Read Online The Very Thought of You by Carolann Camillo - Free Book Online

really prove he was one of the good guys, though. What were the chances he’d morph into a prince? She hoped not as unlikely as being dealt a royal flush sans wild cards.
    Mostly commercial buildings lined the block. A deli occupied one corner, a bar and launderette the other two. The ubiquitous hole-in the-wall Chinese restaurant clung to the fourth.
    â€œHow did you find this place?” She sat back and opened one of her folders and did a quick scan of the ads to see if she’d highlighted the address.
    â€œA guy who works on my condo project touted me onto it. He lives here. Said he pays in the low seven hundreds.”
    A construction guy. Well, it never hurt to have a little muscle on the premises. The low seven hundreds? He must hole up in a jail cell-sized room with a hotplate, mini fridge, and bathroom privileges down the hall. If true, it ought to blow a hole in the Mancini Proclamation.
    Nick angled his body into the corner created by the driver’s seat and door. The expression that settled across his features said the attitude was out and the sex appeal was back in. He raked a dark lock of hair away from his forehead while his eyes did a quick survey of her body.
    â€œSo how does a woman like you wind up running a not-for-profit clinic?”
    A woman like who ? And what was the “wind up” supposed to mean? “The clinic was the mayor’s idea. He broached it at a meeting two and a half years ago when I worked for the city in social services. There weren’t any facilities in the area for people to seek medical help. The nearest hospital, San Francisco General, is miles away. Anyway, the emergency rooms are always jammed. I wasn’t sure if he was serious, but without thinking it through, I jumped up and said I could get something like that off the ground and keep it operational.”
    â€œYeah, I figured you for a do-gooder.”
    The way he said it made her feel like a Mother Teresa clone. Was that how he pigeonholed her? Sexless and on the fast track to sainthood?
    She frowned. “There are worse things than trying to make a difference in peoples’ lives.”
    â€œI agree. Absolutely. Like you said, the world would be a better place … ” He gave her a lopsided grin that pulled one edge of his mouth up. His strong, chiseled features relaxed. His eyes gazed into hers with a kind of warmth she hadn’t noticed earlier.
    Molly’s annoyance crumbled like a slice of month-old bread. She smiled back.
    â€œI didn’t mean to interrupt you. That’s another bad habit of mine.”
    She supposed “bad” pretty much covered all his habits. Except maybe sex. She suspected he was very good in the sack.
    Although the air conditioner was off for less than five minutes, heat began to climb inside the car. She blamed N MAN 1 and not Mother Nature.
    â€œYou were telling me about the clinic. How you became involved with it.”
    â€œThere’s not much more to tell. I interviewed with the deputy mayor who liked my proposal on how I’d operate the facility and keep it funded. So he set up an appointment for me with the mayor.”
    â€œWhat did you tell the mayor?”
    â€œPretty much the same as his deputy. Also, I made it clear I refused to spend half my time cutting through all the bureaucratic crap that came with working with another city agency. Or some such words.” She’d also told His Honor she was a self-starter and good at handling unexpected situations. She’d praised the mayor for his understanding of the needs of the city’s less fortunate and his efforts to do something constructive. She decided not to let on to Nick about the compliment, though. He’d probably accuse her of kissing the mayor’s derriere . “I knew how to keep the clinic on track. I expected some oversight, but I work best with a minimum of interference. The mayor had no problem with my conditions.”
    â€œThey