Crazy for Love by Victoria Dahl Read Free Book Online

he seemed lost in thought, probably happy she’d stopped talking. But what if—
    â€œMaybe it’s all those accountants you hang out with.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œMaybe you’ve spent so much time with them that you find bad science jokes funny.”
    â€œHa! Maybe. But I’ll have you know I work on international auditing. We’re like the 007s of corporate accounting. Last year’s seminar was in Hong Kong.”
    â€œWow!” he exclaimed, and suddenly Jenn felt ridiculous. He’d probably been to Asia a dozen times. He probably traveled all over the world for his work.
    She was so awful with men. She always had been.
    â€œSo—” Elliott started, but Jenn jumped up to her feet.
    â€œPardon me for a moment. I’ll be right back.”
    It was her dad’s fault, she thought as she walked toward the cabin stairs. He’d been a high-levelsalesman, selling multimillion-dollar pieces of equipment to factories all over the globe. A slick talker who thought that the world revolved around him. And he’d traveled for weeks at a time, gone more often than he was home. Jenn had suffered a bad case of hero worship for her handsome father, desperate to be close to him whenever he was home, yet unable to think of anything to say that could engage his interest. Of course, it didn’t matter who was talking. Her father had a habit of starting a story right in the middle of another person’s sentence.
    He was good at talking. And really, really bad at being a father. Or a husband.
    She rushed onto the porch and through the door, relieved once she was alone. She was fine around her girlfriends. Completely normal and just as interested in men as they were. She could talk the talk, joking about having sex with hot strangers, but she failed miserably at walking the walk. Once she became interested in a man, her brain stopped working properly. Horrifying, not just because it was embarrassing, but because she was smart and independent and capable in all areas but this one.
    Needing a few minutes alone, Jenn slowly washed her hands to get the last of the marshmallow off them. She stared at the mirror, hating the delicate features that often attracted the wrong kind of man. Wolflike men who looked at her and saw weaknessand vulnerability. Elliott Sullivan didn’t seem like that kind of man, which was why he wouldn’t make a move. He probably liked strong scientist women in intimidating glasses and trim lab coats. Women who could talk nucleotides and DNA strands during postcoital conversation.
    Jenn looked like one of those gangster molls from the twenties whose preferred method of communication was breathless, high-pitched exclamations of alarm.
    Also, she’d clearly had one too many beers.
    Disgusted with herself, Jenn dried her hands and turned off the light. But on her trip back through the living room, she spotted a green light blinking from the coffee table, like a bomb about to go off. Heart sinking, she picked up her cell phone and stared at the little message icon. Crap.
    News from the outside world, and there was no chance it was good. Jenn called up the message and told herself everything was fine as the beep sounded in her ear.
    â€œJenn,” a hushed female voice said. “It’s Anna.”
    Crap. Jenn pressed a hand to her forehead.
    â€œThings are getting crazy here. I really think the mature thing would be to tell Chloe the truth. The reporters and police… This isn’t just about you. Or her. She needs to know, and I think you’re making this worse by hiding it from her. Chloe is an adult.She’ll be fine. I know she will. Just… Call me back, all right? You may be able to live with this, but I can’t.”
    Jenn hit a button to cut off the message then deleted it with a shaking hand.
    She wasn’t going to tell Chloe a darn thing and she’d be damned if she’d let Anna anywhere near her with that kind