Free Fate Intended (The Coulter Men Series Book 3) by Elizabeth Seckman

couldn’t imagine a girl like you not having a guy in the palm of your hand. And there was…”
    Jane interrupted. “No boyfriend. I never had a boyfriend. Never had a man here.” She held out her hand and pointed to her palm. “You think I could fit one here…like my toy? Even a man like you?”
    He took her hand and kissed the upturned palm. “Especially, a man like me.”
    Jane stomach did a flip-flop. She thought of all the times she watched him and loved him. How certain she was that he was the man for her, that he would love her. She was right; he was created for her. Leaning in, she kissed him. Quick and sweet, just to prove to herself she could. That she had the right. As her lips brushed against his, she relished in her victory. He pulled her tight, his hand wrapped at the base of her neck, warm fingers sliding into her hair as his mouth pressed against hers, demanding more. She gripped his shoulders, holding on tight as her mind whirled and spun. He kissed her long and deep…cleansing her mind of everything, including Sasha’s warnings.

Chapter 8
     
    Jane cleaned her block of apartments with a rejuvenated spirit. Her movements were quick and effortless as she hummed a merry tune while loading bag after bag of laundry onto her cart. Her good humor might have been the leftover glow of a magnificent week of perfect dates, or it might have been that she is finally sleeping at night. No bad dreams, no worry of bad dreams…just thoughts of Trip.
    She shoved the cart off the elevator into the laundry room. She turned on her iPod, put in her ear buds, and cranked up the volume. She swiveled her hips to Pink, more certain than ever that she, too, was a rock star. The beat coursed through her ears to her veins. She moved down the row of washers with the grace of a belly dancer, closing the lids as she passed and setting the machines to wash. While she waited, she danced, hips gyrating, fingers snapping. She sang the words she knew; hummed the ones she didn’t.
    It felt good to feel this good. She thought of her evening with Trip. Pure glee bubbled in her spirit, making her feel light and free, invulnerable to trouble or harm. She played their conversations over and over in her mind until she could hear his voice in her ear. Heard her name on his lips.
    Jane.
    It was so beautiful when he said it. It sounded so real.
    She heard it again, only closer…then something grabbed her shoulder. She spun, yanking the ear buds from her ears, fists balled, ready to strike.
    “Whoa, Jane.” He put his hands in the air. “I’m unarmed.”
    “Trip.” She smiled, her shoulders relaxed and fists unclenched.
    “I called your name, but you couldn’t hear me.”
    She blushed. “How long were you there?”
    “Long enough.”
    “Long enough for what?”
    “Long enough to know you could make a fool of me on the dance floor.”
    She covered her mouth with her hand. “So embarrassing.”
    “Why? You’re quite good.” He grabbed her and wrapped her in muscular arms. “Dance with me, Jane.”
    “No.” She giggled, blushing several shades of red. A washer beeped and stopped. She backed away from him and headed to the slowing machine. “I have work to do.”
    Trip was close behind her and stepped in and pulled clothes out of one of the washers from over her shoulder. She paused, a single pair of slacks dangling cold and wet in her hands. Work suddenly forgotten, she ogled his tan skin as it rippled and flexed as he pulled shirt after shirt out of the washer and dumped them in the rolling laundry basket.
    Washer emptied, he took the pants from her and tossed them with the rest and asked, “So, other than dancing your way through your work, what have you got planned for today?”
    “Aren’t you a funny guy.” She pulled the cart to a dryer and started shoving clothes in. She shook her head as she explained, “I have to dry these, then fold, and bag them, then return them to the owners.”
    “So when we get that