Read A Dash of Desire (Spiced Life #2) for Free Online

second and then a third firefly willingly joined the first inside Riley’s jar.
    “Seems to me they want to be held captive.”
    “It’s the glass. It magnified this little dude’s light, making him more appealing to all the little girl fireflies.” Her explanation surprised him.
    “You knew that would happen.”
    Even though he hadn’t meant it as a question, Riley still answered, “Of course. I told you, I’m an expert at increasing popularity. See? He has buddies now.”
    The truth hit Tristan. Everything Riley did was calculated. What appeared as nervous responses to new and awkward situations were actually well thought out strategies based on other people’s reactions. Some people believed there were different forms of genius, such as those who are prolific in music or math. Riley was a social genius. She excelled in reading other people. It was an awesome skill.
    “You helped him get laid,” Tristan accused.
    Setting the jar on the ground, Riley shrugged. “That makes me the best kind of friend. For the rest of his two days of life, he’ll never forget me.”
    Without realizing it, Tristan had moved closer to Riley until they were only inches apart. “I feel his pain. You’re stuck in my head too.”
    A look of shock crossed her features as Tristan closed the final gap between them, capturing her lips with his. This time, the move had been intentional. His actions weren’t driven by the need to make her see him in a certain light, as they had been earlier in the day. Instead, it was a slow savoring of her flavor. The warmth of her palms sank into his skin as she flattened her hands against his chest. Tristan wondered for a moment if she’d push him away. As his shirt tightened across his back, he realized she was pulling him closer. Triumph coursed through his veins.
    There was something about Riley. She possessed a certain quality he’d found lacking in every woman he’d met in years. She was real. He couldn’t get enough. A sound came from the back of her throat. Tristan deepened their kiss even further. The sky opened up, dumping a deluge of water on their heads. Riley groaned, pulling away slightly.
    “Why do I always end up soaking wet when I’m with you?” Riley asked, making him roar with laughter.

Chapter 4
    This was one time Tristan was going to have to own it. He was stuck installing a light fixture in the church’s nursery because he’d thrown the original work order in the trash. Emma May had taken great delight in informing him the workman had come and gone by the time he’d made it to the office. His moment of evil pleasure had been totally worth it. He’d had the best night in memory with Riley. After their scorching kiss, he’d noticed the rain had soaked through her shirt, making it impossible for Tristan to miss seeing her gorgeous breasts once more. He knew then he needed to cool things down and be the gentleman. Lots of bitching had ensued, but once his temper cooled, they’d been okay and ended up spending the rest of the night talking about everything from childhood to college. They’d both studiously avoided any talk of past relationships, but there were some topics too heavy for one date. Tristan’s steps faltered on the way to the register at Hunter’s Hardware. It had been a date. He hadn’t planned it, but there it was.
    “Those Californians are some odd folk.”
    Tristan turned his back to Hunter and pretended interest in a rack of garden hoses in case a sneaky eye roll got the best of him.
    “How so?” Honestly, people were acting like they lived in such a small, backwoods community that anyone from California was close to alien life.
    “Oh, that little niece of Billy’s was in here this morning. The one with the boy’s name.”
    Yep. Keeping his back turned had been the right decision. If Hunter ever forgot Riley’s name, Tristan would give away his lucky hunting boots. Not to mention, every woman in Riley’s family had a boy’s name. Everyone