With This Kiss by Susan Meier

Author:Susan Meier
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Pain exploded through Rayne when Jericho walked away from his office, and she knew why. She might have fooled herself into thinking this picnic had only been a way to befriend him to get his help. She might have really only intended it that way. But she’d had a crush on Jericho Capriotti forever. In the past few days he’d shown her a mature, responsible side that was nearly irresistible and she’d been falling for him again.

Not only was that wrong, but being head over heels crazy about him made her plan to befriend him to get his help impossible. She couldn’t ever be friends with this guy. There was simply too much history and too much attraction between them.

Repacking her picnic, she resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn’t be able to “persuade” Jericho to help her. But she had his skip tracer friend’s phone number. She also knew his price. Saving until she could afford to pay the tracer up front was far less humbling than trying to befriend a man who didn’t want to have to be nice to her. No matter how difficult it was not knowing her father’s status, she could wait the time it would take to save enough money.

Humiliated by Jericho’s rejection, Rayne wouldn’t have dressed in her former clothes again the next morning, but Elaine believed Rayne was wearing bright outfits to cheer herself up. If she went back to jeans and oversize T-shirts, Elaine would ask why and Rayne didn’t think she could come up with something creative enough to explain it away.

So, after her shower Tuesday morning, she put on a raspberry-colored sweater and low-riding jeans, fluffed out her hair and even put in her contacts. To her surprise, she didn’t feel foolish walking down the street to the post office and then to the diner. The only people who stopped and stared were men, so she knew the women had grown accustomed to seeing her dressed a little better and the men would soon follow suit.

But the reaction of the men also told her she looked pretty damned good, and that lifted her spirits. Jericho Capriotti didn’t want her, but she wasn’t a complete washout as a woman. She straightened her shoulders and fluffed out her hair a bit before walking into the diner.

“I’ll have that Danish today,” she called to Elaine who turned from the counter with a laugh.

“Not worried about your figure anymore?” Elaine teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“With so many men watching it lately, I don’t think I have to.”

Elaine shook her head and chuckled as she wrapped a cherry Danish in waxed paper and slid it into a brown bag. “Coffee?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“You sound very chipper today.”

“I am chipper,” she said, just as the diner door opened. To keep her next comment private, she leaned forward and whispered, “I got a few more checks in this morning’s mail.”

“Oh, Rayne! That’s great,” Elaine said, setting Rayne’s coffee on the counter so she could take her money.

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