Read Let Me Love You for Free Online

water would run out the drainpipe and flow down the river.
    A whole lot like the way Sloan McAlister would climb onto a train and disappear over the ridge one day soon.
    Only a fool would lay her body down for a man who wouldn’t sleep beside her once he’d had her.
“Miss Spencer.”
    Gregory Blanery didn’t say anything further, but his gaze was fastened onto her through the thick black bars set between his customer and himself. Brianna savored the moment, her best bonnet tied into a careful bow at her chin, along with her best dress. The entire way into town she had been a bundle of tension, her imagination running wild with ideas of bandits stealing her land mortgage money in those moments that it took her to get to the bank. But the last rays of sunlight were fading as she flashed the banker a sweet smile before stepping forward to place her stack of carefully counted money in front of him. His attention instantly focused on the bills, his boney fingers closing around the paper. He counted it faster than she could have, flipping through the bills twice.
    “I do believe that settles our account for the next year.”
    He glared at her for a long second before nodding his head. “It does.” Disappointment laced his words, but it was music to her ears. There would
    be no land auction to line his pockets. The land note was not even half the value of her father’s mill. But if the bank note went into foreclosure, the banker could take everything she couldn’t carry away. That would include the heavy grinding stones.
    The banker scratched out a receipt and slid it across his counter to her eager hand.
    “Until next season.”
    He grunted at her, but nothing could tarnish her happiness as she tucked the little payment slip into her purse. It was better than money. Stepping outside she paused for a moment to clutch her handbag tight against her chest.
    “See, Daddy? I didn’t let you down.”
    Music drifted up from the church as the sun faded completely. Climbing up onto her horse, she rode the short distance to the light spilling out of the church doors. Several teams stood in the cooling night air as their owners flocked inside to share the music. Her step was light as she cast blankets over her horse and went to join them. It was time to celebrate.
    He shouldn’t touch her.
    That thought didn’t stick. Sloan wasn’t sure it even left a trail as it slipped right out of his brain to make room for the hunger that was doubling in size as he watch Brianna work the last of her coat buttons. A smile touched his lips at the innocent picture she made in the coatroom—she was still wearing her gloves and her fingers were clumsy on the buttons due to the fabric coating her fingers. A silvery giggle escaped her lips as she stopped and tugged her gloves off before stuffing them into a coat pocket. Music floated in on the wind as the light flickered over her smile. She was humming with the fiddle as she shrugged out of her jacket and turned around to place it on a hook.
    Brianna had to rise up onto her toes to reach a free hook. The walls already strained under the number of coats and shawls hanging there. It didn’t bother her. In fact, it added to the festive atmosphere. A pair of male hands suddenly appeared over hers and plucked her coat from her. A little gasp escaped her lips as sensation rippled along her skin from the contact of bare fingers against bare fingers. It was such a silly thing to notice so intently, but little goose bumps spread along her arms.
    Her coat landed on a hook that was sure a whole lot easier for Sloan McAlister to reach with his towering height. Brianna wasn’t even certain her head came to the man’s shoulders. She turned around and discovered it didn’t. Her breath got stuck in her throat as she tipped her chin up to look at his face. It was strange the way her body quivered. On some level, she actually recognized what his skin smelled like and something in her belly jumped at that scent.