The Rebel's Return (Red River) Read Online Free PDF Page A

her. “Hi, Sabrina. How are you?”
    Sabrina sat up a little straighter and tossed her hair over her shoulder. God bless her friend for attempting to look normal. “Fine. Totally fine. Nice to see you again.”
    “You, too.”
    Aiden looked back at her, amused by the two of them no doubt.
    She stood and marched past him to the door, tugging on her shirt, wishing it was longer, or wishing that she wasn’t wearing leggings, or that she had stuck with the jogging thing. Well, whatever, it didn’t matter, because he didn’t matter. She stood next to the door, holding the lock at the top. “You can go ahead and leave. I’ll be sure to lock up behind you.”
    He gave her an adorable half smile that caused his dimple to appear, which then resulted in her palms sweating. She really needed to start scoping out available men in Red River. There had to be other people that could evoke this kind of unwanted bodily reaction in her. It couldn’t just be Aiden who could do this to her. “Somehow I find it hard to imagine you two having a business meeting.”
    Well, at least his smugness managed to dampen her reaction. She raised her eyebrows and refused to look anywhere other than the small crease in his forehead. “Oh really? Why?”
    He propped his shoulder against the wall and crossed his arms across his chest, settling in with the confidence of a lion. “Well, first of all, neither of you were even speaking. I have never seen the two of you go longer than five seconds in the same room without talking.”
    Sabrina laughed, clearly falling for Aiden’s charming smile and teasing. She glared over her shoulder at her friend. Sabrina gave her a loyal nod and lifted up the mailer.
    “That’s patronizing. We’re completely different from the girls we were.”
    “Neither of you have changed a bit, and that’s a compliment.”
    “Thanks,” Sabrina said, looking all flushed.
    Natalia rolled her eyes. “Why are you here?”
    “I came for cannoli.”
    She pursed her lips. So he came here for food. How about an apology for breaking her freaking heart? For betrayal? “Nope. Sorry. None left.”
    His gaze darted past hers to the counter, no doubt zeroing in on the cannoli displayed on a silver stand under the lights. “I see at least a dozen right there.”
    She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes on him as his gaze dipped to her breasts.
    He tilted his chin, smirk in place. “So what do Italians do better, Nat?”
    She leaned forward. “Lots of things. Things you’ll never know about.”
    He pushed off the wall and leaned in close. She would have backed up, but she didn’t want to look as though he was phasing her. Of course, he totally was. Because now, she caught the clean, crisp smell of him. She saw the lighter blue flecks in his eyes. She could feel the heat emanating off his tall, hard body. “Well, maybe one day I can find out.”
    Her heart thumped in a painfully slow rhythm, and she tried not to respond to the look in his eyes, or the huskiness in his voice. She needed to get him out of here. She cleared her throat and looked up at him. “I don’t think so.”
    He flicked his chin in the direction of the counter. “Ah. Well, in that case, why don’t you sell me a dozen cannoli?”
    “Nope. Store’s closed. It goes against store policy.”
    “But you run the store.”
    She didn’t appreciate the patronizing tone, nor did she like the way he spoke really slowly. “Exactly. It goes against my policy.”
    He ran his hand over his jaw and she could have sworn she heard some kind of grumbling. “What policy is that?”
    “Cheaters. I don’t sell cannoli to adulterers.”
    His jaw started ticking, and she was somewhat satisfied. He looked away for a minute and clenched his jaw tightly. She took that moment when he wasn’t looking to admire—well, not admire, more observe—how well he’d aged. All that lanky muscle had filled out, leaving him looking hard and formidable. Except for his mouth. That was