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Authors: Lisa Clark O'Neill
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opened in protest. “Your brother’s lease is just about up here, am I right?” When she nodded reluctantly, he risked reaching out for her hand. “Do you really want to renew it, Sam? Wouldn’t that money be better spent helping your brother?”
Seeing the conflicting emotions on her face, Josh figured he’d pushed her enough for one night. He’d planted the seed, now he’d give it time to germinate. The lease was up in three days; he knew, because he’d tracked down the slumlord who owned the place and inquired. Three days should give her plenty of time to let logic overcome pride and whatever other reservations she might have. Until then, he could request a patrol car be sent around each night.
Either that or he’d practice his stake-out techniques and pull a couple all-nighters in his car.
“Just think about it, Sam.” He pressed her fingers, and then made a break while he still could, showing himself out the door and reminding her to lock it after him.
SAM watched him disappear down the hall, unsure whether to laugh or cry over what had just happened.
Josh Harding had just asked her to move in with him.
For all the wrong reasons.
CHAPTER SIX
JOSH ordered his coffee strong and black when he hit Starbucks the next morning, deciding that he didn’t need any fancy creamers or sugar to dilute the flow of caffeine into his bloodstream. In fact, he was wondering if there was a way to just hook up an IV, maybe run a line from the coffee shop to the station house. He’d probably just have to settle for the bitter sludge in the break room that passed as a caffeinated beverage, a travesty of the coffee bean if he’d ever seen one. But either way, he needed a serious injection of some kind of stimulant if he was going to function effectively today. Ever since he’d come face to face with Sam at Clay’s bachelor party, he’d slept little, and not well.
And he’d spent the better part of last night with one eye on her apartment and one eye on his side view mirror, just him and his Glock hanging out in the car in the middle of Charleston’s version of the ghetto. Most folks had trouble believing that this beautiful and peaceful southern city had a seamier side, but like every other place where large numbers of people cohabited in close proximity, the scum always floated to the surface and spoiled the pond. He’d seen any number of minor crimes being committed last night, and had enough information to keep both vice and narcotics busy for days, but at least no one had bothered Sam. The next three days were going to kill him. And if she got stubborn about moving or tried to make like smoke again, he wasn’t quite sure what he would do.
Kidnap her, maybe.
Hijack her from that seedy joint where she worked, take her home and throw her down on his bed, then make love to her until she admitted that yes, staying with him was a great idea, and yes, she was wrong for running away from what they had started all those years ago. And yes, now that he mentioned it , he was the best thing that ever happened to her and she actually did want him for much more than a friend. And sure, getting married and popping out a couple kids, who would obviously need a golden retriever and white-picket-fence was absolutely on the agenda.
Shaking his head, Josh pushed through the front doors of the station house and called himself every kind of fool. Samantha clearly didn’t have those same goals in mind, and what she needed now, anyway, was a friend.
So he’d offer himself up on a platter.
“Sap,” he muttered under his breath as the noise from the busy police station filled his ears. No matter the hour there was always something going on, even in a city as laidback and purely southern as Charleston. Evil knew no distinction between the Mason and Dixon sides of the line, and sheer greed and stupidity flourished everywhere. No place was truly paradise.
Winding through
Seeing the conflicting emotions on her face, Josh figured he’d pushed her enough for one night. He’d planted the seed, now he’d give it time to germinate. The lease was up in three days; he knew, because he’d tracked down the slumlord who owned the place and inquired. Three days should give her plenty of time to let logic overcome pride and whatever other reservations she might have. Until then, he could request a patrol car be sent around each night.
Either that or he’d practice his stake-out techniques and pull a couple all-nighters in his car.
“Just think about it, Sam.” He pressed her fingers, and then made a break while he still could, showing himself out the door and reminding her to lock it after him.
SAM watched him disappear down the hall, unsure whether to laugh or cry over what had just happened.
Josh Harding had just asked her to move in with him.
For all the wrong reasons.
CHAPTER SIX
JOSH ordered his coffee strong and black when he hit Starbucks the next morning, deciding that he didn’t need any fancy creamers or sugar to dilute the flow of caffeine into his bloodstream. In fact, he was wondering if there was a way to just hook up an IV, maybe run a line from the coffee shop to the station house. He’d probably just have to settle for the bitter sludge in the break room that passed as a caffeinated beverage, a travesty of the coffee bean if he’d ever seen one. But either way, he needed a serious injection of some kind of stimulant if he was going to function effectively today. Ever since he’d come face to face with Sam at Clay’s bachelor party, he’d slept little, and not well.
And he’d spent the better part of last night with one eye on her apartment and one eye on his side view mirror, just him and his Glock hanging out in the car in the middle of Charleston’s version of the ghetto. Most folks had trouble believing that this beautiful and peaceful southern city had a seamier side, but like every other place where large numbers of people cohabited in close proximity, the scum always floated to the surface and spoiled the pond. He’d seen any number of minor crimes being committed last night, and had enough information to keep both vice and narcotics busy for days, but at least no one had bothered Sam. The next three days were going to kill him. And if she got stubborn about moving or tried to make like smoke again, he wasn’t quite sure what he would do.
Kidnap her, maybe.
Hijack her from that seedy joint where she worked, take her home and throw her down on his bed, then make love to her until she admitted that yes, staying with him was a great idea, and yes, she was wrong for running away from what they had started all those years ago. And yes, now that he mentioned it , he was the best thing that ever happened to her and she actually did want him for much more than a friend. And sure, getting married and popping out a couple kids, who would obviously need a golden retriever and white-picket-fence was absolutely on the agenda.
Shaking his head, Josh pushed through the front doors of the station house and called himself every kind of fool. Samantha clearly didn’t have those same goals in mind, and what she needed now, anyway, was a friend.
So he’d offer himself up on a platter.
“Sap,” he muttered under his breath as the noise from the busy police station filled his ears. No matter the hour there was always something going on, even in a city as laidback and purely southern as Charleston. Evil knew no distinction between the Mason and Dixon sides of the line, and sheer greed and stupidity flourished everywhere. No place was truly paradise.
Winding through
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