Engaging (Alluring Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

the faucet, gave the wrench a vicious glare, and gave it a push with all her body weight.  It still didn't move.
    A hand, then an arm came into her field of vision.  Cassie's thoughts flashed back to the first time they had met, and a sharp pain stabbed at her heart from the memory.  Gage pushed her hands out of the way, grabbed the wrench, and pushed.  It moved a fraction of an inch.  She watched, fascinated, the flexing and bulging of his arm muscles as he loosened the faucet.  And then, she no longer watched his muscles, she watched the faucet fall to the ground as a blast of water shot out of the pipe from the wall, drenching Gage's jeans and boots. 
    She stared in horrified silence as he jumped away from the spray.  Her hands covered her mouth as laughter built in her chest.  She moved her wide-eyed gaze from his soaked jeans to his face.  His gaze was on the pipe with the jetting water.
    He tore his eyes away from the pipe, looked at her, and shouted over the noise, "You were supposed to turn off the main water."
    She giggled through her fingers.  She hoped Gage didn't hear it, but from the smile on his face, she supposed if he hadn't heard it, he at least saw it.
    "Where's the shutoff valve at?"
    Cassie shook her head and lowered her hands.  "I don't know."
    Gage disappeared around the corner of the building.  A few minutes later the water shut off.  Cassie looked down at the mess the water created.  What was once a small mud puddle, was now a very large mud pool.  She sighed. 
    Gage came back around the corner.  "Got a new faucet?"
    "Look, I appreciate the help, but I've got it now."
    Gage gave her an exasperated look.  "Cass, where's the damn faucet?"
    Cassie gave him an exasperated look back, waved her arm out, and said, "Inside."  She skirted the mud pool and opened the door to the building.
    "This is quite a setup you've got here," Gage said, looking around.
    The kennel held twenty-five dog runs along each side wall with a center aisle that lead back to where they did the grooming.  Not all the runs were full.  Most of the dogs were outside at this time of day, but the ones that remained started yapping and barking.
    Cassie had to speak up to be heard.  "The faucet's back here."  She made her way down the center aisle, pausing occasionally to say hi to one of her little friends.  She picked up the new faucet from the grooming table where she had placed it earlier and handed it to Gage.
    "How long have you been working here?"
    Without thinking Cassie said, "Four years."
    "Is that why you dropped out of school?"
    Cassie's gaze snapped to his.  "How do you know I dropped out of school?"
    Gage shrugged.  "When I was on tour, I couldn't stop thinking about you.  I realized what a huge mistake I made.  I tried calling, but your number had been disconnected.  I came back to town as soon as I could, but you had disappeared, and the school had no contact info on you.  I went to your apartment, but you and your friend had moved out, and the people who lived there didn't know where you went."
    Cassie looked at him, not saying a word.  The implications of what he'd said were mind altering.  But then she thought back.  For two months, after he'd left, she'd had that phone.  For two months, he could have called her.  And for two months, he didn't.  Too little, too late buddy. 
    Cassie snatched the faucet out of his hand.  "You need to leave."
    Gage took the faucet back.  "I'm not leaving now that I've finally found you."
    Cassie tried to grab the faucet back, but he held it out of her reach.  "You're being childish," Cassie said, crossing her arms over her chest.
    "No, I'm being honest.  I've waited five years for this opportunity, and I'm not fucking it up again like I did last time."
    "The problem with that," Cassie said, uncrossing her arms, "is it takes two people for a relationship and you've only got one."
    "Are you seeing someone else?"
    "What? No," Cassie said, automatically,