Read Online PartyNaked by Mari Carr - Free Book Online Page A

her eyes again, morning was breaking. A
quick glance at the clock on the bedside table told her it was almost six a.m.
She’d spent the entire night—with Jarod. She sighed. She wasn’t an overnight
kind of girl. Always in the past, she’d either left or shown her lover to the
door before falling asleep. Last night with Jarod, she hadn’t had the strength
to drive home.
    It was Jarod’s fault. He’d well and thoroughly fucked her.
    Liar. You didn’t want to leave.
    He’d wrapped her up in his strong arms and she’d been too
enthralled by the feelings surrounding her to even consider escape. Now, with
the harsh light of day, she knew it was time to go. Rising slowly, she crept
from the bed, quietly pulling on her pants and bra. Her shirt and sandals were
somewhere between here and the living room. Finding an old receipt and a pen on
the nightstand, she scratched out a quick note.
     
    J—
    Thanks for last night. I had a NICE time.
    S
     
    Short, simple, to the point. She hoped he’d laugh at her
inside joke about how nice he’d been and forget to be annoyed that she’d
left without saying goodbye. She wasn’t ready to wake up in bed with him.
Wasn’t ready for what that could mean.
    She wasn’t ready for any of this. Taking one last look at
his sleeping form on the bed, she smiled at his mussed-up hair and devilishly
handsome face, then willed herself to keep moving.
    Down the hall. Out the front door. Home. Alone.

Chapter Five
     
    Jarod walked into Books and Brew and claimed the same stool
he’d occupied nearly a week earlier. Ever since waking to find Stephanie
missing from his bed last Friday morning, he’d been busting his ass, working
major overtime—five eighteen-hour days in a row. He’d been kicked by the old
be-careful-what-you-wish-for curse. He’d worked as a beat cop for years, always
reaching for the ever-elusive detective’s badge. Now he was sitting in the coveted
chair, and paying for it. He’d been thrown into a big case the first week out
of the gate and he’d logged a shit-ton of hours as a result.
    On the plus side, he and his partner had cracked their case,
nabbing the pusher whose drug dealing on the local college campus had landed
two co-eds in the hospital. For his efforts, he’d cleared the suspect he’d
followed into the bar last week. Stephanie would be relieved to hear that.
    On the downside, he’d cleared the Books and Brew
suspect. His excuse for hanging out at the bar—sneaking in time as Stephanie’s
pretend boyfriend—had been swept away before he’d even taken advantage of it.
    It was three o’clock on Wednesday afternoon. He had the next
three days off, and he was ready to settle the score with Miss Stephanie
Harper. He’d been pissed to discover her gone the morning after the greatest
sex of his life, although he hadn’t been completely surprised. There was
something about Stephanie that told him she would try to hold him at arm’s
length.
    She might try, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to succeed.
While the timing on starting a relationship was all wrong for him, he wasn’t
about to let the best thing to happen to him in years simply slip away. He may
be starting a new job and on the rebound from a crappy relationship, but he
didn’t give a shit. He suspected she didn’t want to start a relationship
either. However, Stephanie was going to have to give him a damn good excuse why
not. He wanted to go out with her, take her on a real date and get to know her
better.
    He glanced around the room. Jayne was helping a customer
find a book, but aside from that, the place was empty. He’d purposely come
during the off-hours, determined to have a talk with Stephanie that wouldn’t be
interrupted.
    Stephanie wasn’t behind the bar and, for a moment, he
worried she’d skipped town in her desire to avoid him. He chuckled. While their
night together had made a huge impact on his life and plans for the immediate
future, he wasn’t certain her feelings were