Arden Read online

  It took a lot of willpower for her not to reach out and touch the strong man beside her. Instead of doing just that, she laid her hand on top of Max’s soft fur and gently caressed the overgrown mutt.

  Keera had always been able to love animals unconditionally. She thought that was a step in the right direction. But it was rare for an animal to reject a person, and once a bond had formed between a pet and its owner, there was no chance of that bond failing, at least never that she’d seen.

  “Max sure eats up the attention you’ve been giving him,” Arden said with a laugh. Max looked at him out of the corner of his eye with what appeared to be a warning. That almost made Keera laugh. She gave him an extra scratch.

  “That’s because I think I’m in love with him,” she said, feeling oddly light considering how dark her evening had been. “Animals love without conditions. It’s just something that draws me to them,” she admitted.

  “People can love that way, too,” he told her.

  She shrugged, trying not to show too much of what she was feeling. “Sadly enough, I’ve seen animals abused before, and then watched with a broken heart as the poor baby crawled back to the one who had hurt them, pleading with that person to forgive them, to love them in spite of what they thought they’d done wrong.” She had to stop and take a deep breath as she fought not to cry.

  “I think a person capable of animal abuse should get punished in the same way they torment their animals,” Arden said, his voice a deep growl.

  “You haven’t seemed like much of an animal lover,” she told him.

  “I might not be the best pet owner, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate animals, even love them,” he said. “And abuse is abuse, whether of another person, an animal, or yourself.” He paused for a moment. “But there’s a special place in hell for those who hurt the young, the old, or the furry.”

  It took all of Keera’s willpower not to reach out and caress this man at her side.

  “Yeah, I agree with you,” she said, finding herself sliding over a little closer to him. “I’ve always wondered, if an animal can love unconditionally, why is it so hard for us humans to do it,” she added. “I honestly don’t have an answer to that.”

  The three of them stepped outside, and Max seemed to grumble when Arden attached the leash back to his collar.

  “We’re in public. You need the leash,” Arden told Max, who turned away from him and stared ahead, obviously pouting.

  “There’s a store just a couple blocks down if you want to walk,” he offered.

  “I’d love to walk. It will clear my head and hopefully help my food settle so I can have more.” She suddenly smiled, and then chuckled, at Arden’s shocked expression.

  With all the soul-searching she was doing, she found she didn’t want to be afraid or upset. That was giving the people trying to scare her the power they desperately wanted. She wasn’t going to let them win that way.

  “I just found the pot at the end of the rainbow,” she told him.

  “I’m a little afraid to ask you what you’re talking about,” Arden said as he continued walking forward, Max leading the way.

  “I have more dessert waiting for me. Maybe we can stop at the store, get what we need, and take the long way back to the apartment,” she suggested.

  Arden gazed at her as if he were truly concerned she’d lost her mind, but then finally gave her a lopsided grin. “I have to say, I’ve always been a glass-half-full kind of guy. I’ll make a deal with you,” he offered.

  She was immediately suspicious. “I’m listening,” she said, though there was hesitation. She was beginning to learn that any deal Arden put on the table would surely benefit him the most.

  “If you share that dessert, we can go on a longer walk,” he began, and she was already not liking his deal. “And I’ll even put the new locks on.”

  Hmm. He wasn’t being unreasonable. But Keera wasn’t too sure she wanted to give up even the smallest morsel of her goodies. She wasn’t sure what Greta had sent home, but after one meal at the woman’s place, she had no doubt it would be scrumptious.

  “Come on. The place opens at eleven tomorrow. You can get more,” he said, his voice so pathetic she decided to cave.

  “You have a deal, then,” she said. The smile he gave her made her lose her step, nearly causing her to face-plant right there in the middle of the sidewalk. She quickly caught herself and turned away from him.

  Damn, the man was magnetic, and she was opening up to him more by the minute—hell, by the second, if she was being completely honest with herself. Yes, she had just decided it was time to let people into her life, but Keera would be a fool if she thought Arden would be a good first person to try to do that with.

  She realized as they walked side by side to the hardware store, she might not get much of a choice in the matter. Whether she liked it or not, the man was becoming indispensable to her. Now the question was, could she let go enough to accept the offer in his eyes?

  Chapter Twelve

  Arden didn’t understand why he felt like a teenager on his first date as he and Keera sat at her small kitchen table. The lights were dim, and it felt as if the rest of the world had fallen away. Why was he so comfortable with this woman? With everything happening, he should be more on alert, should be more suspicious.

  But instead of that, all he seemed to want to do was pull her next to him, close the distance between them, and taste her sweet lips. He had a feeling they tasted like honey. Yeah, he had a strong sex drive, but it was getting a little ridiculous how much he wanted this woman.

  Looking up, his eyes connected with Keera’s, and Arden quit resisting the urge to touch her. He reached across the small table and let his fingers sift through her silky strands, her tresses flowing over his skin.

  “What are you doing?” she asked nervously.

  “I love long hair,” he told her. “You should wear it down more.”

  “I try to keep it as professional as possible. It isn’t easy being a high school principal when you’re as young as I am. It’s hard to earn the students’ respect,” she told him.

  “You seem to be doing a good job on that front,” he said. He did notice how she backed away from him, though, so he dropped his hand and grabbed his fork instead, taking a bite of pie, the taste not nearly as satisfying as her lips would be.

  “Don’t you notice how the kids always seem to turn to a male teacher, or even Ethan? It’s annoying sometimes,” she told him.

  “I didn’t even think about it,” he admitted.

  “You wouldn’t have to. Not only have you grown up in this town, earning instant trust and respect, but you are indeed a male,” she said. He enjoyed the sigh in her voice. She might be fighting him, but she was definitely attracted. He just had to get her to trust what she was feeling.

  “I guess I’ll have to pay more attention to that,” he said.

  “Are you saying that to appease me?” she asked with a smile. Damn, when this woman smiled, her face lit up, making her even more beautiful than she was already.

  “Not at all,” he assured her. “What made you want to be a principal in the first place?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I just knew I needed to do something that would make a difference to children,” she told him.

  “Why not social work, then?” he asked.

  “I think I went into school having no idea what I wanted to do, and then it just sort of happened. Why don’t you tell me why a billionaire would decide to be a high school teacher, earning a pittance of a paycheck and working long hours? That has to be a much better story than mine.”

  He laughed. “I’ve been asked that a lot,” he said. “And I think it’s the same answer as yours. I wanted to make a difference.”

  “But you had a great childhood. You’re close with your family. Why feel the need to help kids?”

  She picked up a cookie and ripped off a corner. The way she opened her mouth, her tongue sweeping out the slightest bit
to taste the chocolate before she popped it into her mouth, had his body aching in an unbearable way. He shifted on his small chair and wondered what the chances were of getting her into bed.

  He wasn’t a betting man, but he didn’t think his odds were too good on this night.

  Their eyes connected again, and her hand froze on its way to her mouth. The sexual chemistry between them was insane. She took a shuddering breath, and while she was doing her best to pretend nothing was happening between them, he had no doubt there was magic in the air. She could deny it, but it was there.

  “Did you ever think of doing something else?” she asked.

  “Nope, not really. I’m a pretty stubborn man, and once something gets locked inside my head, there’s really no turning back,” he said.

  “Is that a warning?” she asked, surprising him with her sass.

  “Would you take heed if it was?” he said, his lips turned wide. His cheeks were actually a bit sore from smiling so much.

  “I’d take it as a challenge,” she answered, surprising him.

  “I’ve never been able to resist a challenge myself,” he said.

  “I guess we’re both pretty stubborn,” she said before resuming her small bites of cookie. The way this woman ate was driving him mad.

  The two of them chatted as they consumed far too many calories. He found that not only was he attracted to her, but he actually enjoyed her company. That was rarer than people realized.

  When you connected with someone, it was foolish to ignore it. And one thing people would never be able to say about Arden was that he was a fool. Yes, when he made up his mind, he went after what he wanted. And yes, he wanted Keera. What he wasn’t sure about was exactly what he wanted her for. Was it just sex?

  “I have to say I’m a bit worried about your chair,” he told her as he shifted. “I’m not sure it’s gonna keep holding me. Maybe we should move to the couch.”

  Her eyes narrowed, and he realized he’d kill to know what was going through her mind.

  “Just because my furniture doesn’t come from some high-end retailer doesn’t make it any less useful,” she assured him.

  He held up a hand. “Whoa, where did that come from?”

  “I don’t like snobs,” she said.

  “How is that comment me being a snob?” he asked.

  “You’ve been extremely wealthy your entire life, so being here in my apartment is the definition of ‘slumming it’ for you,” she told him.

  He sat back and looked at her. “Are you a reverse snob?” he asked, liking the shock in her eyes.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she questioned.

  “I don’t judge you for your life. Why should you judge me for mine?” he asked. This was a conversation he’d had before, but her answers would tell him a lot about her.

  “I’ve known wealthy people, and they think money gives them the right to do whatever they want, whenever they want. It’s obscene,” she said.

  “Just because someone has the money to enjoy some of the finer things in life doesn’t define who they are,” he pointed out.

  “It defines a lot of people,” she said.

  “Does it define you?” he asked. Her head turned as she looked at him, trying to figure out where he was going with this conversation. He was confusing her, and that was good. It was nice to keep someone off-kilter once in a while.

  “I refuse to be defined. I get to choose the path I want to take. And I will never let money rule my life,” she assured him.

  “Good. Me, either,” he told her. He leaned closer, their heads close, but not close enough. She stayed there for a moment before backing away.

  “I’m sorry,” she finally said. “It’s just that wealthy people confuse me. They don’t understand how the rest of the world lives, don’t understand what it’s like to be hungry or worried about how they’re going to pay their bills. And they are a little too judgmental about the rest of the population.”

  “Basically, you’re telling me I don’t have compassion or common sense,” he said with a chuckle.

  “No!” she assured him. “I wasn’t talking specifically about you . . .” She trailed off when he continued laughing. “You’re making me uncomfortable on purpose, aren’t you?” she asked before giving in and letting out her own chuckle.

  “Maybe a little. But you are being quick to judge me without getting to know me,” he told her.

  They finished their dessert, and Arden took the time to get to know this woman a little more while also letting her see he wasn’t the person she’d so quickly assumed he was. Arden could see she was definitely not a woman eager to jump into a quick affair, but she was also skittish when it came to relationships.

  He wasn’t sure where that left them.

  “We’ve consumed a million calories today, and I think it’s now time to call it a night,” she told him.

  Arden was surprised by the disappointment her words filled him with. But he didn’t want her to feel as if he wasn’t willing to respect or listen to her. He rose from the table and held out a hand to help her up.

  With reluctance, she gave it to him, and he slowly pulled her to her feet. The two of them stood there for a few moments, and though the sexual tension was as thick as fog, he also felt comfortable. He liked being with this woman.

  Reaching out, he ran a finger down her cheek, enjoying when her eyes dilated. Damn, he wanted to kiss her. And he knew she’d let him. But somehow he knew it wasn’t the right moment. Tonight had been about building trust. He couldn’t blow that.

  “Good night, Keera,” he said, his voice husky.

  “Good night,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Though it felt as if his legs were weighed down and he was slogging through the mud, he let her go and walked to the door. It had been a pretty great night. He planned on a lot more just like it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Keera had never spent an entire week as sexually and mentally frustrated as she had in the last, very long seven-day period. Arden insisted on picking her up and dropping her off every day. The problem with this arrangement was that every moment she spent with the man was one more moment she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to let him go from her life.

  Right now there was danger in the air, and Keera was most definitely a woman who liked to research things. She had read more than one article about how dangerous it was to start any sort of relationship with another person while your emotions were running on overdrive.

  Add to that her sexual attraction to the man, and the fact that it had been so long since she’d had sex that she couldn’t remember the last time, and she was a bomb about to go off. If he brushed her arm or back one more time, she didn’t think she could be responsible for what happened next.

  “Are you ready to head out?” the man who was constantly in her thoughts asked from her doorway.

  Just like always, her belly did a few flip-flops at the sight of him. As he moved into her office, she held her breath, knowing the moment she took in some air, she was going to inhale his scent. She’d swear under oath the man had some secret pheromone he mixed into his cologne.

  “Yes, I’m finished,” she said, her voice tight enough that Arden looked at her curiously. He’d learned not to question her when she was in a mood like this. He certainly wasn’t a foolish man. That much could be said about him.

  Max came around her desk to greet her with a lick against her hand as he waited for his treat. Yes, she’d gone out and bought the dog a bag of goodies, and he knew exactly where they were in her office—no matter how many times she hid them, seeing if she could fool the mutt.

  This time he went over to her coat tree and pawed a double-lined cooler bag, then gave her a look that seemed to say, Come on, you can do better than this. The dog’s amusement instantly lightened her mood. She chuckled as she moved over to the bag and opened it, taking out a snack and giving it to Max, who gently took it from her.

  “You’re such a
sweetheart,” she told him as she gave him a quick scratch before putting on her jacket and grabbing her purse.

  “With you he is. He’s still a pain in my butt,” Arden said. “I think you’re just the animal whisperer. I can’t believe that mean alley cat was purring beneath your feet the other day. He drew blood on my ankle the day before. We need to catch him so I can take him to Doc Evan to get a checkup and maybe find a home for him, not that anyone would want that beast.”

  “Oh, Tom is misunderstood,” she told Arden, who grumbled beneath his breath.

  “Yeah, so is Max, apparently,” he told her.

  “Max is a good boy. I can’t believe you got him for free,” she said. “I remember a girl in school had a German shepherd that she said cost as much as her car.”

  “Yeah, they are loyal dogs, but that doesn’t mean I ever wanted a pet,” he told her.

  “I’d gladly take him off your hands if the apartment building allowed pets,” she said with a sigh.

  Max moved closer to her and rubbed his head against her waist. She really did feel as if the animal could understand conversations. It’d be pretty dang cool if he did. And though Arden might grumble and moan about the dog, she had noticed he was softening with the animal. He’d even started petting the dog at times when he didn’t realize what he was doing. She had a feeling that he and Max weren’t ever going to part.

  “You can have him. I’ll talk to the apartment management,” Arden said, but she noticed how he looked at the dog and winced as if instantly regretting his words.

  “You should be very glad I know you don’t mean that or you’d be losing a pet and then crying about it when you’re all by yourself,” she told him.

  “I don’t stand around crying,” Arden assured her.

  “Mm-hmm,” she mumbled. He uttered something else and then held open the back door for Max to jump in before opening her door. She’d learned to wait for him to do it. It seemed to offend him if she opened a door by herself. She refused to admit that this was another thing she liked about the man. His ego was big enough without her needing to stroke it for him.