Read Commitment for Free Online Page B

albeit smoother digits. She pulled his mystery woman closer. The hand Sheila grasped was connected to a fine-boned wrist that gave way to a softly curved forearm and finally creamy skin stretched over a temptingly silky bicep.
    He lifted his gaze slowly, praying he wouldn’t have to mask disappointment. After the blows Sheila had dealt his ego, he wasn’t quite sure he had the acting chops to pull it off.
    The rounded curve of a bare shoulder. So far, so good. The irresistible hollow of a woman’s collarbone. Delicious. The sensuous undulation of the pulse quickening in her throat made his mouth water.
    He milked the moment, letting anticipation build as his gaze swept higher. A flash of persimmon licked at the edge of awareness. Heat prickled his throat. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. A slash of black satin split the field of ivory. His brain sputtered before kicking into high gear. Anticipation. Milk the moment. Milkmaid skin.…
    Sheila’s fingernails scraped the wool of his suit coat. Her red lips curved into an encouraging smile. She began to speak, but it could have been Swahili for all he cared. He resisted the pull of her smile and stared straight into the sparkling emerald eyes that fueled a thousand fantasies.
    “Darling, I’d like you to meet—”
    Holy hell…”Hello, Maggie.”
    ****
    Tom Sullivan. This had to be some kind of a joke. Two years of near radio silence from Tracy, then her old friend drops a giant bomb. Now suddenly Sullivans were popping out of the woodwork. Freaking Tom Sullivan. And he looked good. Damn good. Damn him.
    “Hello, Tom.”
    She matched his polite smile, going for a cool tone, but Sheila’s sharp glance told her she fell short. Not a shocker. Any woman with a pulse would feel a spike in temperature near Tom Sullivan, and Maggie definitely had a pulse. The stupid thing was doing a cha-cha-cha in her throat. She never could pull off the cool bit, but there was something about this guy that made her feel compelled to try.
    “You look well,” Maggie said, craning her neck to peer past his shoulder. She wanted to kick herself. Such an obvious ploy. Such a ridiculous idea. As if there could be anything better to look at than the man standing right in front of her.
    “I see you already know each other,” Sheila murmured, glancing from Tom to Maggie and back again.
    His head swiveled. The startled widening of those beautiful eyes made Maggie’s heart skip two, maybe three, full beats. He’d clearly forgotten they had company.
    “Yes, we’ve known each other for years,” Maggie purred. Something hot flashed in his eyes as he turned back to her. Then it was gone. His usual mask of cool indifference slid back into place.
    “My brother is married to one of Maggie’s friends,” he explained, his lips twitching into a smirk. “Or so they claim.”
    Sheila shot him a puzzled glance, and a slow smile curved Maggie’s lips. The devil made her do it. Resistance was futile. A full team of horses—wild, tame, or rabid—couldn’t have kept her from resting her hand on his broad shoulder and stretching up to brush an unprecedented kiss to his freshly shaven cheek. She held his gaze, forcing her smile to widen as she wiped away an imaginary smudge of lipstick with the pad of her thumb.
    “Yes, Tracy was brave enough to snare one of the elusive Sullivan boys.” She turned to Sheila and winked broadly. “Sadly, I hear they don’t do well in captivity. Like giant pandas. Cute, but you wouldn’t want to keep one in your backyard.”
    “Excuse me. Mrs. McKenzie?” A young woman sidled up beside Sheila. “I’m sorry to intrude, but there seems to be an issue with Judge Meade’s silent auction bids.”
    Sheila’s mouth thinned into a line. She rolled her eyes then closed them tight. “Too much or too little?”
    The woman cast a nervous glance over her shoulder then whispered, “He signed each sheet with an opening bid of ten million dollars.”
    Tom sputtered, and