His Strings to Pull Read Free

stupid pick-up lines, either,” Luke said. Both guys rounded on Luke. “What?” he asked, taking a small step back. When they continued to glare at him he lifted his hands, palms out. “All I’m saying is she’s too smart to fall for the lines. If you want to get the attention of a beautiful and intelligent girl like her, you’ll have to be a little more creative.”
    As Ving considered that and thought about how they met, a wicked idea formed in the back of his mind. Oh yeah, he knew just what he had to do to get her attention and coax a yes from her lips. And if things played out according to the half-cocked plan racing around his brain, he wouldn’t just get a date, he’d get to feel that sweet mouth of hers on his again too.

Chapter Two
    Jenny adjusted the strap on her bathing suit and strolled the length of the pool, reveling in the warmth of the morning sun shining down on her. As she watched a group of kids play in the shallow end, her thoughts drifted to her encounter with Ving yesterday.
    Ving Duncan
    Hot, hard, funny… married.
    Even though she knew she should put him out of her mind, her glance kept straying to the row of townhouses down the road from the community center. Yes, despite knowing he was taken, after their run-in yesterday she’d still found herself watching him walk home with his three children in tow. A movement on the sidewalk drew her attention. She turned and when she spotted Ving and his little ones coming her way, her heart raced. She quickly put her back to them, forcing her attention on her pool duties.
    Just then fellow lifeguard, Candace Simms, came up to her and nodded toward Ving. “Your hottie is back.”
    “ My hottie?” Jenny asked, planting a hand on her hip in defense, even though she wished it was true. “He’s not my anything.”
    Candace wagged her eyebrows. “Yeah, well, you didn’t see the way he was looking at you yesterday.”
    Jenny’s heart leapt and, while she wanted to hear all the details, wanted to gossip like a smitten high school girl, she said, “He’s taken, Candace.”
    “Hmmmm,” she said, sneaking looks at him.
    “What?” Jenny asked, getting the sense that Candace knew something she didn’t.
    “Taken or not, he’s still nice to look at.”
    “That he is,” Jenny agreed, deciding to give her friend that much.
    As she chatted with Candace about the new summer schedule, Jenny watched Ving jump into the water and roughhouse with his kids. Despite her best efforts not to pay him any attention, her glance kept straying his way. A few minutes later he swam out to the deep end, and when he began thrashing, merely a few feet from her, Candace grabbed Jenny’s arm.
    “Shit,” she said. “He’s in trouble.”
    Acting purely on instincts, both Candace and Jenny jumped into the pool. Working together they pulled him out. Within seconds they had him laid out on the pool deck.
    “He needs mouth-to-mouth,” Candace said as she checked his vitals. “Hurry, Jenny.”
    Trusting her friend’s judgment, Jenny positioned his head and quickly pressed her mouth to his. But the second her lips closed over his, his hands circled around her back, pulling her on top of him.
    Wait…is he…?
    Coherent thought fled as he began to kiss her, and when she felt the rough pad of his thumb on the back of her neck, holding her tightly against him, lust prowled through her body.
    Oh Gawd…
    She burned as he devoured her with his mouth, need zinging through her veins at breakneck speed. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and tangled with hers, and her body responded with a shudder.
    “Eww, Ving that’s gross.”
    Jenny pulled back and drew in a fortifying breath when she found one of his little girls standing beside them. She looked back at Ving, who had a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
    “What…what do you think you’re doing?” she asked.
    “What am I doing?” he retaliated. “It’s more like what are you doing.” He gestured with a nod toward the