Riding Red Read Free

attraction between them that compelled him. The louder she protested and the more she resisted, the more it revealed to him just how much he truly affected her. For the past year, he’d been steadily and very effectively chipping away at the wall she kept firmly erected between them. Soon, Jeff determined, very soon, there would be nothing left to stand between them, and no place for her to run and hide.
    BJ stepped up on the porch, momentarily drawing his attention away from the feisty redhead. Jeff’s smile was warm as he pulled his sister-in-law into his arms for an affectionate hug, before turning to embrace his older brother, Jackson.
    Just to look at the two of them, the love they held for one another was evident, brimming over in their eyes. Jeff envied them, even as he was happy for his brother, especially since there had been a time when he’d worried Jackson would never find happiness, not after Camille had chosen Jacob over him. That had been a tense time between the four close knit brothers, but the moment BJ had barrelled into Jackson’s life, no other woman had existed for him.
    Unwittingly, Jeff’s gaze slipped to Teresa. At first, he hadn’t understood what Jacob and Jackson meant when they proclaimed their wives were the only women in the world for them, but now he was starting to. Teresa was like an obsession to him—she seemed to claim every waking thought…and had long ago found her way into his night time fantasies that were filled with visions of her and only her.
    “I don’t know what you guys are talking about,” Jeff said finally with a rueful smile, his eyes never leaving Teresa, even as he started to head into the house. “Red and I always play nice.”
    The resounding snorts caused him to chuckle. All right, they were known to bicker quite often, but Jeff wanted to play nice with Teresa—it was she who was always putting up the fight.
    He followed behind Jason but halted just shy of the entryway when he noticed Teresa didn’t join them. “You’re not going to stay for dinner?”
    “Not tonight. I have a lot of work to get done, so I’m just going to head home and get started on it.” She turned to leave, and Jeff frowned as his gaze swept across the parking lot but didn’t find her cherry red convertible.
    “Here, I’ll give you a ride back to your ranch.” He was already bounding down the porch steps when BJ stilled him with a light touch against his arm.
    “Go visit with your brothers. I’ll drive her. Besides, it’s Jackson’s night to cook, and God knows he could use the help.”
    He hesitated, glancing between the two women. Damn, he wanted to be alone with Teresa right now, but the expression on her face told him that was the last thing she wanted. He bit back a small smirk. She would prefer not to be alone with him right now or ever again…because she was running scared.
    “You’re off the hook tonight, Red, but you’re all mine as soon as they’re gone.” He turned to leave before either woman could form a retort, but a quick glance at Teresa revealed the answering flush in her cheeks as her hazel-green eyes widened.
    That’s right, Red, this ridiculous chase ends this week.
    She could believe all she wanted that he was some big, bad wolf, and she was Red Riding Hood, but this wasn’t some folktale. She was still running scared but he wasn’t about to let her run for much longer, and he certainly wasn’t about to let her get away.
     
    * * * *
     
    “Well, that was definitely interesting,” BJ remarked as she slid behind the wheel of her pickup truck and shut the door.
    “Do not start with me, Bria Jaslene Parker-Downing. That man is insufferable and you know how he grates my nerves, yet you invite him around every chance you get.”
    “Every chance I get?” BJ couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling out of her. “He’s my brother-in-law. What do you want me to do? Tell him he isn’t invited to his own brother’s home?”
    Teresa’s response