Free Flawed (Blaze of Glory #2) by Cherry Shephard Page A

too enthusiastically. “He’s the one who got me this job. I was a runaway and lived on the streets until about a week ago. Keets is the one who found me in town and offered me the job. Gave me a place to stay and everything.” I can’t help but grin at his obvious bromance love for his employer. “That’s great,” I respond with a smile, lightly touching his arm. “But, what about the man himself? Is he trustworthy?”
    “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” a cold voice asks behind me.
    “Keets,” I gasp, spinning around with my hand over my heart. “You scared the hell out of me.” I see Lance slip out of the bar from the corner of my eye, and I force myself to stand tall and proud. Warily watching Keets walking toward me, I find myself backing up until my hip hits the side of the bar. “Have I given you a reason to not trust me, Natalie?” he asks, his voice low, eyes never leaving mine. He stops about two inches away from me and leans forward, brushing my hair over my shoulder and down my back. His breath is hot and heavy against my ear. “Have I, Natalie?” he whispers, sending shivers down my spine. “Keets, I—”
    “Shh,” he interrupts, placing a finger against my lips. “Don’t speak. Just let me show you how trustworthy I am.” Removing his finger, he immediately replaces it with his lips, kissing first one side of my mouth, then the other. By the time I feel his tongue probing, demanding access, I am lost to the sensation. Parting my lips, I allow him to deepen the kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck as his hands rest lightly on my hips, pulling me against his lower body. I can feel his hardness pressing against me through his jeans before his hands move lower, beneath my short skirt…
    “Wait,” I gasp, pushing him away breathlessly. He eyes me as I move away, desperate to put some distance between us. I don’t know what just came over me; he has me under some kind of kinky spell that makes me want to throw myself at him every time he comes near me. “We can’t do this,” I say, finally looking up at him. He seems to hesitate, then nods once. “You’re right, of course,” he says curtly. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” Turning around, he stalks back toward the office, slamming the door closed behind him.
    I sag against the bar and pull my hair up into a ponytail, securing it with a hair tie from my wrist. Rubbing my hands over my face, I let out a loud sigh and step behind the bar. I grab a glass of ice water before moving to a small round table. Taking a seat, I sit in the dark and crunch a piece of ice between my back teeth, contemplating everything that just happened. There’s no denying that there’s an attraction between myself and Keets, which surprises me in itself; I generally go for much younger guys but he seems to be pushing forty. But damnit, those eyes, those hands… those lips , make it impossible for me to resist him.
    My hand shifts to my stomach and I rub it gently as I drink my water. I can’t afford to be selfish right now; there’s no longer just myself to consider. Groaning, I drop my head to the table and bang it lightly against the wood a few times. How did my life come to this? Fresh out of college, pregnant by a one-night stand and hopelessly attracted to a man almost twice my age. There’s no question about it, I’m completely hopeless. My parents must be turning over in their graves.
     
    I’m woken a short time later as I’m picked up from my seat. I weakly protest, but I’m just too tired to argue.
    “Stay still,” Keets mumbles gruffly as he carries me effortlessly through to the office and deposits me gently on the bed. He reaches for the blanket and drags it up over my legs before turning to go back to the couch. Grumbling, I stretch out my arm and snag the edge of his shirt. “Stay,” I mumble. He seems to hesitate, but through my sleep clogged eyes I can just make out his shoulders slumping in resignation. Pulling his