LITMIR.BIZ

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forward in her seat and met his gaze squarely. “Put yourself in my position, Joe. You’re a single girl in a strange city with twenty bucks to your name, and some man you’ve known all of about twenty minutes offers to put you up for practically nothing in his swanky garage apartment. Can you honestly say you wouldn’t be just a little wary?”

      When she said it like that, it did sound a little suspicious. And though the apartment was far from swanky, he could see her point. She was a young, attractive woman stuck in an unfamiliar place, dependent on the charity of a bunch of strangers to survive. That had to be scary as hell, even though her demeanor would suggest the opposite.

      It made him think of Beth, and how many nights he lay awake, wondering if she was okay, if she’d found a decent place to live, friends she could trust. He could only hope that she had been as cautious then as Reily was now.

      She had every right to question his motives. Not just the right, but the obligation. And for her trouble, he was acting like a coldhearted jerk.

      Was he really so jaded? So insensitive?

      Maybe Lindy was right. Maybe his attitude was a defense mechanism, because he would have to be blind not to notice how attractive she was. It wasn’t her fault that he had lousy luck with women.

      “I see your point,” he told her.

      “That’s why I felt better knowing it was Lindy’s idea. I didn’t mean it as an insult or a slight. I really do appreciate the offer.”

      “I guess I hadn’t considered the full implications of your situation. I don’t blame you for being cautious. For what it’s worth, there’s a chain lock on the apartment door and my aunt Sue lives in the house right next door. I can give her the spare key to hold on to if it makes you feel more comfortable. And anyone in town will vouch for my character. But if you don’t want to stay there, I won’t hold it against you.”

      “Could I have the day to think about it?”

      “Of course.” Maybe there was a little bit of the old Joe still left in there somewhere, because he found himself actually wanting to help her, the way he hoped someone would have done for Beth. “Take all the time you need.”

      “Thanks.” She smiled at him, her gaze settling on his face, then her eyes caught and locked on his, and his heart actually skipped a beat. Beneath the uncompromising defiance and strength of will was a vulnerability and apprehension that yanked at his heartstrings. She wasn’t nearly as tough as she wanted everyone to think, and he felt the strangest urge to pull her into his arms and hold her. To smooth back the long, silky strands of her pale hair brushing her cheeks and tell her not to worry, that everything would be okay.

      Hard as he tried to look away, her blue gaze captivated him. It was she who finally lowered her eyes and broke the spell.

      “Well,” she said after a brief, awkward silence. “I guess I should get to my training.”

      She slid out of the booth and he found himself following her with his eyes as she crossed to the bar, admiring the way her behind swayed beneath a snug pair of faded skinny jeans. She wasn’t voluptuous by any means, but she wasn’t Hollywood-thin either. She had just the right amount of curves for her height. For the briefest of instants he let himself imagine what it would be like to touch her, to tangle his fingers in the long, silky mane that hung down her back. To brush his lips over hers… He realized he was actually getting aroused and peeled his eyes away.

      His libido had been safely compartmentalized and locked away for the better part of two years. In all that time he hadn’t felt so much as a twinge of attraction to any woman, yet here he was reeling from a full-blown case of pulse-pounding lust for a virtual stranger. There had to be something seriously wrong with him.

      He had the sinking feeling that for the next six weeks, this woman was going to be nothing but trouble.

       Chapter Three

      Reily stepped behind the bar, poured herself a tall glass of ice-cold water and guzzled it in the vain attempt to douse the flames burning up her insides. The look Joe had given her had been so jam-packed with raw need and pent-up sexual desire, it’s a wonder her panties hadn’t burst into flames. For an emotionally unavailable guy, he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding his feelings. Honestly, she liked it better when Joe regarded her as an unfortunate inconvenience. She had a defense for that. But the feelings she was having now… holy cow.

      She had dated quite a few men, and even felt strong sexual attraction to a couple of them, but never quite like this. Not this heart-pounding, grab-his-shirt-and-haul-him-across-the-table-for-a-kiss lust. And he wasn’t even her type! She preferred men who were easygoing and fun-loving. Someone she could laugh with. Joe didn’t even seem to have the capacity to smile.

      She refilled her glass and took another swallow, when what she should have done was dump the darned thing over her head. Was it possible that she had just gotten her first glimpse of the real Joe? Beneath the dark and brooding exterior, was there a warm, sensitive and sexy man? And suppose there was? What then? She was leaving in six weeks. The last thing she had time for was a complicated emotional attachment.

      Lindy emerged from the back and joined her behind the bar. “So, are you ready to…” She trailed off, a frown furrowing her brow when her eyes settled on Reily. “Hey, are you all right?”

      “Of course,” she said, dumping the rest of the water in the sink and setting her glass in the dirty-dish tub. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

      “Your cheeks are red as apples.”

      She reached up to press her palm to her face. Her cheek was furnace-hot. “I guess I’m a little overheated.”

      “Do you feel sick, like you might have a fever?”

      She felt feverish all right, but not the kind caused by a virus. “I think it’s just been a crazy couple of days, and it’s starting to catch up with me.”

      After what she’d been through, who wouldn’t feel a little discombobulated? Maybe this irrational attraction to Joe was just a reaction to the stress of what had been a highly emotional situation.

      Lindy clucked sympathetically. “You poor thing. Well, if it helps at all I just got off the phone with my friend Zoey. She’s your size and she has a couple of garbage bags full of clothes she was planning to give to the thrift store. She’s going to give them to you instead. She said she’ll drop them by the bar later this afternoon. Zoey’s dad is not only the mayor, but the most successful businessman in town, and he tends to spoil her. She prides herself on always looking her best, and she gets a whole new wardrobe every season, so I’m sure there’ll be some really good stuff in there.”

      “I don’t even know how to thank you.”

      Lindy shrugged like it was no big deal. “I believe in karma. What goes around comes around.”

      If that was true, then something really awesome was bound to happen to Lindy. “Joe said that you suggested I stay in his garage apartment.”

      “It would be way better than living at the Sunrise for six weeks. And a lot cheaper.” She handed Reily an apron and tied hers around her waist. “Are you going to stay there?”

      “I’m not sure.”

      Lindy looked surprised. “Why not?”

      “If you were in a strange town where you didn’t know a soul, would you stay in the garage apartment of some man you’d just met?”

      Lindy frowned. “Oh. I guess I hadn’t looked at it that way. For what it’s worth, I’ve known Joe my entire life. He’s one of my best friends. He may be a little cranky at times, but he’s about as noble and trustworthy as they come. He wouldn’t hurt a flea. And there isn’t a man or woman in all of Paradise who will tell you any different.”

      She knew she should seriously consider it, but after what had just happened in the booth, maybe it wouldn’t

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