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Ready for what?
When you’re ready to admit you want to spend time with me.
Her legs were jittery, her skin was flushed, and he wasn’t even close. But he also wasn’t wrong. She did want to spend time with him, and getting out of town sounded luxurious.
But it would also be opening a door that should stay closed. Instead of responding, she sat staring out of her truck window, wondering how she could test the waters with Conner without disappointing her family.
*
Conner’s offer stuckwith her the rest of the day and night. By morning she was having full-on fantasies of driving with him out to a private resort, checking into a suite, and finishing what they started out on that swan. She was supposed to be going over the supplies for the ambulance she’d be working in for the next ten hours. But she kept having to start over because she was so distracted.
A hand landed on her shoulder, and she didn’t take time to think. She grabbed the hand and twisted it into a wrist lock until the person yelled. Just like her father and brothers had taught her, to protect herself.
“Uncle.”
“Oh crap, Dre. I’m sorry. You startled me,” she said, letting go of the pressure on her wrist.
“I guess so. I thought you must have earbuds in, because you didn’t respond when I said your name several times.”
Taking a deep breath, she looked around and realized there were several other paramedics she hadn’t even noticed in the large garage now. Why had she let her thoughts of Conner distract her so thoroughly?
“I was daydreaming, I guess.”
“Maybe you have too much on your plate with the fundraisers, new community center, and work,” Dre said, taking a seat on a stool set against the wall of the garage. “Or maybe a certain someone is distracting you?”
“I just need to stay focused. By July, things will settle down a little.” She turned away; the blush on her face was not from being overwhelmed with work but the visions of Conner that had been playing through her mind.
“I promise to help with movie night as soon as my shift is over. Is Conner going to be there to help you out?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. Dre was well aware of her history with Conner. When you shared a small, confined space with someone for ten hours a day several days a week, you didn’t keep many secrets.
“He’ll be there, and he’s managed to convince all his brothers to help out.”
“Wow, must be pretty important for him to make sure the event is a success, or he’s just hoping to score some major points with a certain woman who keeps pushing him away.”
“You know I can’t give him the time of day. It could never work.”
“I disagree, and I think you need to follow your instincts. I saw you two together. It was like two waves trying to resist crashing into each other.”
“Very poetic. I’m not denying the attraction between us, just the ability to act on it. Parker would feel betrayed. And how do I know I wouldn’t be just some revenge conquest for Conner?”
“I get it, but Conner Maguire doesn’t have that kind of a reputation, he’s a solid guy. Do you think it’s possible it was all a misunderstanding or maybe your brother’s girlfriend played some weird trick on him?”
“I really don’t know anymore. The evidence of finding her in his bed is pretty strong, but Conner continues to claim he never slept with her.”
“If nothing else, you probably owe it to yourself to find out the truth because that man is HOT and looks at you like an ice cream cone in his favorite flavor.”
They both laughed just as the alarm in the garage struck eight, which meant their shift had started, and they would get a call any minute. For at least the next ten hours, she needed to forget about Conner or try harder. The truth was, he was like an itch that needed to be scratched, and until she did that, he would always be the one guy she measured all others up against. But was she really willing to risk alienating her brother to find out if what she had with Conner was worth the fight? And what if what she had with Conner exploded into something more than physical desire?
Chapter Ten
Staring at thelatest surveillance feed, Conner ran his hand through his hair again and checked his watch. It was six o’clock and he’d already pulled a ten-hour shift. But something struck him about the latest arrest of a local dealer. When the ATF agent had questioned this perp, he’d used the pronounsheand referred to the boss as “the queen.” All this time they thought the head of the latest distribution ring was a man, a millionaire playboy creating more wealth and chaos in the drug trade. But what if they were wrong and it was a woman? And if it was, which woman in his close inner circle was capable of pulling off this level of import and distribution?
He’d started scrubbing through all the interviews around lunch and pieced together several other comments that had never been flagged. They’d all been so focused on the target they assumed was running the show, they missed the clues.
His phone lit up with texts, which meant his brothers were sick of filling in for him at the movie night charity setup. But when he’d realized he couldn’t make it on time, he’d begged them to cover for him.
You’re missing a good time.Rory texted a picture of the lawn full of people with picnic blankets, and twinkly lights hung around one side of the warehouse, where a movie projector cast a screen. There was popcorn, cotton candy, and food trucks. The first movie showing was for kids, the second show a classic rom-com for the older crowd.
