Read Online After Hours Bundle by Karen Kendall - Free Book Online

her while she hung on to a wastebasket.”
    Poor thing.
    â€œSo you’ll have to take her appointment this evening, and it’s Troy Barrington.”
    Peggy closed her eyes. Troy Barrington, naturally. The guy who had slipped naked into her subconscious every night since she’d met him. The guy whom she really couldn’t go near again, especially nude under a sheet, or she didn’t think she could be held responsible for her actions. “Listen, Shirlie—I can’t do it.”
    The receptionist looked at the appointment book. “Yes, you can. You don’t have anyone coming until Pilar Morales at nine-fifteen.”
    â€œI, uh—”
    The door opened and in walked Troy, with windblown hair and a slight sunburn on his nose. He looked edible, and those weird butterflies swarmed into her stomach again. She couldn’t chalk them up to hunger this time. No matter how hard she fought against it, she was attracted to a football player, a species of man she’d sworn never to allow into her life.
    â€œHi,” said Shirlie brightly, while Peg aimed a tight smile in his direction. “I’m afraid Margaret has gone home sick, so Peggy will be doing your hot stone treatment.”
    A devilish glint entered his eyes. “Is that so?”
    Peggy cleared her throat and shot a Death Stare at Shirl, promising to get her later. “Ah, yes. I had a last-minute cancellation. How are you, Mr. Barrington?”
    â€œEven better than when I saw you two hours ago on the practice field, Miss Underwood.” He managed to say her name as if it were code for something deliciously dirty.
    Underneath the pristine white lab coat, Peg’s body went nuts, thrilling to every ion of his presence. The vibrations of his voice even played at the base of her spine.
    He turned to Shirlie and gestured with his thumb at Peg. “She’s got great legs, doesn’t she?”
    â€œAbsolutely!” While Peggy turned red, Shirlie picked up the ringing phone and smiled. “After Hours, may I help you?”
    You’ve been no help to me at all, thought Peggy darkly. And what happened to your nervous babbling? Of all the times to be perky and quick-thinking…
    â€œSo,” said Troy, looking at his watch. “Massage, right?”
    â€œRight. Follow me to the treatment room,” said Peggy in wooden tones. Barrington thinks I have great legs? A shiver of pleasure went through her, even as she told herself not to be gullible.
    â€œI think I’d follow you pretty much anywhere,” Troy said, “because the view is so nice.”
    Should she ignore him or get in his face about the personal comments? She damn sure wasn’t going to giggle and say thank you. Peggy settled for snorting. “God, and here I thought I’d left the cheese in the refrigerator.”
    â€œI guess I should be happy you’re not calling me a dumb cracker.”
    She groaned. “He walks, he talks, he makes bad puns. Lord help me, what do I do with him?”
    â€œPersonally, I think you should go out on a date with him,” Troy announced, whipping off his shirt. “If he asks you.”
    Peggy froze and then noticed what he’d done. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Can you please keep the clothes on until I leave?”
    â€œThat’s no fun at all.”
    â€œAnd I don’t date clients.” I especially don’t date football players.
    â€œAh. Good thing the client hasn’t asked you to date him yet.”
    Peggy choked. “Good thing.”
    â€œSo, same drill, right? I shower, towel off, hang my robe on the hook, cover up Mr. Happy?”
    She nodded and backed out of the room, feeling utterly discombobulated. Barrington was a big flirt. Problem was, she really wanted to flirt back. And it was ever so bad an idea. Her own personal goals aside, there were a hundred reasons not to ride the Troy Barrington roller coaster.
    Peggy went to the kitchenette