Read Soul Mates for Free Online Page B

Her eyes were a distinct copper-brown color, not unlike her car when viewed from a certain direction. He noticed her skin as well; it was smoother and softer-looking than any he had ever seen. He wondered what it would feel like to touch.
    “Are you okay?” she demanded sharply. “I just asked you a question, and you’re standing there staring at me.”
    “What? Oh sorry, I…I…,” he stammered. “What did you say?”
    “Are you drunk?”
    “No, I’m not drunk!” His mind snapped to attention. The question was a direct allegation, and it put him on the defensive, reminding him of his disgust for her.
    “Well, I asked you a question, and you didn’t answer.” She spoke slowly, repeating herself as if talking to someone with a learning disability. “You were staring at my car, and I asked if I could help you.”
    “Can’t a guy look at a car?” he shot back. “You park an expensive car like that on a street in this neighborhood, you’re bound to have people take a second look.”
    “You looked more than twice. I thought you were casing it out,” she accused blatantly.
    “You assume because I live in this neighborhood that I’d steal your car, that I’m a criminal? What are you doing here, anyway? This is a long way from your part of town.”
    “It’s none of your business why I’m here,” she replied haughtily. “I have every right to be in this neighborhood or any other.”
    “Well, you’re not welcome here,” Jace growled, suddenly remembering Chad’s suggestion that she may be buying the building. He reached for self-control, but it eluded him. “Why don’t you take your fancy clothes and your fancy car and go back where you came from?”
    He turned and walked up the steps before he could say more. It wasn’t like him to get into an argument with a complete stranger on the street, yet this woman infuriated him. It’s not her, he reminded himself. It’s what she represents . Nevertheless, he couldn’t seem to separate the two. Nor did he see the need. He loathed what she represented, and he didn’t mind letting her know.
    CASSANDRA HAD NEVER been treated so rudely in her life, and the shock of it left her unsure how to react. She simply watched him walk away. He’d disappeared into the building before she could think of an appropriate comeback.
    How dare he tell me I’m not welcome here! she seethed, clenching her fists and stamping her foot . He acts like he owns the building, the whole damn neighborhood for that matter. Are all the people around here this rude? She hoped not, for her aunt’s sake. When she thought of her sweet, soft-spoken aunt being treated that way, her anger surged.
    Needing to cool off, Cassandra got in the car and drove, quickly distancing herself from the unsettling incident. As she regained her composure, she began to think about future visits. I hope I never run into him again, but there’s a chance of it if I continue to meet with Aunt Sophia at her apartment. She was aware that it could take several visits to document all that her aunt wanted to impart to her. Cassandra was willing to make that commitment despite the possibility of running into her aunt’s ill-mannered neighbor. I’m going to be the bigger person here, she asserted. I’m going to treat him like he doesn’t exist. I won’t let him get me riled up. I won’t give him that satisfaction.
    Content with her decision, she headed back to the Town House. The garden party was about to begin, and she was to be the guest of honor. Her mother loved showing her off and bragging about her accomplishments to all her friends. Although Cassandra found social functions like that tedious, it was easier to comply with her mother’s wishes than explain why she objected to them.
    She would have preferred to spend the afternoon roaming the grounds or relaxing by the pool. Moreover, she still hoped for time alone with her father to discuss the ideas Sophia had brought up and get his take on them. He was