Read Never Let You Go for Free Online Page B

whiff of a cedary soap. For a moment, her breath caught. They were standing very close. He looked right into her eyes. The effect was piercing, intimate. Unbelievably, she wondered if he was going to kiss her. Then, in an instant, the moment was gone. Megan looked away as Jordan pushed open the door for her with one foot.
    Megan hurried toward the picnic table where the others were assembled, fighting sudden guilt. Stop, it was just one of those moments. He’s not thinking about it anymore. She gulped the glass of iced tea Anna placed in front of her, then held the cold glass to her forehead. Her friend touched her elbow.
    “What’s wrong?” Anna asked. “You’re all pale and sweaty.”
    “I’m okay,” Megan said as Jordan set the chicken on the table and slid onto the bench next to Anna.
    “Hi,” Anna breathed, her face alight.
    “Hi,” Jordan said easily. He poured himself a glass of tea.
    “Everyone, go ahead and start.” Linda waved her arms over the spread. “Before the flies find it.” There was a general clatterand shuffling as the serving dishes started going around.
    “Pass the salad, will you, Dave?” Thomas asked.
    Across the table, Robert was piling half the carrots onto his plate. “Oh, man, I love cream sauce,” he announced to no one in particular.
    Sarah passed Megan the corn. “So, Megan, where are you from?”
    “Cleveland.” Megan took an ear. It was bright yellow and firm, with big, juicy-looking kernels. She accepted the butter dish too and slathered on a big knifeful. “Actually, a western suburb.” She paused. “This dinner is really different from the way we eat at home,” she confided.
    “Really? How so?” Sarah asked.
    Megan thought of the usual Lean Cuisines, Kraft mac and cheese, tuna noodle casserole if her mother could find the energy. They had a table, but it was covered with homework papers and old mail. Dinner was eaten on the couch in front of the TV. “Dinner at home is, um . . . simpler.”
    Sarah nodded as if she understood what Megan was saying. “It’s hard to cook a lot when you have another job. Taking care of the house and cooking is all I do.” She gestured at the loaded table.
    “Oh, no way!” Anna exclaimed on her other side. Megan glanced over. Anna had slid down several inches so that her shoulder was touching Jordan’s as they ate. “You worked on a road crew last summer?”
    “Yeah, we had to spread tar nine hours a day. It would get upto about one hundred and ten out there on the blacktop,” Jordan was saying. “It had to be the worst summer job ever.”
    Anna squeezed his bicep. “That is amazing,” she purred. “I think it sounds sexy.” She tilted her head so her silky hair brushed his shoulder.
    What? That doesn’t even make sense. But Jordan didn’t seem to care. Actually, he seemed pleased with Anna’s obvious admiration.
    “Can I have a bite?” Anna pointed at Jordan’s bowl of watermelon with her fork and gave him a flirtatious glance. Megan saw Isaac raise one eyebrow.
    “Sure.” Jordan leaned back, and Anna stabbed a chunk of the pink fruit, raising it to her mouth and biting it seductively.
    “—ever since college,” Sarah was saying. Megan forced her attention back to the other conversation. “Dave loves it out here.”
    Dave nodded briefly from his spot at the end of the table and continued eating stolidly. Megan wondered if he ever talked.
    “Where did you go to college?” Megan asked, trying to ignore Anna’s buttery voice in her other ear. Now she was trying to feed Jordan a piece of watermelon with her fingers.
    “Bryn Mawr . . .” Sarah trailed off, distracted by Anna. Isaac had actually stopped eating, and up at the head of the table, Linda pressed her lips together into a thin line.
    Jordan ate the watermelon from Anna’s fingers. She narrowed her eyes with satisfaction, letting her finger linger between his lips for a moment. Then Jordan noticed everyone was watching. A little flush rose