Forbidden Stranger by Marilyn Pappano

Author:Marilyn Pappano [Marilyn Pappano]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, General, Contemporary, Fiction
ISBN: 9781426811494
Google: D5MEJgHAtYQC
Amazon: B0012094C2
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2007-01-12T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

W hen break time came, Amanda headed for her tiny closet at the back of the building. Her reading glasses and book were already on the table. She set down two miniature candy bars and a bottle of water, removed her eight-inch heels and sat on the chaise with a sigh.

It had been a good night. It was only a little more than half over and she’d already pocketed more than eight hundred dollars in tips. But for a nickel, she’d go home right then and spend the next two hours in a hot bath. Then she smiled wryly. Sure, she would. This job was all about the money and saving enough of it to have the life she’d always wanted. There was no such thing as too much money.

She looked at the glasses and the book, then reached for one of the candy bars. Chocolate was surely the next best thing in the world to dancing. And sex. And personal satisfaction. It was a shame that, in quantity, it went straight to her hips, a bigger shame that the time when hips were a good thing was long past.

After peeling open the wrapper, she took one sweet, luscious bite and the door opened, catching her in the act. Expecting Rick, she was tempted to swallow without savoring, but she resisted. Good thing, since it wasn’t Rick.

Julia stood in the doorway, her pose amazingly casual for the uptight woman she’d been just a few days earlier. “Can I come in?”

“Sure.” Amanda wasn’t in the mood to read anyway. Chewing the candy slowly, she swung her feet to the floor and made room for Julia to join her on the chaise.

Instead of lounging back as Amanda did, Julia sat on the edge of the cushion, feet together, spine straight. Amanda had never seen her slump or slouch. That must have been some ballet teacher, for her lessons to have stuck so long.

“Rick and I broke up.”

The announcement came as Amanda was swallowing and she choked, coughing hard before gulping down a mouthful of water.

Julia absently patted her on the back. “It’s been coming for a while. We’ve been together a long time and we’ve gotten pretty platonic. We thought moving in together might fix whatever was wrong, but I’ve had my own room the whole time. We’re just not relating.”

After another sip of water, Amanda said, “I’m sorry.” She was, even though a small devil was doing cartwheels in her stomach.

“Oh, don’t be. I’m not.” Finally Julia slid back, relaxing against the wall. “I’m relieved. I like Rick a lot and I’d rather end it now when we can still be friends. The last guy I broke up with—I used his photograph for target practice at the gun range. I would have shot him for real if I’d thought I could get away with it. He was scum.”

After a moment, Amanda said, “You don’t seem at all upset about this breakup.”

“No, really, I’m not. We’ve been living pretty much as roommates for a while.

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