Free Caught in the Act: Book Two: Independence Falls by Sara Jane Stone

Either way, if he wanted to move forward with Katie, they needed to revisit the past. Here, in her moving car, where he couldn’t invite her to sit on his lap, was probably the best place.
    And there was one question he’d been dying to ask for seven long years. One he should have addressed to her that night instead of shutting her out. “Why didn’t you tell me it was your first time?”
    “I was afraid you’d stop. I didn’t want you to walk away.”
    “I would have,” he cut in.
    “I know. And I told myself that it didn’t matter. I thought you—” She bit her lower lip as if trying to stop herself from letting another word escape.
    “That I’d fallen in love with you?” He kept his voice soft and gentle as if speaking to one of her skittish horses. “Katie, I never meant to hurt you. Never. But I was young too. And pretty damn stupid. I wasn’t looking for love back then.”
    “And now?” she demanded. “What are you looking for now?”
    Liam hesitated, staring out the window. It was too soon to tell her that he wanted a second chance at that moment when she’d offered him her heart, her future, her everything. He needed more time to prove that he deserved her, show her that he’d cherish her. This time it would be about what she wanted and needed from him.
    “I’m not as stupid as I was back then. I like to think I’ve learned from my mistakes.”
    “And yet here you are. Taking me out for a second time this week,” she said, not bothering to mask her sarcasm. “What would my brothers think?”
    “I’m planning to leave them out of it this time.” At least until he’d won her, which sure as hell better happen by Monday.
    “And if that’s not possible?” she challenged.
    “Like you said, you’re not eighteen anymore. I would expect them to respect your decisions.”
    She let out a mirthless laugh and headed for the exit ramp. The sign overheard indicated they were approaching one of the nearby college towns.
    “Am I allowed to know where we’re going yet?” he asked.
    “Big Buck’s Country Bar. According to the reviews I read online, they have a mechanical bull.”
    His gaze fixed on the bare skin of her thighs. “And you’re planning to ride it wearing that?”
    “No.”
    Thank God. He’d have ended up in a bar fight if she’d mounted the machine in that dress.
    “We’re just checking the place out. I want to find out if they have dancing. See if it gets too crowded. And if I can, talk to a manager, ask if they allow dogs.”
    Dancing and dogs? Liam furrowed his brow, unable to piece this puzzle together. “You lost me.”
    “It’s for Georgia. The guest list for her party includes a friend with a service dog. I get the sense he’s not a purse dog we could keep hidden. And Georgia wants to go dancing.”
    Katie turned into a parking lot lined with cars and a few motorcycles. The neon sign in the corner read: “Big Buck’s, Live Music Tonight!” She pulled into a vacant space. “This doesn’t look promising. I don’t want your sister to run away and hide at her own party, not when we’re supposed to be celebrating her last hurrah as a single woman.”
    Liam reached for her arm, stopping her from exiting the wagon. “Hold up a minute. We’re here ‘researching’ my little sister’s bachelorette party?”
    She nodded. The smile on her face—it was almost devilish.
    “Not a chance, Katie.”
    Her eyes sparkled with a naughty glint. “I can go in by myself.”
    His mind filled with the image of Katie’s long legs wrapped around a mechanical bull. Every man in there would be staring at her. And when she got off and hit the dance floor? They’d be lining up for a chance to get close to her.
    “Hell no.” He let go of her arm and reached for the car door. “I’m coming with you.”
    K ATIE SLAMMED HER door and turned around. Closing her eyes, she drew a deep breath, needing a moment before she played the part of the determined seductress again. She’d