Read Frostbite (Touch of Frost) for Free Online Page A

over his shoulder. A stream of laughter flowed into the coffeehouse from the open door. Half of the track team and their slim, athletic girlfriends marched in.
    The bottle in my hand crackled. I yanked it beneath the table, begging my powers to back off. Just back off.
    It wasn’t the Coats. I quick snagged my phone and checked the screen. No more texts from Scott. Everything was fine. Just calm down, Mandy. Stupid teenagers storming in on my date I could handle. Probably better than the near kiss with Zach.
    But damn that would have been nice, too.
    “What’s up?” Zach asked, leaning forward again.
    “Nothing.” I gulped in some air and shot a glance around the room again. Besides the entourage strolling in, everything seemed quiet.
    “Want to go?” He picked up his phone off the table.
    “Really?”
    He stood. “I’m not in the mood to share you with anyone right now.”
    Those words, paired with his sultry voice sent a thrill right through my stomach. And judging by the glint in his eye, Zach looked very tempting.
    And dangerous.
    He led me around the table by my shoulder and toward the door. Three big guys and two girls got into line, but the tall blond guy held out his fisted hand. “Zach. Running tomorrow, right?”
    “Hey, Shawn.” Zach knuckle-bumped the guy and nodded. “Twelve miles.”
    We made it onto the sidewalk, and I took a quick look up and down, then veered in the direction of home. The buzz of people streaming into the theater across the street was the only action nearby. The joys of a small town. Entertainment consisted of either coffee, a movie, or hanging out at the pizza joint.
    Out in the fresh air, free from the mind-numbing coffee scent and a step or two away from Zach, reality slipped back into place.
    “Early morning tomorrow, huh?” I sauntered along, hands shoved in my pockets.
    “Last run together.” Zach drew in a deep breath and reached for me.
    His big hand landed on my shoulder, then eased beneath my hair to the nape of my neck. Felt like home. Despite the worries starting to creep back into my mind, I relaxed against his touch, like he held a power over me I couldn’t control.
    Didn’t want to.
    “Come here,” he whispered as he drew me close.
    My phone buzzed from my back pocket, and I planted my palm on Zach’s chest, stopping him inches from my mouth.
    Inches.
    I pulled out my phone and read Scott’s text: Almost done. Will text when I leave.
    Scott was safe. But the reminder of what he’d been out doing doused whatever flame was flickering to life between me and Zach. I put a little more distance between us with a slight nudge, and he finally let go of my neck.
    I felt his absence immediately.
    “I better head home. Thanks for tonight.” A great night, actually. But despite how much I wanted to take things further, wanted to have a boyfriend, it wasn’t going to happen.
    “Wait. Why are you leaving?”
    “It’s late, I should go.”
    “It’s not even nine thirty.” He linked his forefinger with my pinky finger. “What’s the problem?”
    Oh, where would I start? I held up my phone. “No problem. That was Scott. I—he—needs some help at the shop.” I coughed through the lie, hoping Zach wouldn’t see it.
    He looked at me and quirked his eyebrow. But, I had to give the guy credit, he didn’t say anything. Just raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles.
    “See you tomorrow, then.”
    Maybe. I nodded, then turned away.
    If I’d stayed, I’d probably do something really stupid, like fall in love with the guy.
     

 
     
     
    SEVEN
     
    “N o. No. No. You did not do that.” Georgia raised her arms. The fuzzy computer screen jiggled, giving her skin a wavy, pink color. She’d ordered me to video chat her as soon as I got home from my date so she could get the play-by-play.
    My phone danced across the desk. A text from Scott: On my way home. Good. It’d been too long since I’d last heard from him. I sagged into my desk chair,