Justice Reborn (Cowboy Justice Association Book 8) (9 page)

J
osie pressed her cool, wet fingertips to her heated cheeks as she stared at her own reflection in the bathroom mirror. Evan was a good and wonderful man but he was getting too close. Every instinct inside of her was screaming to open up to him but she simply couldn’t. He’d been a cop and would turn her in, she was sure of it. No, the best thing to do was continue as if that entire conversation never happened. She’d told him enough of the truth to keep him happy—at least she hoped so. The less he knew the better.

But dammit, she liked him. A whole heck of a lot.

If this wasn’t a life or death situation and she didn’t need to eventually leave she would have loved to sit back, relax, and see what might happen between the two of them. She already knew some of the good – he was hardworking, smart, and funny. She even knew some of the bad as well – he was impatient as hell, he didn’t eat his vegetables, and his politics clashed with her own. But all in all, he was the kind of guy she’d normally be thrilled to meet.

If this wasn’t the absolute worst time of her life.

She dried her face with a towel and took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. When their eyes had met she’d felt a bolt of electricity straight down to her toes. Evan Davis was a gorgeous man and she was only human. She’d have to be dead or in a coma not to notice, but when he turned that attention on her deliberately? Holy moly, she was in big trouble.

The only cleaned up bathroom was in Evan’s bedroom and she had to walk back through it to get downstairs. Sorry she hadn’t turned on a light, she made her way slowly around the furniture but must have miscalculated where his desk was as her hip connected painfully with something solid. A spate of profanity followed along with a shower of items from the desk falling onto her and then to the floor. With flailing arms, she managed to find the switch on the lamp and turn it on before anything else was destroyed.

“Are you okay?”

Of course she wasn’t okay. She’d been trying to hold onto her dignity but that ship had now sailed.

“I think so,” she said anyway, rubbing her sore hipbone as he flipped on a few more lights. “I think I made a mess.”

Papers, a stapler, and a few folders were strewn across the floor where she’d knocked them off their perch on the desk. Evan wasn’t the tidiest of men, although nowhere near his hoarding ancestor.

“I shouldn’t have left them on the corner like that. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Really.”

They both knelt to retrieve the fallen items but the papers caught Josie’s eye, slowing her down. He stacked everything back on the desk as she sat on the floor, absorbed in the words on the page. Finally she looked up at Evan, shocked at what she’d read. “Did you write this?”

Evan shifted from one foot to the other, a red tinge on his cheekbones. “Maybe. It depends on what you think of it.”

“I think it’s great. Really, really good, actually. Is any of it true?”

She’d only read the one page but it had sucked her right in with the danger and suspense. It was far better than the tattered book she had stuffed in her backpack.

He reached out his hand and she took it, letting him pull her to her feet. “It’s all true. That’s the case that got me shot the last time and put an end to my career. I did change some names and things to protect identities but for the most part it’s all true.”

Her mild-mannered employer was kind of a badass and that only made him even sexier. Dammit. Why couldn’t he have written about stealing some kid’s lunch money or kicking little old ladies when they crossed the street?

“I’d love to read more of it.”

“Really? I haven’t let anyone look at it yet. I’ve just sort of been messing around with it when I can’t sleep.”

He slipped the sheet of paper from her fingers and set it on the top of the stack now placed next to his laptop. He appeared nervous but hopeful and not a little shocked that she wanted to read what he’d written, but it wasn’t a surprise to Josie. She was a sucker for a great story.

“I’m a book nerd and this is good, Evan. Are you thinking about writing a book?”

He shook his head and snorted as if her suggestion was ludicrous then stopped and sighed. “No. Well…maybe. It’s one of those things, you know. Those things that I’ve always wanted to do but never get to because life gets in the way. Now I don’t really have much of an excuse. It’s actually kind of fun reliving all the crazy things I’ve done.”

Josie gave him a hopeful look. “So…can I read it then? I already want to know what happens next.”

His fingers hovered over the stack but then he smiled and chuckled, gathering the papers together and sliding them into a folder. “Only if you really give them a true read and tell me the unvarnished truth. Don’t be sweet and nice like I know you would be. I want a real critique of the story. In other words, give me hell. Do you think you can do that?”

“In design school we often had to critique each other’s work. I once made someone cry.”

He held out the folder and she plucked it from his hand before he could change his mind. “You made some poor girl cry? That doesn’t sound like you.”

“I was doing that
poor girl
a favor. She was new to that instructor and didn’t realize what a total dickwad he could be to the students. I gave her that critique in private the day before class so she could clean up some of her work. He hated sloppiness and he was going to come down on her like a ton of bricks. Instead of taking it as helpful, she accused me of being jealous and spiteful. She told me I was ugly and stupid and didn’t have a lick of talent. She said I’d be slinging fries for a living while she made the fashion magazines. So I don’t think you need to feel sorry for her. She can handle herself just fine.”

Just another instructive moment in Josie’s life. Not everyone was going to appreciate a helping hand. More evidence that taking care of oneself was the right path.

“Whatever happened to her?”

“The instructor tore her a new asshole in front of the entire class just as I suspected he would. She burst into tears and complained to the dean, which of course didn’t change anything. The instructor might have been an asshole but he was brilliant and knew what the hell he was doing. Once she realized that public critiques happened on a regular basis she changed her major to marketing. I’m told they’re much more civilized and polite.”

“This is a whole new side of you I didn’t even know existed. Kind of cruel and really happy about it.”

It didn’t look like it bothered him much though. If anything, he was regarding her with a grudging respect which almost made her laugh.

“I’m not a Disney princess, boss. I’m a human being and I’m not perfect. Boy, am I not perfect. I’ll even let you in on a little secret.” She leaned forward and he did the same. “When the signs tell you to merge over to one lane there’s always that one person who doesn’t and then tries to cut in at the last minute. I’ll admit this to you…I never let them in. I think they’re selfish and they piss me off so I ride the bumper of the car in front of me so they can’t get in. That probably makes me a real bitch.”

A wide smile appeared on Evan’s handsome face and then he threw back his head and laughed. “Honey, I do exactly the same thing. They should have merged over earlier instead of the last minute. I applaud your tenacity in showing them the error of their ways.”

“I thought I was the only one. Everyone else seems to let them in,” she admitted, her awareness of their proximity suddenly rising. There were mere single digit inches between them and she could feel the heat from his skin as well as the scent of clean sweat teasing her nostrils. “I guess we should go downstairs, huh?”

Danger. Danger. Get out of the bedroom now.

It was too intimate. Too…everything. She liked being with him way too much. She had to fight the urge to reach out the short distance and place her palm on his chest just to see if it felt as good as she thought it would. Or better.

From his smiling expression she could tell that he clearly saw her inner turmoil and was enjoying it. He was the first man who had turned her into a muddled, addlebrained idiot but he didn’t have to be so damn smug about it.

“That’s not an attractive quality.” Josie’s sharp words tumbled out before she could stop them.

His brows pulled down but he didn’t stop smiling. “What’s not? I’m not sure I follow you.”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Now she felt stupid. Blurting things out was a nasty habit she needed to curb but it was too late.

“I honestly don’t but that’s okay. I’m guessing there are many things about me that aren’t attractive but I’m not sure I want a comprehensive list, so I’ll just shut the hell up. How does that sound?”

Like a reprieve from heaven.

“I should go.”

She regretted her words instantly when a hurt looked crossed Evan’s face. It was gone as quickly as it had come but she hadn’t imagined it.

“I’ll take you home then.”

Evan stepped back so she could pass and she walked by him, careful not to let their bodies brush. If he touched her she might possibly give in to the raging hormones dancing inside of her making her say and do things that would make her cringe later.

Nothing good could come from starting a relationship with Evan. There wasn’t any future for two of them. Heck, she wasn’t even sure she had a future at all. She was simply trying to stay alive.

*   *   *   *

Evan felt like a first-class ass. He’d been too forward, too pushy and now Lisa had retreated inside herself so deeply it would be a wonder if she ever looked him in the eye again. His attraction to this tiny auburn-haired woman was strong but that didn’t mean his feelings were reciprocated. He thought he’d seen a kindred spark in her eyes but every time they moved closer…she’d run.

She was now sitting next to him as he drove her back to the hotel, the folder containing his story clutched to her chest like a life preserver. She’d said little since they’d left his place and the silence had grown uncomfortable. Painfully awkward.

“Maybe we should start later tomorrow.”

Her head swiveled toward him but he couldn’t quite make out her expression in the dark, the only light from the dash. “Why? What’s different about tomorrow?”

He should have known she’d object. She had a work ethic to be envied. “Nothing. But today was different. You’re going to be sore plus we had a late evening. I was just thinking that we could meet for breakfast a little later, that’s all.”

She turned back so she was facing the windshield, her posture stiff. “I’ll be fine. I’ll take a couple of ibuprofen before bed.”

More stubborn than a mule.

“I wouldn’t mind sleeping in,” he said instead, pretending she hadn’t spoken. She’d argue with him until they were both blue in the face. They both liked to be right. “How about we meet an hour later?”

Silence then a sigh. “Fine. You’re the boss.”

Are we sure? Because I don’t always feel like it.

“That I am. So it’s decided. We’ll meet an hour later tomorrow.”

He pulled into a parking space in front of her motel room, the headlights shining on the plain white building. Hank had painted the old cedar siding a few years ago but it already needed touching up.

Lisa sat for a moment, not moving. “Thank you for a lovely day. I had a nice time.”

Evan slowly let out a breath, an attempt to alleviate some of the tension that had built up in the back of his neck during their silent drive. “I did too and you’re welcome. If you need anything call me.”

He’d made the same offer every single night for the past week and she had yet to take him up on it. After the fiasco in the bedroom the chances of her ever doing that were basement-bottom low.

“Thank you. Goodnight.”

She climbed out of his SUV and hurried to her door, unlocking it and disappearing behind it. He waited until she peeked out of the curtain and gave him a little wave before he backed up and headed to his place. He’d upset her and he hadn’t meant to.

But he was determined to make it up to her tomorrow. A good breakfast and some conversation could smooth all of this over and make it better. He’d back off for a little while and give her some space. He wanted to show her he was interested but not a pervert.

He wanted her to know he was worth taking a chance on.

Chapter Ten