Sure. Potato chips, tortilla chips and salsa, beer. Some hamburger. A big, thick steak. The stuff that makes life worth living.”
    Sighing heavily, Ashley stood up. “Maybe I’d better go with you, after all.”
    “What’s the matter? Don’t you approve of my menu?”
    The trouble was she craved it all. “That stuff will kill you,” she retorted.
    “Not in moderation.”
    “When did you ever do anything in moderation?”
    “Okay, you have a point,” he conceded. “Maybe I could use some guidance. I’ll get my keys and we’ll go.”
    The mention of his keys reminded her that she’d never heard his car the night before. “How did you get here, anyway? I never heard an engine.”
    “You must not have been listening too closely, then. I assure you I didn’t walk up here.” He stroked a finger down her cheek as he passed. “I’ll be with you in a minute, sweetheart.”
    Ashley practically ran outside, hoping for a blast of Arctic air to cool off her flushed skin. Unfortunately, spring was back, and the warm air was filled with promise. The rain had given way to bright blue skies. It was the kind of day that made sap and hormones run wild.
    She scanned the driveway for a second car but spotted none, which renewed her questions about Dillon’s mode of transportation. When he walked out and headed toward the edge of the woods, she automatically fell into step behind him.
    A few seconds later, her gaze fell on an impressive motorcycle. Black, naturally. If memory served, it was the same one Dillon had ridden out of town on years before. She was amazed he hadn’t had to hock it long before now.
    “You expect me to ride on that?” she demanded.
    He grinned. “You know you always wanted to.”
    “Did not,” she said, even as she moved toward it with an