The Taming of the Bachelor Read Online Free

The sex had been good and he’d enjoyed the rush and release, but love? Ridiculous. She barely knew him.
    It was in college he discovered how the brain released oxytocin during sex, which is why women often felt bonded to a man after, and he appreciated the bonding if the female was carrying his offspring, but seeing how he was scrupulous with birth control, he wasn’t interested in a permanent, monogamous relationship. He was young. He was a man. He wanted to sow his seed...so to speak.
    In Austin he hadn’t worried about getting trapped into marriage. The women he knew were driven and ambitious, career women wanting to accomplish big things. But here in Marietta the women tended to be more family-oriented. They were ready to settle down, make babies. That was fine, provided they weren’t settling down with him.
    Thus the rule, no single moms. No nice, church going women. No virgins. No daddy’s girls.
    No trouble. No hassles. No thank you.
    Reese hit the light switches in the back. Dillon stood up and pushed his stool in, under the counter, lining it up with the others then joined Reese at the front door.
    “I can drop you off,” Reese said.
    “I’m looking forward to the walk,” Dillon answered, buttoning up his leather barn coat. “It’s only a couple blocks.”
    “It’s windy as hell.”
    “Good. It’ll clear my head.”
    Outside, Dillon jammed his hands into his coat pockets and hunching his shoulders against the icy blast of wind, crossed the street, heading north on 1 st . The Graff was literally three blocks away but the cold clean air felt good in his lungs. He’d miss these cold clear nights when he returned to Texas. He’d miss the big mountains and the stars and that little bit of California sunshine named Paige Joffe.
    He didn’t know why he was so sweet on her. She wasn’t his type. He’d never liked petite blondes before. In fact, she was everything he tried to avoid but that didn’t seem to matter when he looked at her. Or talked to her. Or sat next to her.
    She just felt good. She just felt right. He didn’t even know how to explain it. It didn’t make sense to say she felt good or right because he’d never touched her, or kissed her. He shouldn’t imagine things or project onto her.
    For all he knew, she might be the world’s worst kisser. She might be awful in bed. Ice . Like this freezing February night.
    His boots crunched as he crossed Front Street. She could be the same...ice, snow, frost, frigid.
    Or not.
    She could be fire.
    Or she could be ice.
    And then he’d warm her up. He’d kiss her until she melted and glowed sweetly, brightly, craving him.
    By the time Dillon reached the hotel’s front door, he was no longer cold. It was impossible to be cold when he burned just thinking about her.

Chapter 3

    T he day hadn’t started as planned.
    Instead of having a relaxing Saturday morning, one where Paige could sit with her coffee and get caught up with the news and her magazines while the kids slept in, she was in the middle of a battle with a clogged toilet. And the toilet was winning.
    Bad toilet.
    Bad day.
    On the plus side, the kids were still asleep, because once they woke they’d want breakfast and Addison and Tyler would argue over which cartoon to watch and the quiet morning would be gone. Far better to deal with the downstairs toilet now, before Tyler wanted to help, and Addison would want to get involved and there would be more fighting.
    Placing the plunger Paige had just borrowed from her neighbor, Carol Bingley, in the middle of the bowl, she gave a firm downward thrust, creating a tight seal between the plunger and the bowl.
    She gave another push, and was just about to push again when her cell phone rang.
    It was sitting on the pedestal sink, too far to reach, so Paige ignored it. She needed to get the toilet working and the plunger back to Mrs. Bingley. Mrs. Bingley had made a point about the plunger being returned soon. Paige had assured her she’d bring