Hidden Shadows (The Shadow Series Book 1) by Lauren Hope Read Free Book Online Page B

you.”
    She visibly relaxed, obviously much more comfortable with this line of conversation. “Thank you. I enjoyed talking with her. With both of you.”
    Ben inched his feet closer again and watched a beautiful peachy-pink bloom on her cheeks. “She enjoyed the talking, too, if you couldn’t tell,” he chuckled. "It was nice to have someone else be a sounding board for a change.”
    “That’s what I’m here for,” she said politely, looking everywhere but his eyes.
    With every step he’d taken forward, she’d edged back, and now he stood close enough that he could reach out and put a hand on the wall. He placed one above her head, leaned in a bit, and was charmed as the color on her face warmed even more.
    “So now that you know my back story and all those personal details like marital status, how about leveling the playing field?”
    Jenna finally met his eyes, and like her face, her gaze held heat, though Ben guessed it was fueled by a different kind of fire.
    “This is hardly the time to discuss my personal life,” she said briskly. “And you are a patient. That information is not relevant, or necessary from me to you.”
    “Not really a patient, ma’am. I’m a support system, remember?”
    “I don’t even really know your marital status,” she continued over him, “only that it’s not to Heidi.”
    Ah, so she did care, or at least had thought about it. Round one to Ben.
    “And it’s not that I care anyway,” she huffed.
    He raised his brows and slowly lifted his other hand against the wall, boxing her in. “You don’t?”
    “Uh-uh.” She shook her head slowly, never taking her eyes off his.
    “Well, I do care, so I will tell on myself first. I am single. Checkmark in the box that says unattached. Not Heidi, not anyone.”
    When her phone let out a series of beeps, Jenna blinked, breaking that great stare they had going, before shaking her head and grabbing the phone from her coat pocket.
    As she glanced at the screen, Ben straightened and wondered briefly what was causing him to be so uncharacteristically forward.
    Maybe it was because he liked this side of her even better than the cute mom, or the intelligent, proper professional. Or it could be that exotic flowery smell—like a perfectly groomed gardenia—that seemed to be springing from her hair. Whatever it was, he was having fun.
    And boy did she look good from this view. He had a good eight inches on her, meaning those beautiful blue eyes had to look up to make contact with his—which at the moment she wasn’t doing much of.
    He wanted to change that.
    With a quick move of his hand, he cupped her chin in his palm, lifted her face to meet his gaze.
    “So which is it, Jenna Gregor? Which box does your checkmark go in?”
    The blue eyes narrowed. “And suppose it’s in the box that says big, scary wrestler husband will beat you up for touching me like this?”
    “Come on now, Jenna, I know that’s not true.”
    “And just how would you know that?”
    “If it were, those baby blues of yours wouldn’t be fixed on me right now, and the apples of your cheeks wouldn’t look like a rose on a hot summer's day. And,” he trailed his fingers slowly down, “I wouldn’t be able to feel this pulse pounding in your neck.”
    She swallowed as the tips of his fingers revealed the truth at the pulsating veins.
    “Plus,” he smiled widely, “your son is pretty talkative.”
    “Well, I never . . .” Jenna yanked her hand up and swatted his touch away. “And if you think you know so much, yes, my box says unattached as well. But——and here’s something you obviously don’t know—I aim to keep it that way."
    With a whip of her head, her silky hair snaked behind her shoulders as she stomped off down the hall and disappeared through a door marked Staff.
    After a moment, Ben leaned down and took a gulp of cold water from the fountain.
    He had never known a woman to be more attractive when she was angry and agitated. He hadn’t even