Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 72715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
She swallowed hard. “Tell you what. You cooperate, and I’ll consider the whirlpool.”
“Hardly a fair deal.”
“But it does give you something to work toward, doesn’t it? In case returning mobility isn’t enough of a motivator.” She met and held his gaze, assessing him. She took his measure, and, as she studied him, Jake knew he had a formidable adversary. One he wouldn’t be able to con for long.
He let out a slow groan. He couldn’t just walk away, and eventually he’d either be confiding in her and asking her to keep his secret or he’d be dead meat, his plan for the summer and Ramirez busted before it began. “Okay, then. I guess the gym would be the best place to start?”
“You have a gym?”
She wiggled her finger free, and he let her go. For now. “This place has all sorts of amenities. Rina didn’t show you?”
Brianne shook her head. “Not the gym.”
“I was hoping she’d venture back into that room again. But it was her husband’s favorite spot and it brings back too many memories.” Brianne’s eyes softened in understanding, and Jake let out a groan. “Come.” He grasped her bag with his good arm, ignoring her glare, feeling certain she wouldn’t get into a tug-of-war with a patient.
He gestured for her to follow, turned and headed for the incredible home gym his brother-in-law had created, stopping in the doorway. Large windows covered the walls and sunlight bounced off the chrome, state-of-the-art equipment. Where there were no windows there were floor-to-ceiling mirrors instead.
Brianne came up beside him. He sensed her presence, felt her body heat, and his own temperature rose in response.
“Nice setup,” she murmured.
“Personally I prefer the Village Gym.” He turned and saw how impressed she was. “My brother-in-law was more into glitz than necessity, but I can’t deny it’s perfect for what we need.” And the only room in this whole apartment where he felt completely at ease.
“You don’t live here.” It wasn’t a question, and he wasn’t surprised she’d drawn the correct conclusion. The papers he’d given her outlined his injury and how it was sustained. Common sense dictated a cop couldn’t afford such luxury.
“Disappointed?” He wished he’d withheld the bitterness from his voice, but the past still lived within him.
He’d met his ex-wife, Linda, at the city school where she’d been teaching, when he’d shown up for a talk to the kids about the hazards of drug use. They’d hit it off fast, sharing incredible chemistry, great sex and seemingly similar goals and desires. She’d seemed to be in awe of his badge and uniform, and had been more than happy to marry a cop with a steady income, if unpredictable hours. They both wanted to move out of the city, Linda so she could teach in a safer neighborhood, and Jake so he could enjoy a peaceful family life during his off-time.
But as soon as the honeymoon ended, everything she’d seemed to like and accept in Jake underwent a radical shift. His hours suddenly became too long compared to her friend’s professional husbands, while the money Jake made was insufficient for decorating the home they’d bought in the suburbs. Jake wasn’t a man who liked to overspend or overextend his credit, and for damn sure his salary hadn’t been able to support his wife’s sudden desire to stay at home and shop with the wealthier women she’d met in the area. She sure as hell hadn’t been able to deal with Rina and Robert’s luxurious lifestyle. Jake’s marriage had lasted three increasingly bitter years—years in which he and his wife grew further and further apart. She finally walked out.
Jake hadn’t realized that the past still haunted him so strongly, until faced with the possibility that Brianne might find him and his lifestyle lacking. Despite her willingness to sacrifice for her brother, why wouldn’t Brianne be impressed with this penthouse and disappointed that Jake wasn’t its owner?
“Am I disappointed you don’t own this place?” she asked.
“Or have the money to live here,” he muttered.
“That’s ridiculous. It’s not like I was after you for money.” What sounded like genuine hurt laced her tone. “It’s not like I was after you at all.”
Jake chose not to touch that statement, picking up on her emotion instead. He wanted to keep his distance, not hurt her in the process. “My comment was uncalled for.”
“Is that your masculine way of saying ‘I’m sorry’?” She faced him, her back to the door frame, her hands braced behind her.
He reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “It’s my way of saying I’m an ass.”
“I couldn’t have put it better myself.” She laughed, and her breasts pushed temptingly against the soft cotton uniform she wore, rising and falling with each breath she took.
For a moment, the barriers she’d put up between them were gone, making him want to reach out to her, to hold her in his arms and…Without warning, gut-level fear took hold. He’d had his heart ripped to shreds over his lifestyle and his lack of money once before. He couldn’t go there again.