Jill Shalvis - Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 2)

StrongandSexy

Jill Shalvis

Chapter 8

Dani watched as Patrick Mahoney walked through her apartment, jotting notes on a pad of paper. She couldnt tell if hed believed a word shed told him. She couldnt tell if he thought she was crazy.

The only thing she could tell was that he really did look like Shaynes twin, which is to say tall and rangy and effortlessly sexy with that untamed wavy hair and see-all golden eyes. Except his werent nearly as warm as Shaynes.

She tightened the belt on her coat and tried not to picture exactly what Patrick had seen when hed knocked on the window of Shaynes car. Tried not to think what might have happened if he hadnt knocked on the window of Shaynes car.

Seriously, she couldnt believe shed

That hed

That theyd nearly

Strangers. They were complete strangers, she reminded herself. Strangers who couldnt keep their hands off each other.

Why was that, anyway? She had no idea, but whatever was happening between the two of them, it had to stop. Immediately. Mostly because she appeared to be in the middle of a breakdown. That, or someone was stalking her. Neither was exactly conducive to a well-rounded relationship.

Not that she was thinking about a relationship.

Oh, no. No, no, no. Because Shayne? He was a walking, talking heartbreaker if shed ever seen one. And if she was stupid enough to even think about taking this to the next level, a level that she hadnt been to in an embarrassingly long time, then she had no one to blame for that certain heartbreak than herself. Because once she slept with someone, she tended to get her heart involved, and...

Oh, hell, who was she kidding? She hadnt slept with him, at least not yet, and already her heart felt involved. She couldnt help it, Shayne Mahoney was a combination of some of her favorite thingssharp and quick-witted, willing to put himself on the line for whatever he believed in, not to mention an even more attractive willingness to help a perfect stranger.

Or in this case, a not-so-perfect stranger.

God. She pushed back her hair and wondered how much longer she could stay awake on her feet.

And wondered something else too, something shed already voiced to Shayne. What if its the same gun that I saw at Sky High?

The two brothers, taking up all the spare room in her living room with their big, built bodies and undeniable presence, exchanged a long look.

Had she thought she couldnt read Shaynes thoughts? Because she knew exactly what he was thinking.

That she was as crazy as everyone said.

They spoke softly to each other, so softly she couldnt hear the words, and then Shayne walked Patrick to her front door, and when she looked up again, Shayne was standing in front of her, hands in his pockets, hair still wet from the rain, expression unreadable. Through all of this, his proximity had always been able to affect her, and now was no exception. He still smelled good, delicious in fact, and though he wasnt looking at her with his usual heat, it didnt matter because he was looking at her with a gentle kindness.

Devastating, really. She wanted to put her hands on his incredibly soft shirt and feel his incredibly hard body beneath. Instead, she tried to joke. Let me guess. He recommended you run far and fast from me, right?

He didnt respond to that, but pulled his hands out of his pockets and set them on her arms, stroking up and down over her coat. You look beat.

A very true statement. She resisted setting her head on his shoulder, barely. So what did he say?

Whod want to scare you, Dani?

Well...

You piss anyone off lately?

You have a lot of questions.

Are you going to answer any of them?

She let out a shaky breath. Are you asking me if I have any enemies?

Or friends that arent really friends.

So... you believe me, she said, shocked to find her throat tight over that. You believe that something is going on here.

Something, yes.

Okay. She concentrated on breathing. Breathing was good. Okay, now Im really scared.

You should be. Enemies, Dani? Pissed-off family members? Scorned boyfriends? Jealous coworkers?

Taking a step back so she could lean against the couch, she nodded.

Which?

She tried to smile and failed. Well, would you believe all of the above? When he arched a brow, she let out a short laugh. I know, it sounds ridiculous. I mean, look at me. She spread her hands. Im a mess. But its shockingly true.

Tell me.

I was promoted todayyesterday, now, she corrected, looking at the clock, finding it well after midnight. To head mammal keeper. Its mostly just a title, with a joke of a pay increase, really. Ill still be poor as dirt, but I get to make management decisions and I get the good schedule.

Anyone upset about that?

The only other person eligible was Reena, and shes a close friend. We got hired at the same time, so the promotion could have gone either way, but shes happy for me.

Crossing his arms, he sent her a get-real look.

She is, she insisted.

She can be happy for you and still really pissed off about it.

Pissed off enough to kill someone? Enough to break into my place? To plant a gun on me? Seriously, this is ridiculous. What happened tonight has nothing to do with my work.

Okay, so what about family?

You know my mother. Shes a stuck-up, narcissistic snob, but shes not a gun owner. And shes not a murderer.

Siblings? Stepsiblings?

I She closed her mouth. Tonys and Elizas faces flashed across her mind.

What? Shayne murmured, watching her carefully, an unsettling thing because the look in his yes implied he cared. A lot. What are you thinking?

That she was going to have a hell of a time resisting him, thats what. I think my stepsiblings would like me to vanish, but they like their cushy trust funds too much to actually off me. She tried to smile, but didnt feel especially amused.

Dani

The point is, none of this makes any sense. My job, while lovely to me, is actually really very boring to most. I observe mammals, write reports on their behavior. I feed them and clean up after them. Not exactly glamorous work, you know? I havent made any enemies, and though my family is richer than God, theres no reason for any of them to hurt me. The end.

Ex-boyfriends? Current boyfriends?

She looked away.

Dani.

She was too busy with work to have a real life. Okay, that wasnt exactly the truth either. She was too busy being independent to let anyone in. Its been a while.

How long a while?

She winced. Could this get any more humiliating? Months.

Months.

She closed her eyes. Okay, a year.

A year?

And a half.

Silence. She felt her face grow hot, and finally opened her eyes.

He didnt look horrified or disgusted. Just patient, and understanding. Nothing more current? he said without judgment. Nothing at all?

She hugged herself. If I had something more current going on, I wouldnt have kissed you in the closet.

Which begs the question... He shifted closer, put his hand on her jaw, and lifted her face to his. After all that time of going without, why did you kiss me in the closet?

She opened her mouth, and then shut it again. It was a good question, a fair question. But how to explain that shed kissed him in the closet to kick-start herself, and that mission had been accomplished. What she hadnt realized was that shed want another kiss.

And another.

And despite his interest, she knew enough to know she couldnt possibly keep it. Kissing him again, or even explaining the kiss would be like opening a big, fat can of worms.

Just an impulse? he inquired.

His hand was still on her jaw, and she liked his touch, too much. So much. How in the world did people do this, open up and let someone in, and then casually walk away after one encounter? She needed to work on that. I dared myself.