Read Guarding Sophie for Free Online

we need?”
    Most guys spent hours trying to come up with a way to ask a woman out they were already attracted to or, in his case, had been since he was in high school. Expensive cuts of meat must have some mystical power over Sophie. She evidently couldn’t wait to get in the kitchen and straighten things out for him.
    He wanted an actual date with her—dinner at a great restaurant, maybe a movie afterward—but right now, he knew she’d run like a cheetah if he suggested it. If she wanted to break in his new kitchen, she was free to do so. Hanging out at his place also had the added bonus of privacy. He wasn’t going to make a move on her quite yet, but he really wanted to hear her story. He wondered if there was anything he could do to help. She shouldn’t spend the rest of her life being afraid of her own shadow.
    Sophie was glancing through the stuff in the cart. “Okay. We have aluminum foil, peppercorns, kosher salt, fresh rosemary, garlic, olive oil, a disposable roasting pan, and a big fork to take the roast out with. I’ll grab some fresh horseradish. Do you have a cutting board? We also have potatoes, cream, butter, and broccoli. How about a bottle of red wine? It might be good with the meat.”
    â€œDoes this mean you’re coming over to help me cook?”
    â€œHelp you cook?” she joked. “I thought I was cooking.”
    â€œWell, then,” he said, “I accept.”

Chapter Five
    K YLE PULLED UP in front of his place with Sophie and another seventy-five bucks of groceries. She’d offered him cash for the stuff they bought, and she’d tried to pay for her own iced tea today. There was no way he was letting her pay for any of it. She was doing him a favor by trying to help. Plus, he could afford it. It had been a while since he’d had someone so much as offer to pay for anything while they were out together. Just knowing she didn’t expect him to foot the bill for everything was refreshing.
    â€œYou’re the first person to see this besides the interior decorator and my real estate guy,” he told her as he grabbed the grocery bags out of the backseat of his crossover.
    â€œI’m honored,” she said. “Thanks for inviting me.” He saw her grin. “I should have brought a housewarming gift.”
    â€œHell no,” he said. “Come on in.”
    He opened the front door, disengaged the security system, and gestured for her to precede him inside. The soaring ceilings of his cabin kept things cool. The late-afternoon sun brushed everything it touched with soft gold. He still smelled the lemon-scented stuff the cleaning people had used before he’d moved in too.
    â€œIt’s beautiful, Kyle. You must love this.”
    â€œI do.” His new condo back in Bellevue had an incredible view of Lake Washington, but he was enjoying the fresh air and privacy of this house nestled in evergreens.
    â€œDon’t you have to cross the pass to go to the Sharks’ headquarters every day?”
    â€œI don’t have to be back in Seattle for six weeks,” he said. “Want something to drink?”
    â€œThat would be great.”
    S OPHIE STIFLED A gasp as she walked into the kitchen of her dreams. Hand-scraped wide-plank hardwood floors were stained a rich dark brown that coordinated with the lower custom cabinets. The upper cabinets were a snowy white. Gray-veined quartz countertops were accented with a subway-tile backsplash that went up to the ceiling. A farm sink beckoned, complete with a dual-function faucet and generously sized window that looked over Kyle’s backyard. She did her best to not gawk at the state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances. She moved closer to a quartz-topped center island with plenty of storage and a place to eat.
    She could spend all day every day cooking on the six-burner extra-large gas cooktop and baking in the double ovens if they belonged to her. She