Chance Meeting Read Free Page A

crazy!”
    “Yeah, isn’t it fun?” Lizzie grabbed Ty’s hand. Giggling, breathless adolescents, the two girls ran, weaving in and out of the tall metal alleyways of the parked vans.
    2
    “ U h, Allegra, could you please hold on a minute . . .” Steve’s hands pulled at Allegra Palmer’s elbows, in the hopes of loosening her manacle hold. He stepped back, creating as much space as he could between himself and Allegra’s hungry mouth.
    What was up with these rich girls? Allegra had pounced on him as soon as they reached the van. It felt as if she’d smeared crazy glue on top of her lip gloss. To make things worse, she had arms like an octopus on amphetamines. It was a bit scary, actually. He didn’t really want to be devoured in the back of a horse van, at least not by Allegra Palmer.
    Christ, his pop had warned him to steer clear of rich men’s daughters. Especially if he happened to be working for the rich man. Those girls were always more trouble than they were worth. Even if Steve didn’t always take it, Pop’s advice was worth listening to. In this instance, Steve had recognized the wisdom of his father’s words and had been keeping a safe distance from Allegra for some time. Unfortunately, since returning home for summer vacation from her first year away at college, Allegra seemed even less perceptive than before she’d left. She refused to understand his polite refusals and gentle rejections for what they truly were: a complete lack of interest. It was a real problem. How did one come right out and tell the daughter of the man who was giving Steve a quarter-of-a-million-dollar horse to ride that she was becoming a royal pain in the butt and that all that suction-cup kissing and mad grinding of her body wasn’t quite the turn-on she imagined?
    Steve hadn’t yet figured out the answer to that one.
    Hell, he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She wasn’t so bad, though definitely too pushy. And oversexed to boot. Generally, Steve didn’t mind oversexed. But he liked to be the one to choose. At this point he was feeling like a hunted animal, with Allegra hauling around an arsenal that would do Rambo proud. And now she was at it again. Relentless. She’d taken advantage of his momentary distraction to wiggle her way closer, her breath all catchy, her fingers moving up the sides of his polo shirt. She was planting little kisses along his jaw, her hands reaching around his neck, pulling his mouth down to hers. He stiffened, holding his neck rigid, but to his chagrin, Steve realized she’d backed him up against the inside of the van. Dear God, she was trying to have her way with him.
    A burst of high-pitched giggles saved him. His only thought, hallelujah! Allegra heard them, too, spinning around to locate the source of uncontrolled mirth, no doubt ready to give someone utter hell. Two girls stood on the wooden ramp leading up to the van. Framed by the sun, only their silhouettes were distinct. Steve didn’t know whether he knew them; he was just damn glad they were there, for whatever reason. Allegra, however, didn’t share his point of view.
    “What are you doing here?” she demanded shrilly. “Don’t you know this is private property? Who do you think you are, trespassing like this?”
    Since first laying eyes on Steve Sheppard, Allegra had been making her attraction for him crystal clear. He was a real catch. All the girls in her set were after him. He was so handsome, with those amazingly bright blue eyes. And she loved how that strong jaw ended in a square chin; his lips curling so easily into a sexy grin. And then there was his thick golden hair. The fact that he’d recently cut it so it was cropped close to his head didn’t deter Allegra from fantasizing about running her fingers through it. Thoughts of Steve occupied Allegra for hours at a time.
    A few months ago, she’d been flipping through a magazine and had come across photographs taken of Paul Newman when he’d been in his twenties.