Read Briar's Champion for Free Online

s he admitted .
    “Damn ! You cried?” Suz anne sounded astonished.
    “ Yeah , let’s not broadcast my psychotic breakdown after mind blowing sex .” Briar hushed her tone upon hearing movement. A knock on the bathroom door interrupted her next thought.
    “You okay in there?” Sloan asked with an edge of sleep in his ton e. She liked the tenor of his morning voice. Sexy.
    “Fine, using the facilities…so to speak . ” S he paused , then put the phone to her ear. “Suz, how do I get home?”
    “ You need to have some morning n ookie first , and then have lover boy drop you off.”
    Suz anne hung up with Briar still huddled over the toilet. After picking up her jaw, s he righted herself and turned on the faucet to wash her hands and face. The easy , no care in the world woman was gone. When she emerged from the bathroom, she tried to avoid meeting Sloan’s gaze . God, he was sexy . “I have to work in a bit.” She bit her lip, questioning why he didn’t feel as awkward as she did.
    Sloan slid his arms around Briar and kissed her neck. “Let me toss on some sweats and then I’ll run you home.”
    “ S ounds good . ” S he ducked any more physical contact and picked up her articles of clothing. Lost in her own thoughts , she dressed in under two minutes. Her hair couldn’t be helpe d, she smoothed down the tangled mess and dug into her handbag for a clip. Finding one proved tedious. “Ahh.” She closed her fingers around a rubber band , pulled it out and worked the thick mess into a halfway passable ponytail .
    Sloan approach ed with a T-shirt and sweats on. He wore basic clothing well, sexy and lethal with an animal like prowl. God she’d read to o many books.
    Did he know his appeal? How hot he turned her on in mere seconds? She tamped down her physical yearn and smiled. “I’m ready.”
    “I have a conference in two hours . W hy don’t I call you when I’m done to take you for a late lunch ?”
    He walked with her into the elevator and pressed the garage button.
    “Okay , but only if you’re sure. I don’t want you to feel oblig ated to take me out or anything .”
    “Care to exp lain that , Briar?” Sloan hit the stop elevator button.
    The jolt of the brakes slowing them to a stop threw Briar off balance so hard she fell right into his arms. “I—ahh we had fun last night let’s … leave things without complications . ” S he pressed the garage button to get the box moving again .
    “Think about lunch at least . L ast night was amazing so nothing says we can’t continue . ”
    The elevator opened and he stepped out. The walk to his car remained a silent one. He opened her door, helped her in , and climb ed in on the driver’s side . Once he got on the highway , he turned to her . “ I need to know where I’m taking you.”
    “ 83 rd and Winchester . ” She’d made a complete fool out of herself by crying, an action she couldn’t even blame on the alcohol , since neither one of them left the bar drunk. Twenty minutes of dead space passed between them. She acted content , as if last night didn’t happen. Inside , she wanted it to happen again , and again , but she had a business to run. He made for a nice diversion, but she’d never give herself to a man again. Suz anne was wrong . S he wasn’t on the verge of becoming an emotional cripple . S he was living life on her terms by choosing not to place herself in the position of be ing devastated again. As t hey pulled up to her house , she turned to face him but refused to meet his eyes . “Thank you for everything.” When he reached for her, s he shrank from his touch.
    “Ouch. I’d say you’re welcome , but this is not how I pictured this ending.” Sloan stepped out of his car.
    “Stop. I can get to my own door.”
    “I was raised different ly , ” Sloan growled at her , rounded over to her side of the car , snatched the door open and pulled her non e -to o -gentl y into his arms. His lips crashed down on hers . I n