They could start over.
Georgia reached for the phone and pressed the speed dial button.
8
K EN’S BEDROOM was as hot as a boiler room on the sun. The apartment manager had promised his building was next on the list for cooling system repairs, but the entire city was under siege. He threw his legs over the side of the waterbed, then felt his way to the window and propped it open with a book in a futile attempt to catch a breeze.
He hadn’t yet slept. His mind kept replaying the events of the past twenty-four hours, which still seemed too fantastic to believe. The only conclusion he’d reached was that his behavior on the phone the previous night had been abominable. The worst part was that he didn’t regret it as much as he should, partly because the woman intrigued him, partly because the woman infuriated him.
Ken ran his hand down over his face. But Georgia Adams’s crankiness did not exonerate him. He dropped back onto his waterbed—just as the phone rang.
He shot back up, his heart pounding, then relaxed with a laugh. He’d looked up Robert Trainer’s listing and discovered their numbers were one digit off from each other’s. What were the chances she’d dial it wrong again? Besides, she’d said that Robbie Boy was out of town. It was probably the station dispatcherand, hell, he wasn’t sleeping, so why not go on duty a few hours early?
Ken yanked up the phone on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Oh. Hi, it’s…me.”
He instantly recognized her voice, and his body stirred.
“I didn’t expect you to be home,” she said quickly. “I was going to leave you a message.”
Ken bobbed up and down on his mattress. He could tell her she had the wrong number and hang up. She’d never know it was him. He could do the right thing, right now. The words hovered at the back of his dry throat.
“Wh-when did you get back in town?” she asked.
Or he could do the compelling thing, right now.
Ken swallowed and held the phone away from his mouth. “Not long ago. I came back because…because I wasn’t feeling well.” He pushed down the rising guilt. He’d run a quick info sheet on Rob Trainer today, and uncovered the bare essentials of the man’s life—employment, address, background check. Did Georgia know everything about her boyfriend? Her own history was squeaky-clean, including volunteer work with the Red Cross.
“Are your allergies bothering you again?” she asked.
“Um, I guess.” He manufactured a cough.
“I thought your voice sounded a little strange,” she said, “but I figured it was my new phone. If you’re under the weather, though, I’m doubly sorry to wake you. This can wait until you’re feeling better.”
“No!” he practically shouted. “I mean, um, I was already awake and I’m glad you called.”
“Actually, I called to apologize,” she murmured.
He wet his chapped lips. “For what?”
“For…disturbing you last night.”
He smiled into the phone. “Don’t apologize. I…enjoyed it.”
“You did?”
“I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
“You have?”
Especially when we were together. “Yes.”
“I…was afraid you’d think I was being too forward.”
Her little laugh was the breeze he’d been waiting for all night long. Ken closed his eyes. Rob Trainer didn’t deserve her. “Not at all. You were wonderful.”
She sighed, a silky sound that made him bite back a groan. “I wish you were feeling better,” she said, her voice wistful.
Ken sat up straighter, careful to keep the phone away from his mouth. “I feel well…enough.”
“Well enough?” She laughed again, and his body hardened. “Well enough for an encore?”
He slid back against the pillows and exhaled. “Absolutely.” A protest swam in the recesses of his mind, but desire chased it away. Desire for Georgia Adams. Because as wonderful as his fantasies had been the night before, now he knew what she looked like, how her skin glowed, the way her hands moved. “What are
Georgia reached for the phone and pressed the speed dial button.
8
K EN’S BEDROOM was as hot as a boiler room on the sun. The apartment manager had promised his building was next on the list for cooling system repairs, but the entire city was under siege. He threw his legs over the side of the waterbed, then felt his way to the window and propped it open with a book in a futile attempt to catch a breeze.
He hadn’t yet slept. His mind kept replaying the events of the past twenty-four hours, which still seemed too fantastic to believe. The only conclusion he’d reached was that his behavior on the phone the previous night had been abominable. The worst part was that he didn’t regret it as much as he should, partly because the woman intrigued him, partly because the woman infuriated him.
Ken ran his hand down over his face. But Georgia Adams’s crankiness did not exonerate him. He dropped back onto his waterbed—just as the phone rang.
He shot back up, his heart pounding, then relaxed with a laugh. He’d looked up Robert Trainer’s listing and discovered their numbers were one digit off from each other’s. What were the chances she’d dial it wrong again? Besides, she’d said that Robbie Boy was out of town. It was probably the station dispatcherand, hell, he wasn’t sleeping, so why not go on duty a few hours early?
Ken yanked up the phone on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Oh. Hi, it’s…me.”
He instantly recognized her voice, and his body stirred.
“I didn’t expect you to be home,” she said quickly. “I was going to leave you a message.”
Ken bobbed up and down on his mattress. He could tell her she had the wrong number and hang up. She’d never know it was him. He could do the right thing, right now. The words hovered at the back of his dry throat.
“Wh-when did you get back in town?” she asked.
Or he could do the compelling thing, right now.
Ken swallowed and held the phone away from his mouth. “Not long ago. I came back because…because I wasn’t feeling well.” He pushed down the rising guilt. He’d run a quick info sheet on Rob Trainer today, and uncovered the bare essentials of the man’s life—employment, address, background check. Did Georgia know everything about her boyfriend? Her own history was squeaky-clean, including volunteer work with the Red Cross.
“Are your allergies bothering you again?” she asked.
“Um, I guess.” He manufactured a cough.
“I thought your voice sounded a little strange,” she said, “but I figured it was my new phone. If you’re under the weather, though, I’m doubly sorry to wake you. This can wait until you’re feeling better.”
“No!” he practically shouted. “I mean, um, I was already awake and I’m glad you called.”
“Actually, I called to apologize,” she murmured.
He wet his chapped lips. “For what?”
“For…disturbing you last night.”
He smiled into the phone. “Don’t apologize. I…enjoyed it.”
“You did?”
“I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
“You have?”
Especially when we were together. “Yes.”
“I…was afraid you’d think I was being too forward.”
Her little laugh was the breeze he’d been waiting for all night long. Ken closed his eyes. Rob Trainer didn’t deserve her. “Not at all. You were wonderful.”
She sighed, a silky sound that made him bite back a groan. “I wish you were feeling better,” she said, her voice wistful.
Ken sat up straighter, careful to keep the phone away from his mouth. “I feel well…enough.”
“Well enough?” She laughed again, and his body hardened. “Well enough for an encore?”
He slid back against the pillows and exhaled. “Absolutely.” A protest swam in the recesses of his mind, but desire chased it away. Desire for Georgia Adams. Because as wonderful as his fantasies had been the night before, now he knew what she looked like, how her skin glowed, the way her hands moved. “What are
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