Read Love Inn for Free Online Page B

lounge chair and stretched. Nikki watched Ben’s face change, a muscle twitching in his cheek. There was more there than even he knew. 
    ###
    Kitty gathered her purse, notebook, and other necessary items for a visit to the library. Ben had offered to drive her in his truck but she refused. The rental would be the most sensible car to take. After all, the mileage was free. She would have gladly driven herself, but he wouldn’t hear of it. A most pleasant change of male behavior in her estimation.
    She slid into the passenger’s seat, dropping her purse and belongings onto the floor. Once fully inside, she pulled the seat belt over to hook it in. Ben waited with a casual interest, but it made her a little nervous. The car was small and they were close beside each other.
    So close in fact, she could smell his cologne. Earthy and musky, it matched his personality some way, and made her want to snuggle close to him and be protected. This strange attraction sent a warm flush into her cheeks and she tried to hide it by concentrating on the uncooperative lap belt latch.
    He reached over and took the belt from her trembling hands, deftly locking it into place. She gazed at him, a murmured thanks on her lips and saw a smile spread across his face.
    “Damn Americans, can’t make anything right,” he said, his hand brushing hers.
    “Agreed,” she answered, looking away. Ben’s nearness affected even her breathing, it seemed. This was going in the book.
    He leaned toward her, their shoulders nearly touching. “But we play great baseball.”
    She felt her pulse skyrocket. If he moved just a wee bit, he could kiss her.
    Would he hold her face in his hands? Would he sigh with need like the man in her book had done? Would he fill her with passion, as she had always wanted?
    As the questions flitted through her mind, the realization that she feared receiving the answers struck her. She moved away, adjusted her earrings, and faced forward. “Of that I have no doubt.”
    He took the car out of park. “Maybe we can find a Redbirds game before you leave.”
    “Thank you. I’ve not gone to many sporting events in America. Too focused on other things.” She looked down at her hands. “My writing.”
    He glanced behind him before backing out, and casually said, “You’re probably not going to get a better chance to see what red-blooded Americans like.”
    She didn’t have to think very hard to understand what he was saying. Red-blooded American men. “First the library, I think,” she stammered. 
    ###
    While she wandered the library shelves and sat leafing through huge reference books, Ben strolled around outside, watching people, and enjoying the warmth of the day.
    Tables and chairs stood nearby to enable visitors to sit and read. He pulled one of the wrought iron chairs out and sat in it, thoughts raging.
    He’d wanted to impress her, make her long to return to the Inn, not seduce her. What had happened in the car? Where had desire squeezed itself in? He’d tried to remain aloof, detached. She was his guest, but damn, it was hard to keep playing this game. She spent a lot of her time in his presence, using him as a model for the book.
    Her every look, every word, was justifiably questionable.
    No wonder she filled his every waking moment—and even some of the night—whether physically or in thought alone. It was as though she’d planned it that way.
    Her spicy romance book kept him hot and bothered like Kitty had cast some sort of spell over him. He had damn near given up his soul to the temptress in the car a little while ago.
    “What were you thinking?” he asked himself quietly. He’d almost taken her into his arms and kissed her silly. And she had given off the impression that she knew it. Her eyes had gone wide and filled with longing for him, but it was mixed with something else, something more like fear. Fear of what? Rejection? He’d known that himself a few times. But it hadn’t stopped him from