Read Online Covert Exposure by Valerie J. Clarizio - Free Book Online

hot as
he feels and smells?” she asked in a stage whisper.
    Mrs. Knight flashed a wink in Spinelli’s
direction, smiled, leaned toward her sister and whispered, “Oh,
he’s a looker alright, tall, dark and handsome. Mysterious eyes,
the kind a woman can get lost in. Looks to be pretty fit too,
Sister. Too bad you can’t see this one, he’s a delight.”
    Spinelli kept most of his attention focused
on the sisters but he took a glance at Shannon out of the corner of
his eye. A bright shade of red began consuming her pale colored
skin rising upward from her neck.
    “Come on, Sister, let’s leave these kids
alone to go about their business.”
    “We don’t have any business,” Shannon
immediately piped up. ”I mean Mr. Spinelli just gave me a ride home
from work. We’re not really…”
    Mrs. Finch interrupted Shannon mid-sentence.
“Shannon, dear, why don’t you share some of those delicious
gingerbread cookies you baked with your friend? She’s an excellent
baker, Mr. Spinelli.”
    He couldn’t help himself, “I’d love to try
them. Gingerbread cookies are my favorite.”
    Spinelli wished the ladies a good night and
turned to follow Shannon into her apartment.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” Shannon
asked him.
    “I’m getting my cookies.”
    He reached for the door behind him and heard
the sisters whispering.
    “It’s about time that sweet girl gets a man
in her life.”
    “You’re right, Sister, her clock is ticking.
Poor thing.”
    The door clicked shut. Spinelli stifled his
chuckle and pressed on about the cookies.
    Shannon rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Fine, I’ll give you some cookies and that’s all you’re getting.
Then will you please just leave?” she asked as she spun on her heel
and headed toward the kitchen shedding her coat along the way.
    Spinelli easily sensed her discomfort and he
blamed it on her unwanted attraction to him. He couldn’t help but
want to add to her discomfort, tease her just a bit. “Are you
normally this rude to all the guests you invite in for
cookies?”
    Shannon turned to face Spinelli. She flashed
him a scowl and took a moment to conjure up her response. “Excuse
me but I don’t recall inviting you in for cookies. What I recall is
you rudely inviting yourself in for cookies.”
    Spinelli fought to keep from smiling. He
liked the way she tried to cover her nervousness as she spoke to
him. The conscious attempt made her voice deeper and even sexier
than normal. With a voice like that he thought for sure she could
double as a one nine-hundred operator.
    Shannon quickly turned again and headed in
the direction of the kitchen. Spinelli followed with his eyes fixed
on her backside. She probably had no clue how sexy she looked in
her skimpy Santa helper outfit. Didn’t notice the elves ogling her
all night either; the thought of it stirred the jealous juices
inside him.
    Spinelli shrugged off his coat and flung it
over the back of one of the two counter-height stools situated at
the kitchen island. He pulled the stool out and took a seat. He
figured he could get away with making himself comfortable and
staying for a while because he knew she would want to prove him
wrong about her being rude. And he knew she wouldn’t be able to
live with herself if someone thought of her as being rude.
    Shannon turned to face him, a clear plastic
bag full of cookies gripped in her fist. She reached over the
counter and handed them to him. He took them from her and set them
on the counter. He undid the twist-tie and pulled one from the
bag.
    “What are you doing?” she asked.
    Spinelli shifted his eyes from his bag of
cookies and looked up at Shannon. “I’m eating my cookies.”
    She narrowed her gaze but said nothing. From
the look on her face, he knew he had her. She was just too nice to
kick him out and most important, he knew that deep down she felt an
attraction to him. He knew she didn’t want it to be so, but she
was.
    After a brief moment of