Harlequin Special Edition September 2016, Box Set 2 of 2 by Victoria Pade

Author:Victoria Pade
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488022975
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Several days after Jack’s meeting with his friend’s widow, Erin was still regretting passing on that bag of chips in the grocery store. She was confused and uneasy in equal parts.

Confused because she’d been almost sure he meant her when he’d said the town of Blackwater Lake was growing on him. But his behavior toward her hadn’t changed. If anything he’d become more distant. He was still man-caving in his office and avoiding her as much as possible.

A better book coach would be happy he was writing, and she was. Except that she hadn’t seen any pages and he might be working too much. Again last night she’d heard him upstairs during the night. When she passed his room this morning on her way to the kitchen, his bedroom door was open and he was nowhere to be seen. Like the last couple of nights he’d probably slept in the room off his office, the one where he’d made love to her.

No. Not love.

It was just sex. Really good sex, but nothing more than a physical release for both of them. If she repeated that enough, the message might actually become true. She hoped so because she’d never been the type to get intimate with a man just because he was pretty to look at.

While making coffee, she heard the front door open and close, then Jack appeared in the kitchen. He filled a glass from the water dispenser on the refrigerator and started to guzzle.

When he took a breath she said, “Good morning.”

His only response was a nod. He’d been for a run already. The shorts and sneakers were a clue. But the deciding factor was his black T-shirt with bold white letters saying ARMY on the front. It was sweaty and clung to his upper body in a very intriguing way. She remembered how good it felt when they were skin-to-skin… And this was a train of thought that needed to go off the rails.

“So, you’ve been out for a run bright and early.”

“Yeah.” He finished the rest of the water. “Clears my head.”

“Did your head need clearing?” If so, she thought, what had to go?

“Figure of speech.”

“Oh. I just wondered. Because you were in your office during the wee hours last night.”

“Are you stalking me?” There was amusement in his eyes.

“Only if stalking is defined by hearing you pace at one in the morning.”

“Didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“You didn’t.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. And the disturbance had nothing to do with being awake. She’d never gone to sleep and he was the reason she couldn’t. “So you were working on the book that late?”

“Yeah.” But his gaze didn’t quite meet hers.

“Be careful, Jack.”

“Of work? I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“Yes. In balance.”

“Inspiration and balance aren’t always compatible,” he said.

“That’s a fair point. But burnout isn’t the goal.” And speaking of burnout, he was looking so hot she might just go up in flames. “You barricaded yourself upstairs all day, barely taking time to eat.

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