Free A Risk Worth Taking by Melissa Klein

regrets,” he murmured. Never. No matter how things turned out with her.
    Her body tensed as her breathing became more regular. “I must go. Jackson will be looking for me.”
    He brushed a thumb across her cheek. “I’ll make a brazen woman out of you yet.” In reality she’d already given him far more than he could have hoped.
    The corners of her mouth turned up. “I doubt that. Will you settle for one that’s easily persuaded by a handsome face? I’d still like to volunteer with Help and Hope, if you like.”
    “I haven’t run you off.”
    She ducked her chin. “I seem to do that a lot around you.”
    “Ms. Owen was heading up the family day picnic next month. She left all her information about corporate sponsors and things she’d purchased on a flash drive. I’ll come by Wednesday after work and drop it off.”
    “Okay,” she said, stepping out of his embrace. “Are you coming?”
    “You go ahead.” Yeah, he was going to have to hang out with the candlesticks and punch bowls for a few minutes while the tent in his pants went down. He watched her leave, hoping this wasn’t the only time he’d ever get to hold her.

Chapter 9
    Abby braced the cell phone between her shoulder and ear, keeping her hands free so she could talk and dust at the same time. With Chris working in Charleston during the week, she was seriously behind on her “friend time.” She couldn’t remember the last time they’d gone five days without speaking.
    “How was your party?”
    She hadn’t come anywhere near a television during her time at Katherine’s. After Abby left the pantry, she’d been too flustered to pretend normalcy, so she’d quickly said her goodbyes and left. Her mind played over the reason she’d been too flustered to stay. Good God, the way Grant’s hands felt on her arms, her face, her breasts.
    “Abby, are you there?”
    And those soft as suede lips. “What?”
    “I asked about the Queen of Atlanta’s party. You did go, didn’t you?”
    She had to clear her throat before she could answer. “It was fine.” It was a good thing they were having this conversation over the phone, otherwise she’d never be able to fool him. She touched her cheeks, feeling their heat.
    Remembering he’d had his own plans that night, she asked, “How was your date?”
    He made a chuffing noise, the one he always paired with a dramatic eye roll. “Let’s just say if the guy was a dot-com executive, than I’m a straight guy. I hate people who feel they have to lie on their profiles. Like a high powered job negates being an ass.”
    “I’m sorry. It’s his loss. I wish you were here so we could drown your sorrows in some ice cream.”
    “Thanks,” he said with a laugh. “Tell me, what are you getting up to without me to keep you out of trouble?
    “Nothing much,” she answered, tempted to make up something about grading papers or reading. But she’d never lied to her best friend, and she wasn’t going to start now. She just needed to make it sound like no big deal. “Oh, Katie’s brother is coming over in a few minutes.”
    Several seconds ticked by. “Is it a date?”
    “No,” she shot back, her voice raising several octaves. It wasn’t. A date involved some type of social activity. “I’ve agreed to help him with his autism charity, and he’s bringing me some computer files he wants me to look over.”
    “That’s too bad,” he chuckled. “He is a fine specimen of the male gender.”
    Wasn’t that the God’s honest truth.
    “Why are all the good ones are either taken or straight?”
    Abby fumbled the phone, she laughed so hard. “You’re a mess,” she finally managed.
    The doorbell dried up her mirth. Her eyes darted around her living room as her free hand fluttered over her hair. “Hey, that’s the door,” she said walking toward the sound of the bell that had rung again. “I better go.”
    “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
    “That only leaves skydiving and busty