Free Crossing the Line by Sherri Hayes Page B

breasts up, giving him plenty to look at from his angle above her. 
    Coughing, Paul swiftly lowered himself to the floor, hoping that the new angle would help. It did in some ways, but didn’t in others. Megan wasn’t wearing a bra, and he could see the tips of her nipples pushing against her pajama top. 
    Looking up to the ceiling, he took a deep breath. 
    “You ready?” Megan asked, bringing his attention back to her. 
    He nodded, not trusting his voice. 
    They played five hands before he decided to head up to his room, and he lost every single one because he was so utterly distracted. Something had to be done. There had to be a way to reverse whatever made this happen. 
    As he lay down in his bed that night and closed his eyes, the flashes he’d had earlier in the day morphed into memories. Paul groaned as he relived what he knew was no longer a dream. He didn’t have to imagine how soft Megan’s skin was along her thighs—he knew. He’d felt it himself. 
    By the time everything replayed in his mind, he was hard, and knew there was no way he was going to be able to get to sleep anytime soon if he didn’t do something. 
    Throwing off the covers, he headed into his bathroom for a very long, very cold shower. 

Chapter 7
    Megan pulled her car up in front of Chloe’s best friend, Debbie’s house. Chloe was bouncing in her seat, barely able to contain herself, wanting out of the vehicle as soon as humanly possible. “Can I get out now, Megan?”
    “Yes, you may.”
    By the time Megan unbuckled her seat belt and exited the vehicle, Chloe was already at the front door, ringing the bell. Debbie and Chloe had a playdate scheduled, which meant that after Megan dropped Chloe off, Megan was free for the next two hours. She was still contemplating what to do with herself.
    Before she could go any farther with her thoughts, Debbie’s mom, Tessa, opened the door. 
    “Hey.” Tessa smiled down at Chloe. “Debbie’s—”
    A delighted squeal was heard inside the house, followed by little feet coming down hard on the tile floor. Not two seconds later, Chloe took off into the house.
    Tessa and Megan looked at each other and started laughing. “I wish I had their energy.”
    Megan nodded, agreeing with Tessa. “I wish I had half of it.”
    “Oh please, you’re only what? Twenty?”
    “Twenty-three.”
    Tessa waved her hand in dismissal, as if to say the three additional years weren’t important. “You’re still a baby. Wait until you’re my age.”
    Although she kept a smile on her face, Megan grimaced. She knew Tessa didn’t mean anything by it. In fact, she thought Tessa might mean it as a compliment. If not for Paul, Megan might have taken it that way herself.
    “I’ll pick Chloe up around five, if that’s okay.” 
    There was another squeal in the background, and Tessa shifted to look over her shoulder before refocusing her attention on Megan. “That should be fine. The girls usually settle down after a few minutes and go play in Debbie’s room. Hopefully, I can get some work done around the house.”
    “Call me if you need me to pick her up early.”
    Megan waved goodbye, and walked slowly back to her car. It wasn’t anything fancy, but at least it was hers. When she’d first come to live with Paul and Chloe, she didn’t own much of anything, and most certainly not a car. But with Paul working all day, and some nights, she needed to have a vehicle to drive both herself and Chloe around. 
    As she slid behind the wheel, she remembered that first weekend when Paul took her to look for a car. They’d left early in the morning, dropping Chloe off at her grandparents so she wouldn’t be bored all day. It was the first time Megan and Paul had truly been alone together, and the day she began to get to know the man that he was. 
    Starting her car, Megan pulled away from the curb, and headed back home. She figured she’d spend her free time getting some of her schoolwork done, and relax. It was