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FREE ROMANCE STORIES BELOW ANNOUNCEMENT

Read-a-romance.com officially launched September 1, 08.   For the time being, we hope to add one free online romance story every week, so it’ll take us a while to populate the site with a variety of romantic reads.  However, our ultimate goal is to provide two or three free stories a week.

We’re actively seeking stories from a variety of romance genres, so whether you read western, historical, contemporary, young adult and so forth, we hope to have something here for you to read soon.

Please note this is an all ages site, so our free romance stories will be appropriate for even the youngest of readers.

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L-J Greene

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“Well, why do you think you can’t do this?”

With a scowl, she replied.  “I don’t have a kitchen.”

Okay, that would be a major drawback for a caterer.  She really hadn’t thought this through.  “What else?”

“Does anything else matter?”

“Humour me.”

Em gusted out a sigh, and began to enumerate on her fingers.  “I don’t have the kind of vehicle I need.  I don’t have any help.  I don’t have all the things a caterer would need like serving dishes, warming dishes, utensils.  The list goes on.”

“I suppose you can’t cook, either.”

Jonathan worked hard to restrain the laugh wanting to burst free.  He wondered if she got light-headed from the way blood receded and flowed in and out her head.  Fire flashed up in cheeks that had been ghostly pale seconds ago.

Her revolving colour reminded him of one of those old fashioned barber poles.

She shot out of her chair.  “Of course I can cook!”

“Good to know.  It sounded like you needed reminding.  Of course…”

“Of course what?”

“I was thinking that maybe I could recommend your services to some of my friends, but I can’t just take your word for it that you can cook.”

Plopping back into the chair, her expression dazed, she said, “What?  You’d do that for me?”

Yeah, he would.  After watching her the last few days, he had no doubt she could do whatever she set her mind to.  Obviously a fighter, Em wouldn’t let life push her aside.  One way or the other, she was the type to achieve her goals—by herself if necessary.  Since—for some reason—he wanted to help her, this time it wouldn’t be necessary.

“Maybe.  But like I said, I only have your word that you’re worth the risk.  Tell you what, why don’t you cook for Alicia and I tonight?  It will give Essie a break too.  She gets upset with me whenever I tell her she’s doing too much.”

M closed her eyes.  He’s diabolical. Her first instinct was to tell him to take his offer and shove it, but how could she do that now?  She knew Estelle—Essie?  For a guy that didn’t like to use diminutive’s of people’s names he was sure free with them!—was having a hard time keeping up, but her pride demanded she keep going.  M respected her.  She’d even found herself comparing Estelle to her own mother.

Why fight it?  If she could do something to ease Estelle’s burden, she would.

While heaving a giant sigh, she said, “Okay.”

“So gracious.”

He stood up, said, “Stay there for a minute,” and walked out of the office.

If he hadn’t have been blocking the doorway talking to his sister, M would have got up and left.

Who did he think he was?  Insulting her, throwing orders at her?  Oh, yeah.  And let’s not forget he can make me denounce the whole born again virgin thing with just a touch. If Alicia hadn’t spoken up when she did, M feared she would have wrapped herself around Jonathan, tackled him to the floor, and had her wicked way with him.

She heard two sets of footsteps.  Alicia’s running in the other direction, and his approaching.  He came into her line of vision, started to prop himself on the desk beside her, hesitated, then went back around his desk to sit down.

“Alicia tells me you want to do some work in my mother’s garden.”

What?  M floundered at the change in topic.  Had she made yet another stupid mistake?  Was she going to lose the chance he’d just offered her because of it?

“Y…yes.  Is that okay?  I’m sorry if it upsets you.”

“No, I have no problem with it.  She mentioned you thought the two of you could make it into a special place for her to remember our father.  I think that’s a great idea.  Do whatever you want.”

More relieved than she cared to admit, she said, “Thanks.  I don’t know anything about gardening, so don’t expect too much.  We’re going to get some books from the library.”

Jonathan leaned back in his chair and watched her for a moment.  “Why not?”

“Why not what?”

“Why don’t you know much about gardening?  Doesn’t it interest you?”

She squirmed in her seat.  “Ah, I don’t really know if it does.  I’ve just…well, I’ve…I’ve never had a real home, you know?  So, I haven’t had the opportunity to find out.”

Thankfully, Alicia came barrelling back into the room and put an end to his line of questioning.

“Here you go, Jonny.”

She leaned against his side and handed him what looked like a wallet.

“Thanks, Allioop.”

He pulled out a credit card and handed it to M.  “Take Alicia and go do some grocery shopping for dinner tonight.  You can hit the library after that.”

Other than shaking her head, M didn’t move.  “I’m not taking that.  And stop ordering me around.”

He looked at his sister.  “Guess I forgot to say please, eh?”

“That’s not nice, Jonny.”

“Please take this and pick up some groceries for tonight.  But I’m telling you right now, buy us Brussels sprouts and you’ll have a problem on your hands.”

What was that I said the other day?  Oh yeah.  I’m not handing anyone the gun or ammunition for someone to take a shot at me.  Well, I’m not letting them hand it to me, either.

She’d been accused of theft by Jonathan’s ilk before, because after all, someone like them would never stoop so low.  People like M didn’t have to sink, they were already there.

Well, she was smart enough to learn from past experience.

“I’ll pay.  I’ll give you the bill so you can reimburse me, but I’m not taking your credit card.”

“I’m sending Alicia with you.  I’m fairly sure you’re not going to abscond with her, or go on a shopping spree with my card while she’s with you.”

M stood up.  “Thanks.  You’re right.  I wouldn’t do either.  But I’m still not taking your card.  You can pay me back later.”

Trying to ease her own tension, she wiggled her brows and continued. “Besides, I know where you live, and I know you’re good for the cash.”

Turning to Alicia, M put out her hand.  “So, Miss Alicia, are you ready to take your first excursion with me?  Just us girls?”

Alicia, still leaning against her brother’s arm, didn’t say anything for a moment.  Instead, she accessed M with an intense frown, then looked at Jonathan.

He picked her up and sat her on his lap.  “Whadaya think, Allioop?  Do you want to go?”

Finally a grin broke free, and she bellowed, “Let’s go!”

The breath M had been holding on to blew out with a loud sigh.  Jonathan looked at her and grinned.  “Then off you go.  Lucky me, I get to have a meal with two beautiful ladies tonight.”

M realized the spirit in which the comment had been made, but her heart caught, and her tummy fluttered.

He thinks I’m beautiful.

Alicia ran to her side, but M remained rooted to the floor, her gaze caught up with his.  She wondered if he could feel the way the air between them seemed to sizzle and burn like an electrical charge.

If the heat in his stare was anything to go by, he could.

Installment 25 Coming Soon!

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Thanks to Nan Donahue for sharing one of her manuscripts.