Free The Rebel by J.R. Ward Page B

lingered on the gutter, which was listing away from the roof edge.He was willing to bet she was making a mental note to fix it and that she’d do it herself.
    The idea of Frankie high up on a ladder made him uneasy.
    â€œSo you grew up here?”
    â€œBorn, raised, the whole bit.” Her eyes went to the lake.
    â€œWhere are your parents—are they retired?”
    She looked away from the water abruptly. “No, they’re dead.”
    Her tone of voice told him their conversation was going to be over in a matter of seconds so he didn’t dawdle in offering his condolences.
    â€œI’m sorry.”
    He watched as she shut down in front of him and the change happened so fast, it was like having a door slammed in his face. Her eyes went impassive and her expression assumed a deliberate calm that made him wonder about the emotions underneath.
    â€œThank you, but it was a long time ago,” she said.
    â€œYou know, I lost a parent five years ago. We didn’t get along, but the death changed everything, anyway.” He didn’t want to mention it was an improvement because clearly what had been left for her was not. “It takes quite a while to get over losing a parent, much less both of them.”
    She shrugged and he mined the angles of her faceand the color of her eyes for some sign she would let him in.
    Eventually, he said, “So about the lawn.”
    She nodded downward, towards his feet. “I don’t know that you should be pushing a mower around with that ankle of yours.”
    â€œI’ll go until I can’t go anymore.”
    â€œFunny, that’s my motto, too.”
    As she smiled and looked back out to the lake, he noticed that her glasses were smudged. Moving quickly, so she wouldn’t have a chance to jerk away, he took them off her face.
    â€œWhat are you doing?”
    He easily stepped out of her reach while she tried to grab them. “Cleaning your glasses.”
    â€œGive them back.”
    He rubbed one side and then the other with the clean corner of his shirt while moving around as she tried to take them. Lifting the lenses up to the sun and high over her head, he measured his work.
    â€œThere. All better.”
    Intending to slip them back on the bridge of her nose, he looked down just as she leaped up. Her body collided with his and he gripped her around the waist to keep them from falling over.
    As soon as she was in his arms, he felt as if he was out of control and on the way home at the same time. She must have felt it, too. Her lips parted in surprise as she looked up into his face.
    Those eyes, he thought. Those miraculous blue eyes should never be hidden. At least not from him.
    â€œPut me down,” she whispered. “I’m too heavy.”
    But she wasn’t. He felt as if he could hold her forever.
    Nate leaned in, getting his lips close to her ear. “Do you really want me to?”
    He felt her nod into his shoulder and told himself he could still keep her in his arms even if her feet were touching the ground. It would be easier to kiss her that way, too.
    He held his breath as he let her slide slowly down his body. When she was standing on her own, her breasts were against his chest and her hips pressed into what was quickly becoming his rigid arousal. He waited for a moment, wondering if she was going to pull back. Her hands were on his shoulders, lying lightly against the material of his shirt. She seemed to be focusing somewhere to his left, but she didn’t look as if she were really seeing anything.
    He put a fingertip under her chin and tilted her face up. Her eyes came to his reluctantly.
    â€œHi,” he said. Stupidly.
    But what else could he say? My God, woman, where have you been all my life? Or the ever popular, how’d you like to go upstairs, right now, and get naked with me?
    A blush hit her cheeks, spread down her neck and he knew he’d ruined the moment by talking. Breakingfree, she