Read Careless for Free Online Page B

move, just waitin’ for an
opportunity to pounce.”
    Tori rolled her eyes. “They’re just fans,
Lieutenant. They’re harmless.”
    He smiled in spite of the warning bells
going off in his head that told him to hold on to the anger and frustration
that had been helping him keep his distance from her for the past two years.
There had been dozens of times when he knew she was in town, he’d had a few too
many beers with the boys, and he’d been tempted to pick up the phone and ask
her how the hell she’d been able to walk out on him without thinking twice. He
wanted to know if she ever thought about him when she was winding down from a
crazy day, alone, in her bed, in the dark...
    She snapped her fingers in front of his
face. “Hello? You still here?”
    “Yeah, I was just...” Fantasizing about
having you back in my bed.   “Thinking about our best course of action.”
    “I don’t know about you, but I do my best
thinkin’ with a stiff drink in my hand.”
     Tori was unlike any woman he’d ever met.
She didn’t try to be someone she wasn’t because she seemed genuinely satisfied
with who she was. And he couldn’t deny that confidence was sexy as hell.
    Mike raised his hand to beckon the
waitress. He wasn’t surprised when she was at their table, pen poised above her
notepad, in record time. Tori was a V.I.P, and he was certain she got
preferential treatment wherever she went.   
    She smiled up at the waitress. “Hey, hon.
Busy night?”
    The poor waitress’s mouth dropped open as
she struggled to string a complete sentence together. “I… uh... yeah... I
guess.”
    “I know what that’s like. I was a waitress
at a burger joint in high school. It was always rockin’ on Friday and Saturday
nights. I’d go home whinin’ about my poor achin’ feet, but of course I didn’t
get any sympathy, just a list of the chores that still had to be done.”
    The pretty brunette smiled as she tucked a
strand of hair behind her ear. “Man, do I know what that’s like. I’m a single
mom, and it seems the list of things to do is never-ending. Between laundry,
grocery shopping, ballet...” She blushed when she realized she was rambling on
to a superstar who probably earned more in the time she’d spent bending her ear
than a waitress like her would earn all week.
    Tori propped her chin in her hand, as
though she had all the time in the world to listen to this stranger’s life
story. “How many kids you got?”
    “Two, a boy and a girl. He’s ten, she’s
twelve.”
    “What’re they up to this summer?”
    “A whole lotta no good if I believe
everything the neighbors tell me.”
    Tori laughed. “Sounds like me and my
brothers when we were kids. Don’t worry, they’ll outgrow it.”
    She blew her long bangs out of her big,
brown eyes. “I sure hope so.”
    “They like country music?”
    “Sure.”
    Tori reached into her pocket for a piece of
scrap paper. “Can I borrow your pen?”
    “Sure.” The waitress shot Mike a quick
sidelong glance, as though she thought he might be able to give her some insight
into what Tori was up to, but he was as clueless as she was.  
    “Here’s my email. Send me your contact
info. I’ll make sure you get tickets and backstage passes for you and your kids
to our hometown show.” She handed the woman the pen and slip of paper, almost
thrusting it into her hands when she seemed too stunned to accept it.
    “Oh my God, thank you so much. My kids are going
to die when I tell them about this.”
    “My pleasure.” She looked at Mike, as
though she’d almost forgotten he was there. “What are you gonna have to drink?”
    He was almost as speechless as the
waitress. Not only was she gorgeous, sexy, smart, and incredible in bed, but
he’d just found out she was a really good person. For the first time, he
felt like he was in over his head. “Just a Coke.”
    Tori shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She looked
at the waitress. “One spicy Caesar, one Coke, and I’d