Free Texas Takedown by Barb Han Page B

happen again.” He pushed up onto his knees, then stood. “You want a glass of water?”
    She shook her head, embarrassed. She’d let things between them go too far, and now it would be awkward. Dylan wasn’t reaching out to her because he liked her; it was because of the tension he was under. He needed a release. Sex with Dylan would blow her mind, she was sure. But then what?
    It would get weird between them, just as it had in college when she’d been a shoulder to cry on for the crush she picked up during Freshman Lit. Jude Evers had been busy working his way through college, a single dad with two young kids. He’d caught his fiancée in bed with his best friend. He and Samantha had bonded over the really crappy espressos at the student union that were like mud in a cup. The two had become friends, then lovers, and she’d put her heart on the line with him. Hadn’t that turned out to be a mistake? She’d babysat his kids so he could go to the student union to study, or so she’d thought. Boredom had gotten the best of her after she’d put his kids to bed, so she’d logged on to social media.
    There he was, caught on camera kissing another girl from class, no less. He was shirtless, and the reason why was pretty obvious. They’d just made love.
    Samantha had never felt so used.
    When she’d confronted him that night, he’d said he thought they had an understanding—that the two of them were friends with benefits.
    Embarrassment had threatened to consume her. If it hadn’t been too late to drop the class, she would have been first in line. Instead, she’d had to sit through ten weeks of analyzing prose with him and the other woman.
    The worst part had been saying goodbye to the kids she’d grown to love.
    Samantha pushed up off the floor. At least she could try to get a few more hours of sleep. Although with Dylan’s bedroom two doors down, she doubted she’d be able to completely relax.
    He appeared in the doorway as she took a step toward it, and she gasped. That man could be stealthy when he needed to be.
    â€œSorry about a few minutes ago,” he said, and his voice was still gravelly. “I got carried away in the moment, but I’m good now. It was a boundary that shouldn’t have been crossed.”
    This was
supposed
to be exactly what she wanted to hear...so what was up with the stinging feeling in her chest?

Chapter Six
    Dylan had been resting his eyes in his daughter’s room for a good half hour before Samantha had caught him off guard. Kissing her the first time had been a mistake. The second had been sloppy. Sure, he felt an attraction sizzle every time she walked into a room. The only thing that proved was that he was still a man aware of a beautiful woman.
    He’d had just enough of a power nap to fuel him for the day ahead and get his head on straight. Being a full-time father to Maribel was the greatest job he’d ever had and he wouldn’t trade a minute of it. Caring for his little angel 24/7 left little time for anything else in his life. There were no regrets. Being her father was the best thing that had ever happened to him. But there was no time for detours, or
anyone
else in his life.
    Besides, Samantha was a friend. Sure, she gave him signals. And they had chemistry. Again, it was down to man and woman, primal urges and all that. He’d been seeking proof of life and so had she. They’d been through hell together, so hormones had gotten out of control.
    They most likely wouldn’t go away anytime soon, either. So he’d have to work a little harder to keep them under wraps.
    Besides, Dylan Jacobs didn’t “do” relationships. He also didn’t engage in flings, not since he’d screwed his head on straight a few years back, and especially not since Maribel had shown up.
    His feelings for Samantha were nothing more than a snag he could deal with. The last thing