being sexy.
“You can join me in mine,” Jared teased.
“Keep dreaming there, big fella.” She flung her bag over her shoulder, trying to act as if that would never happen when in reality that was exactly what she planned on doing. “Pat, you joining us for dinner?” Might as well be nice, even though she secretly hoped her dear sweet brother would take a hike, and soon.
“I’ve got to get back to the bar. My new manager isn’t all that wonderful,” Pat said behind a clenched jaw, seething in her direction.
Direct hit. “Catch ya later.” Without looking back, she flew up the stairs and took the first bedroom on the right. Her brother would never learn that pushing her buttons would only make her push back. She dumped her bag on the blue comforter, then flung herself on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she began to devise her plan. She had nothing to lose. Even if the jerk turned her down, her humiliation wouldn’t last that long. Two weeks, to be exact.
* * * *
“Man, if looks could kill, I would have died five times by now.” Jared coughed, knowing he’d pushed the line. But hell, Pat was such an easy target, especially when it came to Ryan.
“I don’t like you flirting with my kid sister.”
“She’s not a kid.” Boy, didn’t Jared know it. He’d had a hard time sleeping last night because of ridiculous fantasies racing around inside his mind. If she kept this up, he knew exactly what would happen. Of course, part of him wanted it to happen, but he had to pull back. He cared for her, therefore he didn’t want to hurt her, and if he slept with her, well, that was the only possible outcome.
“She has some kind of hero worship going on with you, and then you encourage her.”
“We’re just friends with a long history. We’ve always been kind of flirty with each other. It’s nothing.” An electric pulse shot through his chest. It was more than nothing and he knew it.
“I have eyes.” With both hands on his hips, Pat glared at Jared. “You find her attractive.”
“And I find your wife attractive, too.” Jared ripped open the paper the steaks were in.
“We’re talking about my sister.”
“Who happens to be my friend, age difference and all.” Jared rinsed the steak before tossing it on the cutting board he’d already sprinkled with seasonings. Even when she’d been a teenager, Jared had considered her a friend. He’d been there for her, and she’d done her share of being there for him when his ex-wife had left.
Pat ran a hand across his jaw. “I’m worried about Ryan.”
Jared pounded at the steak. “Me, too.” He grabbed a dishtowel and wiped his hands, then flung the towel on the counter. “One of the guys George was in prison with is a sex offender, and he lives in Troy.” Opening the refrigerator, he slammed the cutting board on top of some soda cans.
“Jesus.” Pat rubbed his jaw. “Rapist or something?”
“Or something, but that’s not my only angle on this one.” Jared turned a chair, then straddled it when he sat down. “You know Tom Grady?”
Pat looked at the ceiling, then mumbled the name.
“He’s the moron she went out with the other night. She also works with him. Something about him rubs me the wrong way.” Jared fiddled with his badge. “So you see, the closer I keep her to me, the closer I get to finding out who’s behind all this. Anyone tries anything, I’m there.”
“What if you don’t find this guy before you move?” Pat pulled the chair out to sit.
“I should be able to clear this up before I move, I promise.”
“You can’t promise that,” Pat said.
Before he left, Jared would do everything in his power to make sure whoever was behind these crimes would be punished. “Let me do my job. I’m kind of good at it.” Jared lifted his beer in a toast, then took a gulp. “What brought you by, anyway?”
“To check on my sister. And to let you know that you’re going to be the godfather of my
“You can join me in mine,” Jared teased.
“Keep dreaming there, big fella.” She flung her bag over her shoulder, trying to act as if that would never happen when in reality that was exactly what she planned on doing. “Pat, you joining us for dinner?” Might as well be nice, even though she secretly hoped her dear sweet brother would take a hike, and soon.
“I’ve got to get back to the bar. My new manager isn’t all that wonderful,” Pat said behind a clenched jaw, seething in her direction.
Direct hit. “Catch ya later.” Without looking back, she flew up the stairs and took the first bedroom on the right. Her brother would never learn that pushing her buttons would only make her push back. She dumped her bag on the blue comforter, then flung herself on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she began to devise her plan. She had nothing to lose. Even if the jerk turned her down, her humiliation wouldn’t last that long. Two weeks, to be exact.
* * * *
“Man, if looks could kill, I would have died five times by now.” Jared coughed, knowing he’d pushed the line. But hell, Pat was such an easy target, especially when it came to Ryan.
“I don’t like you flirting with my kid sister.”
“She’s not a kid.” Boy, didn’t Jared know it. He’d had a hard time sleeping last night because of ridiculous fantasies racing around inside his mind. If she kept this up, he knew exactly what would happen. Of course, part of him wanted it to happen, but he had to pull back. He cared for her, therefore he didn’t want to hurt her, and if he slept with her, well, that was the only possible outcome.
“She has some kind of hero worship going on with you, and then you encourage her.”
“We’re just friends with a long history. We’ve always been kind of flirty with each other. It’s nothing.” An electric pulse shot through his chest. It was more than nothing and he knew it.
“I have eyes.” With both hands on his hips, Pat glared at Jared. “You find her attractive.”
“And I find your wife attractive, too.” Jared ripped open the paper the steaks were in.
“We’re talking about my sister.”
“Who happens to be my friend, age difference and all.” Jared rinsed the steak before tossing it on the cutting board he’d already sprinkled with seasonings. Even when she’d been a teenager, Jared had considered her a friend. He’d been there for her, and she’d done her share of being there for him when his ex-wife had left.
Pat ran a hand across his jaw. “I’m worried about Ryan.”
Jared pounded at the steak. “Me, too.” He grabbed a dishtowel and wiped his hands, then flung the towel on the counter. “One of the guys George was in prison with is a sex offender, and he lives in Troy.” Opening the refrigerator, he slammed the cutting board on top of some soda cans.
“Jesus.” Pat rubbed his jaw. “Rapist or something?”
“Or something, but that’s not my only angle on this one.” Jared turned a chair, then straddled it when he sat down. “You know Tom Grady?”
Pat looked at the ceiling, then mumbled the name.
“He’s the moron she went out with the other night. She also works with him. Something about him rubs me the wrong way.” Jared fiddled with his badge. “So you see, the closer I keep her to me, the closer I get to finding out who’s behind all this. Anyone tries anything, I’m there.”
“What if you don’t find this guy before you move?” Pat pulled the chair out to sit.
“I should be able to clear this up before I move, I promise.”
“You can’t promise that,” Pat said.
Before he left, Jared would do everything in his power to make sure whoever was behind these crimes would be punished. “Let me do my job. I’m kind of good at it.” Jared lifted his beer in a toast, then took a gulp. “What brought you by, anyway?”
“To check on my sister. And to let you know that you’re going to be the godfather of my
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