Read Online The Bodyguard and Ms. Jones by Susan Mallery - Free Book Online Page B

laughter made him want to smile. He lived in a world of shadows, dodging death and trying to outwit assassins. Cindy lived in a world of normalcy and light.
    Without thinking, he reached out and touched the tip of her nose. “I’m sorry for making trouble with Miss Vanmeter.”
    Electricity arced up his arm, through his chest and settled low in his belly. He couldn’t pull away fast enough. Cindy’s humor faded and she caught her breath as if she, too, had been burned.
    He backed up and took his seat at the table. She continued to put away groceries. They talked, but the connection had been broken, severed by a physical awareness he couldn’t shake.
    â€œI should probably be leaving,” he said. Usually, he couldn’t wait to get away, but this time, even though he mouthed the words, he didn’t want to move out of Cindy’s house. Which meant it was past time to go.
    â€œYou can’t even carry two bags of groceries in from the car,” she said, opening the refrigerator and putting away margarine. “Wait until Monday. That’s another four days away. If you try to do too much before you’re ready, you’ll just end up sick again.”
    She had a point. “Okay, I’ll leave Monday.”
    She tossed him another empty bag, then leaned against the counter and folded her arms over her chest. “The kids are going to miss you.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œYou play games with them, watch those horrible cartoons and tell them great stories. Why wouldn’t they miss you?”
    He wasn’t sure that anyone had ever missed him before. “They’ve been coming in my room,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to—”
    She held up her hands, palms out. “You don’t understand. The fact that they’re going to miss you is a good thing. It means they like you.”
    â€œOh. I like them, too.” He frowned. He liked children? When had that happened?
    â€œDon’t look so concerned. I’m sure it will wear off. Soon we’ll all be a distant memory.”
    â€œHow long has Allison had Shelby?”
    â€œSince about six months after Nelson and I separated.” Cindy carried the cartons of detergent into the laundry room, then closed the door. “It was about the time I told her that her daddy and I were getting divorced.” She bent down and reached into one of the cupboards. After pulling out a tall machine, she set it on the counter, then added tea leaves and water. She flipped the switch. “I’ve spoken to a counselor about it. I even took Allison in a couple of times. The woman told me it was pretty normal. When Allison is ready, she’ll let her imaginary friend go. In the meantime, it gives her some security.”
    She pulled out the chair across from his. “I never had an imaginary friend, so it doesn’t make sense to me.”
    â€œAllison is a good kid.”
    â€œYou know this because you’ve had so much experience?”
    â€œI know people.”
    She sighed. “I hope you’re right. She’s my baby girl. I just want her to be happy.”
    He wanted to comfort Cindy, but he didn’t have any words. Nor did he want to risk touching her again. Lusting after her in the privacy of his own mind was one thing, touching her was quite another. Besides, she’d felt the spark, too, and the last thing either of them needed was the messy entanglement of a relationship.
    The sound of the tea machine was loud in the silence. Cindy bit her lower lip. The ringing of the phone rescued them both.
    She jumped up and grabbed the portable from its cradle mounted on the wall. “Hello?”
    He watched as her concern faded and she smiled. “Grace! Are you really in Hong Kong? This is an amazing connection.” She paused, then winked at Mike. “He’s doing great. When I came home from the market, he was bench-pressing the sofa in the family room.” She