Straight to the Heart. Samantha Hunter

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СКАЧАТЬ shifted in her seat. She had to give him something he would believe.

      “Well, I do have a brother, but to be honest, he’s not too interested in having me around. I’m also trying to stay off the radar. I don’t want Lenny trying to find me. Not that he would, but you know, it can’t hurt to be careful.”

      “Why?” His tone lowered, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

      “Well, I thought I was giving him money to get his truck fixed and it turns out it was for drug deals. I swear, I had no idea,” she said quickly, appearing as desperate as she could. “I had no idea he was buying stuff and reselling it until he got really angry when he came up short, got in some trouble, and I refused to help.”

      “And?”

      “Well, he got a bit rough, and I knew I was in trouble if I stayed, so I sort of stole his truck to get out of there. He owed me, you know? I had given him hundreds of dollars.”

      “And you had no idea he was into drugs?”

      “Not really. He had used a few times, but that’s a long way from dealing. And I don’t have anything to do with that stuff,” she said convincingly. “I thought he was a nice guy, but I thought wrong.”

      He watched her carefully for a few minutes, and she closed her hands into fists on the table top, a not completely false show of tension.

      “So where’s the truck?”

      “I traded it for my car at a used car place—you know, roadside, the guy didn’t ask many questions since the truck was worth more than the car I got. I paid him extra not to tell anyone. Then I was out of funds and I was sick of living in my car, so I looked for a job.”

      She saw Callahan’s spine straighten. “I see. So you’re afraid this guy will come after you? Lenny?”

      “He probably won’t, but if he does, he’d never think that I would stay here,” she said, smiling slightly, as if pleased with herself. “He’ll think I went back to San Diego.”

      Ben didn’t smile back.

      “But he might. I don’t appreciate trouble like this being brought to my door and not being told about it. You weren’t exactly straight with Charlie.”

      She frowned and leaned in, too, getting closer. His pupils dilated slightly, and from that, and how he had looked at her earlier, she knew he was attracted to her. That gave her some leverage.

      “I know, I’m so sorry,” she said, licking her lip again in a gesture of nervousness. “But I had to get away, and I did what I had to do. I just want to get back to my life. I honestly don’t think Lenny will come after me. He’s not that ambitious. I’m sure he’s found someone new to sponge off by now.”

      There was no Lenny, of course, so she was one-hundred-percent sure that no one would be showing up here after her.

      Ben considered, and then nodded slowly. “He didn’t report you for stealing his truck?”

      She snorted. “He would have to risk me telling them about the drugs.”

      “That’s true,” he said, nodding. “Well, I’m glad you got out. And you’re doing a good job here, so I have no problem with you staying on. But if he does show up, or if there’s any kind of trouble—”

      “I’ll leave,” she finished for him.

      “No. You’ll tell one of us—me or Charlie—directly.”

      He really was a white knight, she thought. It made being here for him better, and lying to him harder.

      “Oh, okay. I’ll do that,” she promised.

      “Good. Anything else I should know?”

      “I’m a really good waitress. I’ll work hard, keep my hands out of the till. I never stole a dime until taking that truck, so you don’t have to worry. I just need to get back on my feet,” she said, hoping she’d hit the sweet spot between being someone he would want to help, who’d had trouble but who wasn’t going to be trouble.

      Ben nodded and sat back. “What about your brother?”

      “He wrote me off years ago. Never really cared much about what happened to me after our parents were gone.”

      Sorry, Jarod, she offered the mental mea culpa to her brother, who was the best of the best. She loved him madly, and he’d always been there for her and always would be, but she knew plenty of people whose families weren’t. Thinking of her mom, Joanna never failed to be surprised at how easy it was for some people to walk away from the ones they were supposed to love most.

      “That’s tough. Well, the job is yours as long as you want it.”

      She smiled in relief. He’d bought it. She was in.

      “Thanks. I really appreciate that. And the trade on rent. I really didn’t want to find a motel, and the nearest one is ten miles down, from what Charlie said,” she added. “And you know, with gas prices so high …”

      “It’s good that someone’s using the apartment. Anything you need up there? It didn’t come with much.”

      “I don’t need much. Though I do have to find a discount store to buy a few fans. It’s hot at night,” she said, absently moving a loose strand of hair from her cheek.

      He followed the movement closely, and she was surprised to feel an answering sizzle of interest in her own bloodstream.

      “I may have an extra one or two at my house. I can bring them up tonight.”

      “No need, I—”

      “No problem. Supposed to be over one hundred tomorrow. No point in being uncomfortable up there. It’s a small space as it is.”

      “Thanks,” she said with a smile. “Is that all?”

      “Yeah, for now. Thanks,” he said, standing, so she did too.

      She was nearly his height, but he still was a few inches taller than her five-eleven and considerably more massive.

      Still, she’d taken down guys his size and couldn’t help thinking about what it would be like to wrestle with Ben Callahan.

      Before she gave anything away, she shelved that thought and turned toward the door, leaving without another word.

      Ben Callahan was smart and perceptive. She had her work cut out for her, Joanna knew, walking through the kitchen and back up the stairs to her small apartment. She had to pull this off; her career and his life, potentially, counted on it.

      No pressure at all.

       2

      THE NEXT AFTERNOON, BEN watched Joanna from the kitchen door, following the perfect shape of her ass in those jeans as she worked the lunch crowd as though she’d been doing it for years.

      He stopped gawking СКАЧАТЬ