The Naked Truth by Erin McCarthy

Author:Erin McCarthy
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2005-05-04T05:00:00+00:00

TWO

“RESCUE? Me? I beg your pardon!”

Noah forgot how cute Bailey was when she was blustering. “Only seconds after seeing me again and you’re already begging me? Honestly, I’m flattered.”

He thought her eyebrows were going to lift straight off her forehead. “You were insufferable in Los Angeles, and you’re insufferable now. Thank God I had the good sense to let things end between us when I did.”

Noah debated for all of three seconds whether he should let her have that little lie as a sop to her ego. But the Bailey Madison he knew wouldn’t appreciate being pandered to. “Which is exactly why I didn’t call. I knew that was what you wanted, and I was merely acceding to your wishes.”

Her gaze narrowed. “You think you’re oh-so-clever.”

He grinned. “You used to think so. Remember how much you liked it when I did that thing with my hands where—”

Her mouth dropped open and then immediately snapped shut. “You really have no shame at all, do you?” Her hand flew up, palm out. “Don’t answer that.” Suddenly all business, even though that becoming flush still colored her cheeks, she smoothed her hair, ran her free hand over her suit, and stepped around him. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I don’t have time to swap insults with you.”

The driver moved forward at that moment and handed her the neatly stacked papers he’d recovered and then helped slide the strap of her backpack over her shoulder. “Thank you,” she said with the kind of exaggerated politeness intended to make it clear she didn’t hold Noah in near the same esteem she did her driver.

Perversely, it just made his smile widen. He’d known when he’d lobbied for this job that she wasn’t going to be happy to see him again. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to the challenge of breaking down whatever well-deserved barrier she’d erected between them. Just because their brief, albeit tempestuous, relationship hadn’t worked out in the long run, didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy a reunion of sorts. Besides, Noah was nothing if not motivated by challenges. It was why he’d pursued Franklin Dent with such single-minded determination.

He watched Bailey Madison walk into Dent’s home, although it was more of a march really—shoulders square, chin high, stride confident. And a big splotch of street grime smeared across her fanny. If anyone could pull that off with aplomb, it would be, well, Charlize Theron. But Bailey Madison was giving it a pretty good go. Chuckling, he shook his head and followed her inside. And he caught himself wondering why he hadn’t pursued her with that same kind of single-minded determination.

Because you don’t pursue anyone like that, he reminded himself. Besides, even if he did want to see the same person for a long-term period of time, which he didn’t, she was all wrong for him anyway. His focus was global. He was motivated to tell real stories about real people, spotlight the vast variety in the human condition,

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