Скачать книгу

no uncertain terms that she was fully capable of watching out for herself.

      They had been together a couple more times since their movie outing. Once to share a pizza and watch a football game on TV. Another time to play a board game with Mrs. Parsons, who had been so pleased at having company that she’d giggled like a schoolgirl all evening.

      He and Dani talked quite easily, now that he’d convinced her he thought of her only as a friend. Their conversation consisted mostly of small talk and teasing. He kidded her about being high maintenance and dating guys she could lead around by the nose—to which she cheerfully admitted. She ribbed him about his job as an agent and made good-natured “007” jokes at his expense.

      Anytime the subject got a bit too close to her past relationships, she cut him off abruptly. She asked very few questions about his own past, maybe so as not to encourage him to inquire about hers.

      He tapped on her door on a Wednesday afternoon a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving. She opened it with a distracted expression that, along with her ultracasual sweatshirt and grubby jeans, told him she’d been studying.

      “Test tomorrow?” he asked, recognizing the look by now.

      She nodded. “Big one.”

      “I won’t keep you, then. I just wanted to give you this.”

      She lifted her eyebrows in question when he pressed a brown paper bag into her hand. “What is it?”

      “Two bananas and a pear.”

      She laughed in surprise. “Um…okay. So, why?”

      “Because I’m going to be extremely busy for the next few weeks and I’m not sure I’ll be home to eat them before they go bad. I’d hate to see them go to waste.”

      “Trust me,” she said. “They won’t go to waste.”

      “Good. I hope you enjoy them.”

      “You want to come in for a few minutes? I can make hot chocolate.”

      He shook his head with regret. “As tempting as that sounds, I have to pass. I’ve got to work tonight.”

      “Work? That’s what you’re going to be doing for the next few weeks? I thought maybe you were finally getting away for that vacation you’ve been talking about taking.”

      “I wish,” he muttered, thinking of the unsavory assignment he was about to dive into.

      She searched his face, then spoke lightly, “Do I have to warn you again to be careful?”

      “Probably not a bad idea.”

      “Then I will,” she said, her smile just a little strained now. “Be careful, okay? I don’t have that many friends around here.”

      “How about a friendly kiss on the cheek? For luck?”

      She shook a finger at him, but then placed a soft kiss on the cheek he offered hopefully. Her lips were as warm and inviting as he’d always imagined them to be. It was all he could do not to turn his head just that couple of inches required to make their mouths meet. Instead he managed a casual smile when she drew back. “That ought to do it. Thanks.”

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEAYABgAAD/4Q9WRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAUAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAhodp AAQAAAABAAAAnAAAAMgAAABgAAAAAQAAAGAAAAABQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIDcuMAAyMDEzOjEx OjIxIDAxOjA3OjM4AAAAAAOgAQADAAAAAQABAACgAgAEAAAAAQAAAfSgAwAEAAAAAQAAAxoAAAAA AAAABgEDAAMAAAABAAYAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABFgEbAAUAAAABAAABHgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAIBAAQA AAABAAABJgICAAQAAAABAAAOKAAAAAAAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAAB/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABI AAD/7QAMQWRvYmVfQ00AAf/uAA5BZG9iZQBkgAAAAAH/2wCEAAwICAgJCAwJCQwRCwoLERUPDAwP FRgTExUTExgRDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBDQsLDQ4NEA4OEBQO Dg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEI AIAAUQMBIgACEQEDEQH/3QAEAAb/xAE/AAABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwgJCgsBAAEF AQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkKCxAAAQQBAwIEAgUHBggFAwwzAQACEQMEIRIxBUFRYRMi cYEyBhSRobFCIyQVUsFiMzRygtFDByWSU/Dh8WNzNRaisoMmRJNUZEXCo3Q2F9JV4mXys4TD03Xj 80YnlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vY3R1dnd4eXp7fH1+f3EQACAgECBAQDBAUGBwcG BTUBAAIRAyExEgRBUWFxIhMFMoGRFKGxQiPBUtHwMyRi4XKCkkNTFWNzNPElBhaisoMHJjXC0kST VKMXZEVVNnRl4vKzhMPTdePzRpSkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2JzdHV2d3h5ent8f/ 2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/APQcXpXT8a0ZNAItE+4unntH0Vh9b6S8NFmMd4ql76/ztn5zmfv+n+exaYzq B7S8z4bXf3KbzvYLGnVpkdj930lBqa20ZO+rzuOHOqc4mRtI+8Kv1brdHSMf1HtL7Doxg7n4qz1L Kp6diZOSxgLGh2wdgSD7dv8AJ/dXnPVOp39SyPUusNhP0AOAP3XN/kqQLKbOX9Zes5l7rHXBrnGG Bvta0A+0e1Sw+v8AVcO71xkOuYXe9r3OcD34d9Jqxg4td4kHWUYC19oFTHWWOmGtaXGR7j7W/SRM RSQS+i9G6uzqlL3t0sYQHtiOe4/krXxNXOHkvPvqxnirKh3sc47XN4kz4Lv8K1psMGRHb4qvONSZ YnRtliys0fpz8B+RbUSJCyc8fp/kFHk2+q+G7VhJShJQr3//0Oyfe9oO5589Vx/1k+tX2axtGHuN wmXAyuh6i57MO57fpBpj4nheXdTsBvc0Hv8ApLOSSohRlTJWltrqf1g6pn47q7biGOgmkw5pLT9J um5D6Lfj/abBbUBa8AAamI/d37vpo/Suh5Oe3e6KKXkRaSNwAnUN/lSjdT6A/Eb9owrXPdUCTP0y 38+ClIxIMbXwhIESrQJcroNObZ6rHHHsGhESD+6l0forRZkuvsLLKT6bBtEgkbvW90tUMSz9m3t+ 3OmmwTTY0aEfvE/ve785a/22qxu+t5I58DrwVGZSA4b0Z+CIIlVEORm9Oy2ZYzcUfaGvAcXVjUkD Y9zQ397ZvXV9IGe+ut9tT6g5ojfAOmhWdVl/n7gGjlxMD71C/wCtIpaacKXj86w/Rn+R/wCTRjGc 6ERdaWsmYRuRNcRuntqQ9rPdr8FmZ7pyD8Auf6F1LOutttvvdaHRpOg/qs/Nata65r7JBnQIZ8Jh He1mOYJXlJD9QJKqyv8A/9HX+tGS+jo99lYLngBrGju5x2yf6rdy8sueYEn3Ey8n4r0vrF/r031M bJrZu+LhMNj+1uXmd/u2gN2vBMn58KLEQTLzZZggB6jA6pSzFbuLztAltYkj+tqFecOoZLqPSY37 HYA57twaRr7zfu/Se1o2Mq/0i5no+cKntY/HZkXVEmomDtn89srWx8y3Mouw8kMIDia2lv6Z1j+B 6Xuaz9/1E0wo/wAWzE8UQe/ZldgVF73bwXNMM3EuEA+2s/yVTOVVh0epBAHFQlwaT+Zu/dW9TVjY mM1u0AMs0J/dBgalZPWsnHtoFIAe9/6Zw52Nn2gn96xzmNTseLi1J0Ys2StANXKs6g+11b7Xfon6 en2b+6/b/JR62teZsMVjkD85Bora1pJA15/uUnO1DeABICuRHCKDUJs2XSxc9tFgcxgAHPMwt7Fy q8tpNTxvH5vc/euSaVo9MvLLQQYKGSAkEwmQXoN7/NJC/aJ/0YSVb2B2ZvcPd//Sp9V6l+lsbQ4A AmD5n95c43FfflNrsna73Pee4Hh/KcpWWAy5xJsGobGgn84/2USp7431+4zqSRCrw9DrHlcciBZN a99OzY+y4rXiKwA06FktII/Oa+d27+Unq/aVd7acS4mu0gb4aLGgn3Ddt3bf6ir1W2uyS2ZbJDmm QIjR1f3I97Gua0hxZBBDhoWn95qn0nHQMs8UJQ9I4SO2ibJvuZU5t0tfWS0tPl9D/Oas0uIq1+lY Q55+H0fyq2+zLtLa8r9KGgtNo+mW8je387aqHBFbjJYSwnxjv/aapMegqqLnc3hMalVcWhHaSY6A NUSZsHwSmXSpY+PbkZD

Скачать книгу