Read Online Sworn to Be His (The Archer Family Book 3) by Allison Gatta - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Allison Gatta
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and stuffed a pillow over her face.
Lisa pounced on top of her and landed on her stomach with a soft thump, but Jade didn't have the energy to swat her away. Instead, she snuggled the cat close to her and said, "What am I going to do?"
Okay, first things first.
How was she feeling about all of this?
She took a deep breath, trying to put words to the swarm of feelings raising in her chest and swirling in her stomach. It felt like an excited glow, in a way, though there was a nervous energy there too. Like she wanted to run a mile and also lay in her bed for the rest of the day.
"I've got nothing," she mumbled, then, like a flash, she remembered Zac.
Zac with his perfect muscles and his history of making her knees buckle. What was she going to do about Zac? What was Derrick going to do about Zac?
After all, she was still trying to win him over, right? Wasn't that still the plan?
Before she had the chance to torment herself with any further questions, there was a pounding on her front door and Lisa slipped through her arms and slinked from the room.
Following suit, Jade tugged an oversized T-shirt over her head and wriggled into a pair of yoga pants before rubbing her eyes and making for the door. She swung it open easily before checking the peephole, and then her breath caught.
There he was. Derrick Archer. Tall, dark, and sexy. Except not sexy. He wasn't supposed to be sexy, not to her.
"Great minds think alike," she mumbled, then ushered him into the tiny living room off of her foyer. As she led him, she swallowed hard, suddenly all too aware of the heat rising in her cheeks and the uncomfortable swirling in her stomach. She felt like a little kid waiting for her crush to notice her on the playground. Somehow, that made it that much worse, too.
"So, I came by to apologize," Derrick said, then sank back onto her bright red sofa.
"Oh, um, you don't need to apologize. It takes two to tango, you know, and—"
"I'm not apologizing for that." He looked up at her and suddenly there was a hunger in his eyes, a fire she hadn't noticed before. "I'm apologizing for blowing the case. I shouldn't have let my feelings get in the way of an investigation. No matter how good you looked."
Her mouth went dry and suddenly she couldn't look anywhere but him and the way his legs spread wide and casual as he surveyed her. She knew what lay underneath his jeans now. She knew exactly how impressive he was. How big and strong. How powerful.
An ache rose between her thighs and she sank into a chair opposite him, if only to have something to do.
"You..." She started, but even that was a strain. She had no idea what to do, what to say. Had he just said she looked good? And why did that make her heart do jumping jacks?
"I fucked up and I shouldn't have." He sighed. "I called Crystal this morning to see if we could schedule another officer to go undercover with her help."
Jade perked up, her brows furrowing. "Another officer? But I—"
"I never want to see you dressed like that again unless it's a private viewing. Those men don't deserve to look at you that way. You're too good for them."
"And you think you're just good enough?" She wasn't sure what made her say it, or why every word sounded so coated with lust. Maybe she just needed an answer. Or maybe she was fishing for the answer she wanted.
Even now, looking at him, he wasn't the same old Derrick. Not anymore. He was memories of laughter and joy and adventure...and ecstasy. His mouth was full and sweet and tender and his arms looked warm and strong. She longed to feel them around her again, to have him press her up against the wall and—
"I never said I was good enough either," he said.
Her heart fluttered inside her chest. "So you're saying..."
"Nobody is good enough for you, Jade. But I want you. I think you want me, too." His dark eyes took her in and she licked her top lip almost unconsciously.
"I don't know what I want," she admitted.
"No?" He didn't sound bothered or
Lisa pounced on top of her and landed on her stomach with a soft thump, but Jade didn't have the energy to swat her away. Instead, she snuggled the cat close to her and said, "What am I going to do?"
Okay, first things first.
How was she feeling about all of this?
She took a deep breath, trying to put words to the swarm of feelings raising in her chest and swirling in her stomach. It felt like an excited glow, in a way, though there was a nervous energy there too. Like she wanted to run a mile and also lay in her bed for the rest of the day.
"I've got nothing," she mumbled, then, like a flash, she remembered Zac.
Zac with his perfect muscles and his history of making her knees buckle. What was she going to do about Zac? What was Derrick going to do about Zac?
After all, she was still trying to win him over, right? Wasn't that still the plan?
Before she had the chance to torment herself with any further questions, there was a pounding on her front door and Lisa slipped through her arms and slinked from the room.
Following suit, Jade tugged an oversized T-shirt over her head and wriggled into a pair of yoga pants before rubbing her eyes and making for the door. She swung it open easily before checking the peephole, and then her breath caught.
There he was. Derrick Archer. Tall, dark, and sexy. Except not sexy. He wasn't supposed to be sexy, not to her.
"Great minds think alike," she mumbled, then ushered him into the tiny living room off of her foyer. As she led him, she swallowed hard, suddenly all too aware of the heat rising in her cheeks and the uncomfortable swirling in her stomach. She felt like a little kid waiting for her crush to notice her on the playground. Somehow, that made it that much worse, too.
"So, I came by to apologize," Derrick said, then sank back onto her bright red sofa.
"Oh, um, you don't need to apologize. It takes two to tango, you know, and—"
"I'm not apologizing for that." He looked up at her and suddenly there was a hunger in his eyes, a fire she hadn't noticed before. "I'm apologizing for blowing the case. I shouldn't have let my feelings get in the way of an investigation. No matter how good you looked."
Her mouth went dry and suddenly she couldn't look anywhere but him and the way his legs spread wide and casual as he surveyed her. She knew what lay underneath his jeans now. She knew exactly how impressive he was. How big and strong. How powerful.
An ache rose between her thighs and she sank into a chair opposite him, if only to have something to do.
"You..." She started, but even that was a strain. She had no idea what to do, what to say. Had he just said she looked good? And why did that make her heart do jumping jacks?
"I fucked up and I shouldn't have." He sighed. "I called Crystal this morning to see if we could schedule another officer to go undercover with her help."
Jade perked up, her brows furrowing. "Another officer? But I—"
"I never want to see you dressed like that again unless it's a private viewing. Those men don't deserve to look at you that way. You're too good for them."
"And you think you're just good enough?" She wasn't sure what made her say it, or why every word sounded so coated with lust. Maybe she just needed an answer. Or maybe she was fishing for the answer she wanted.
Even now, looking at him, he wasn't the same old Derrick. Not anymore. He was memories of laughter and joy and adventure...and ecstasy. His mouth was full and sweet and tender and his arms looked warm and strong. She longed to feel them around her again, to have him press her up against the wall and—
"I never said I was good enough either," he said.
Her heart fluttered inside her chest. "So you're saying..."
"Nobody is good enough for you, Jade. But I want you. I think you want me, too." His dark eyes took her in and she licked her top lip almost unconsciously.
"I don't know what I want," she admitted.
"No?" He didn't sound bothered or
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