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her
senses as nothing else had ever done. When he had talked of his bitter
disillusionment with his chosen work, she had sensed the fundamental integrity
of the man. Only a man who had a strong sense of integrity would have become
disillusioned. Obviously, Josh hadn't gotten into the business for the money.
Maggie acknowledged with an uneasy little shock that
she would never forget that scene in the room next door. It would haunt her for
the rest of her life.
And even though she knew there must be no repetitions,
a part of her would always wonder what it would have been like to go to bed
with Josh January. She had never in her life experienced such a powerful,
deeply feminine curiosity, and she felt ill-equipped to deal with it. Her
quiet, uneventful past had not prepared her for even a casual approach from a
man like Joshua January.
And casual was all it had been, Maggie's mouth
tightened as she finished surveying herself in the dressing-table mirror. She
would have been shaken to the core to discover that Josh was even mildly
interested in her, but it was a certainty that he hadn't been half as affected
by her presence as she had been by his. She'd been well aware of his
half-aroused body, of course, but that meant very little. Men were very
physical creatures, very easily aroused. She was old enough to know that. Josh
must consider her an amusing challenge – no doubt because he had been warned
off her by the Colonel. But that was all there was to it.
She certainly was not going to call the number on that
sheet of yellow paper, Maggie told herself firmly.
She wondered if he started all his relationships with a
mutual background check. Very likely. The man clearly had no romance in his
soul. Maybe his profession had destroyed his sense of passion and discovery
even as it had destroyed his faith in human nature.
Nevertheless, Maggie couldn't bring herself to throw
away the piece of paper. She picked it up and scanned the boldly scrawled
figures. There was a lot of male bravado in those numbers. Josh must have been
sure she would make the call.
Disgusted, she opened a drawer in the dresser and
shoved the crumpled sheet inside. She slammed the drawer shut and left the
room.
Halfway down the stairs the aroma of freshly brewed
coffee floated up to greet her. Odessa had apparently risen early. Maggie
inhaled deeply and smiled with pleasure. The smile was still on her face when
she swung the kitchen door open.
“Good morning, Odessa,” Maggie said before she realized
who was inside. “That coffee smells wonderful.”
“Thanks,” Josh drawled from the far side of the large
room. “I make good coffee, even if I do say so, myself. Here, have a cup.”
Maggie stopped short at the sight of him. He was
leaning against the tiled counter, sipping coffee from a mug. His crutches were
propped beside him. He looked very sexy in a denim shirt that was open at the
throat. And there was no getting around the fact that the man looked good in a
pair of jeans. His dark hair gleamed in the wintry sunlight that streamed in
through the window.
Maggie forced herself to take a deep, steadying breath
as she stepped forward. She was going to be dealing with Josh for the rest of
the month, so she had to get used to seeing him in the mornings.
The thing to do this morning, she decided, was to
establish the ground rules. It was clear that Rule Number One was to act as if
nothing at all had happened last night. After all, she thought with an odd
sense of regret, nothing had happened. He hadn't even attempted to kiss her.
He'd just invited her to do a background check on him.
“Thank you.” Maggie took the cup he held out. “I take
it you're an early riser?”
“Looks like you are, too.” Josh grinned fleetingly, his
gaze holding hers over the rim of his cup. “One more thing we have in common, I
guess, huh?”
She shrugged, choosing to ignore the taunting gleam in
his eyes. “I'm one of the cooks around here, if you'll recall. I
senses as nothing else had ever done. When he had talked of his bitter
disillusionment with his chosen work, she had sensed the fundamental integrity
of the man. Only a man who had a strong sense of integrity would have become
disillusioned. Obviously, Josh hadn't gotten into the business for the money.
Maggie acknowledged with an uneasy little shock that
she would never forget that scene in the room next door. It would haunt her for
the rest of her life.
And even though she knew there must be no repetitions,
a part of her would always wonder what it would have been like to go to bed
with Josh January. She had never in her life experienced such a powerful,
deeply feminine curiosity, and she felt ill-equipped to deal with it. Her
quiet, uneventful past had not prepared her for even a casual approach from a
man like Joshua January.
And casual was all it had been, Maggie's mouth
tightened as she finished surveying herself in the dressing-table mirror. She
would have been shaken to the core to discover that Josh was even mildly
interested in her, but it was a certainty that he hadn't been half as affected
by her presence as she had been by his. She'd been well aware of his
half-aroused body, of course, but that meant very little. Men were very
physical creatures, very easily aroused. She was old enough to know that. Josh
must consider her an amusing challenge – no doubt because he had been warned
off her by the Colonel. But that was all there was to it.
She certainly was not going to call the number on that
sheet of yellow paper, Maggie told herself firmly.
She wondered if he started all his relationships with a
mutual background check. Very likely. The man clearly had no romance in his
soul. Maybe his profession had destroyed his sense of passion and discovery
even as it had destroyed his faith in human nature.
Nevertheless, Maggie couldn't bring herself to throw
away the piece of paper. She picked it up and scanned the boldly scrawled
figures. There was a lot of male bravado in those numbers. Josh must have been
sure she would make the call.
Disgusted, she opened a drawer in the dresser and
shoved the crumpled sheet inside. She slammed the drawer shut and left the
room.
Halfway down the stairs the aroma of freshly brewed
coffee floated up to greet her. Odessa had apparently risen early. Maggie
inhaled deeply and smiled with pleasure. The smile was still on her face when
she swung the kitchen door open.
“Good morning, Odessa,” Maggie said before she realized
who was inside. “That coffee smells wonderful.”
“Thanks,” Josh drawled from the far side of the large
room. “I make good coffee, even if I do say so, myself. Here, have a cup.”
Maggie stopped short at the sight of him. He was
leaning against the tiled counter, sipping coffee from a mug. His crutches were
propped beside him. He looked very sexy in a denim shirt that was open at the
throat. And there was no getting around the fact that the man looked good in a
pair of jeans. His dark hair gleamed in the wintry sunlight that streamed in
through the window.
Maggie forced herself to take a deep, steadying breath
as she stepped forward. She was going to be dealing with Josh for the rest of
the month, so she had to get used to seeing him in the mornings.
The thing to do this morning, she decided, was to
establish the ground rules. It was clear that Rule Number One was to act as if
nothing at all had happened last night. After all, she thought with an odd
sense of regret, nothing had happened. He hadn't even attempted to kiss her.
He'd just invited her to do a background check on him.
“Thank you.” Maggie took the cup he held out. “I take
it you're an early riser?”
“Looks like you are, too.” Josh grinned fleetingly, his
gaze holding hers over the rim of his cup. “One more thing we have in common, I
guess, huh?”
She shrugged, choosing to ignore the taunting gleam in
his eyes. “I'm one of the cooks around here, if you'll recall. I
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