The Seraphina Donavan Collection: Contemporary Read Free Page A

she worked. There was always a treat too. She kept the coffee flowing and offered muffins or cookies or some other delicious thing which made him unable to refuse politely.
    She’d burrowed so far under his skin, he couldn't escape from her even when she wasn't around. So, why the hell was it pissing him off so badly that she'd walked into the bar? From the corner of his eye, he saw her shrug out of the jacket she wore, revealing soft skin and the upper swells of her breasts. He frowned. A lot of skin, very tempting skin, and The Store was a shit hole of a bar full of drunk, horny men. Or in his case, just horny.
    “Why the hell are you ogling my sister, Donnelly?”
    Morgan stared at the woman who stood beside him, the shock of recognition flowing easily into embarrassment. He’d been well and truly caught. “I wasn’t ogling,” he denied. “But if you’re going to play the protective older sibling, you might want to tell her to put that jacket back on.”
    Ashley laughed at him. “Don’t let that sweet smile of hers fool you. Lex does what Lex wants to do and not a damn thing else.”
    His gaze drifted again.
    “Hey...I’m talking here! Eyes on me.”
    Luckily, the bar was dark enough to hide the guilty flush that crept up along his neck. “What do you want, Ashley?”
    “Is this weird? I mean, I know I cheated on you…and we were supposed to get married and all—”
    He laughed, actually belly laughed at that. “Jesus, Ash! It’s been twenty years!”
    “You left town, never came back. No one saw or heard anything from you for two whole decades and now, out of the blue, you just show up?”
    “I was in the military, Ashley. I came home because I’m no longer in the military. It’s got nothing to do with you.”
    “Why Falls Creek?”
    “Why the third degree? I have family here. I wanted to come home.”
    She cocked her head to one side, looking much like she had in high school. After a few seconds, she gave a nod, just a slight jerk of her chin. Ashley always had plentiful attitude. “Fine.”
    “Jesus,” he muttered. “Now that it’s settled and I have your permission to be in my own home town, think I can go back to the game and my beer?”
    Ashley yelled to the bartender, “A pitcher for me, three glasses and another long neck for the prodigal.”
    When the bottle was plopped down before him, he glanced it. “Thank you.”
    “She’s single, ya know.”
    Instantly on alert, Morgan eyed her warily. “What?”
    “I remembered you being smarter than this!” Carefully, enunciating each word slowly, “My...sister...is...single.”
    Playing dumb seemed the safest course of action. “Well, I’m happy for her. It makes life simpler.”
    Ashley shook her head. “Look, Brent will be here in a few minutes. He’d love to catch up with you since you seem to be okay with the fact that he was sleeping with me when I was engaged to you...You should come over. Chat. Hang out. Ogle my sister’s boobs up close for a bit.”
    Trying to wrap his head around just what exactly was going on, he demanded, “Are you seriously trying to set me up with your sister? Don’t you think that’s just a little bit weird?”
    She rolled her eyes. “It’s a small town, Morgan. If everyone got weird about dating someone who dated someone you knew or were related to…This town would have died out eons ago.” She took two steps, then turned back to him. “I’m not fixing you up, I’m just letting you know there aren’t any obstacles if you want to go down that road. But if you do go after her, it had better be for more than a roll in the hay, or so help me god, I’ll put your fucking dick in a blender and I may not detach it first.”
    Morgan watched her walk away, shaking his head. No obstacles ? He was old, with so many rods and pins in his leg it took Congressional approval to get him through an airport, and then there were the nightmares. He wasn’t a prize by any stretch of the imagination.
    Turning