LITMIR.BIZ

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your BMW parked out front?” he asked Landry.

      “It is,” Landry said stiffly, not returning the breezy smile.

      “Classy car. A little conservative for my taste, though. I drive a red Mustang.”

      Yeah, a rented one. The flashy clothes and cars gave a false impression of wealth, and Perry was dead broke. Or so he claimed.

      “Sporty car. But a bit too lame on the engineering for my taste,” Landry remarked drily.

      Perry pulled Jet to his side in a propriety gesture that made her want to give him a good kick in the shins. His Aqua de Sexy cologne did nothing for her after being so close to Landry minutes earlier. Everything about Perry now struck her as synthetic and fake.

      It could never work between them again after all that had happened and the years apart. Still, letting go was like a little death. For too long, she’d clung to the hope they could be a real, loving couple, and dreams like that didn’t die easily.

      “Perry, this is Landry Fields, the IRS auditor that I spoke with yesterday.”

      “Nice to meet you. I’m Perry Hammonds.”

      Perry held out a hand, and for a moment Jet wasn’t sure Landry was going to shake it.

      But Landry played the gentleman. “I know the name. You were once in business with Miss Bosarge.” Landry withdrew his hand. “Until you were sent to prison,” he added.

      Perry’s smile flattened. “How nice of you to bring that up.”

      “I believe in laying out all the facts.”

      “Spoken like a typical accountant,” Perry observed. “Bet you’re a blast at parties.”

      Landry crossed his arms. “Yep, we nerdy types also believe in having plans. What’s your game plan? Must be hard finding employment with a felony record.”

      Perry shrugged. “Something will come up. It always does. Besides, I’m doing my best to talk my girl into going back into business with me.”

      His girl? Jet stepped away from Perry’s overly tight hold.

      Landry swept his hand over the room. “Looks to me like she’s got other ideas for earning an income. Guess Miss Bosarge could always hire you temporarily to help with shipments and inventory as her supplies arrive.”

      Jet almost snorted. Perry work as a lowly stock boy? Not happening.

      “I have a higher standard than that,” Perry scoffed.

      The air between the two men crackled with animosity, all pretense of politeness worn thin. Time to break it up. Jet headed to the door, motioning to Landry. “I’ll have that paperwork for you no later than tomorrow,” she promised. Of course, she had access to the papers. The problem was that most of them were bogus.

      Landry followed her while Perry leaned an elbow on the front counter and watched them.

      At the door, he handed her a card with his phone number. “My teenage brother is staying with me a few days. A temp job would give him something to do while I’m at work. Think about it and give me a call later if you’d like to meet him.”

      Suddenly, Landry bent down and whispered in her ear, “Don’t do it. Don’t go back into business with that guy. You’re better than that.”

      Jet gasped at the feel of his hot breath at her ear, the touch of his cheek as he temporarily pressed against her neck. Even with the protective scarf to hide the gill markings, the silky material only served to make the contact more provocative.

      Landry pulled away, his blue eyes inches from her own, intense and full of warning. Without waiting for an answer, he abruptly exited.

      “Looks to me like that IRS dude is interested in more than your tax returns,” Perry drawled after Landry shut the door. “What gives?”

      “None of your business,” she snapped. “Why did you come by?” She sat on a bar stool next to Perry and rubbed her temples.

      Perry smoothed back her hair behind one ear and ran a finger along the marking. “Let him get too close and he’ll wonder about this.”

      Jet slapped his hand away, hard enough that Perry winced slightly. “That your way of saying I should stick with you since you know my deep, dark secret?”

      “It should weigh in my favor that I know all about you and it doesn’t bother me.”

      “Of course it doesn’t. If I weren’t a mermaid, you’d still be collecting penny-ante treasure crumbs all by your lonesome.”

      “That’s not true. I want us back together,” he said huskily. “The way it used to be in the beginning. Remember?” He leaned in and softly kissed her lips. “I remember. And while I was in that stinking prison I thought about you every single night.”

      It wasn’t true. He’d never written or called. And when he got out, he took plenty of time getting back to the bayou. He nuzzled the tender flesh of her neck and rubbed her shoulders. “I missed you. C’mon, baby. Give me another chance.”

      Don’t do it. You’re better than that. Landry’s whisper drowned out Perry’s coaxing. Jet sighed. “We can never be business partners—or anything else—ever again.”

      His eyes narrowed. “Is it because of that accountant nerd? I saw the way he looked at you.”

      Jet’s heart gave an odd tug at the idea. “Don’t be stupid. We just met.”

      “Doesn’t matter. I heard him ask you to hire his brother. That’s his way of keeping an eye on you.”

      “We were talking about us.” She took a deep breath. “It’s over.” There, she’d said it.

      A deep red flush lit his pale face and his jaw clenched. “You don’t mean it.”

      Jet stood. “Yes, I do.” She held out her hand. “Good luck with whatever you decide to do in the future.”

      Perry grasped her hand. “Do this one last job with me. Help me get back on my feet.”

      “No, but I’ll help you out.” Jet shrugged out of his grasp and lifted her backpack from a shelf. “I’ll write you a check. Enough for you to move and set up in some new business.”

      Perry’s mouth dropped open and Jet smiled inwardly. He’d obviously expected her to fall into his lap. She found a pen and opened her checkbook.

      Perry grabbed her writing hand. “I don’t want your money. I want you to go with me to Tybee Island.”

      Jet jerked her hand away and gazed at him in surprise. “Since when do you not want my money?”

      His flush deepened. “I like to earn my money and this is a big deal at Tybee.”

      “I don’t have time for this. I’m opening the shop back up and moving on with my life.”

      He rolled his eyes. “Bor-ing. You’ll be stir-crazy in two weeks.”

      “Shows how little you know me.” She signed the check with a flourish and handed it over.

      “I told you I don’t want your—” Perry read the dollar amount and paused. “On second thought, I’ll take it. Thanks.” He grabbed the check and stuffed it into his white jeans. “But I still need you for this job.”

      Jet snorted. What had she ever seen in this man? “I gave you enough money to start over doing something else.”

      Perry stood. “This is your last chance. Say no, and I’m never coming back.”

      “Have a good life.”

      Perry’s lips clamped together so tightly a thin white line edged the rims. “You’ll be sorry,” he warned.

      “Get out,”

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