Highly Charged! by Joanne Rock Read Free Book Online

her hand—the one that had been bold enough to reach for him—in a tight grip.
    Had there been a lockdown on touching that he didn’t know about? And didn’t it suck that the only time she’d been tempted to reach out was when she saw him as another wounded cause? Frustration gnawed the back of his neck until he had to roll his shoulders to shove it aside.
    â€œNot a big deal.” His injuries didn’t compare to the rest of the damage done that day. Skin would grow back. “But I’m not at liberty to discuss the details.”
    That wasn’t one hundred percent accurate, but it gave him the ability to opt out of the discussion. He strode past her toward the room she’d pointed out.
    A sturdy armoire stood sentinel in one corner, surrounded by stacks of old travelogues and picture books of Italy. An antique roll-top desk was likewise hidden by paperwork piled on the floor. It was tough to weed through the belongings to tell what was Nikki’s and what would have been Chloe’s. He kept an eye out for clues to the lady professor’s personality, curious about what made her tick.
    â€œIt sounds like a dangerous line of work.” She remained in the archway, keeping her distance. “Is that why I haven’t seen you around before now? Were you deployed?”
    â€œI’m on the second leg of back-to-back tours in Iraq. I’ve got four months left once I return.” He dropped into a chair near the armoire—a straight-back that looked as if it came from a dining room set. Two others that matched it were strewn around the room amid the booksand a hodgepodge of furnishings. “A buddy of mine— Joe Staley—checks on my house every couple of weeks, but other than that, you wouldn’t see anyone around. How long have you been here?”
    â€œBack when Chloe was alive, I visited during the summers and at the holidays. Since her death, I received keys to the property from the probate court six weeks ago, but between selling my condo and moving in stages, I’ve only been here for the last two.”
    â€œThat’s how long I’ve been home.” He stood up again to pull one of the other chairs closer. They were the only seating options in the room besides the futon that was made up like a bed. “Have a seat. You must be exhausted after everything you did today.”
    She looked from him to the chair. He’d seen people eyeball IEDs with less trepidation. How could a woman who dismantled buildings with such zest turn so damn cautious when it came to him?
    â€œMaybe for a minute.” She strode into the den, taking the route that would keep her farthest from the makeshift bed as she made her way toward the sturdy ladder-back with its blue velvet cushion. “I don’t want to keep you from sleeping.”
    â€œI don’t need much sack time.” Strike that. He would gladly submit to an abundance of sack time if it involved sharing his bed. It was sleep he didn’t need. But he felt pretty sure she would only get flustered by the distinction. “I’m a night owl by nature.”
    â€œMe, too. Even tonight when I’m tired, I’ll stay up and think about all I have to do tomorrow.” She settled into the chair across from him and he wished he’d placed it closer to his.
    He had no idea when or how he’d make his first move with her, but now that he sat near her in this big, echoing house he realized more than ever that he wanted her. The scent of her shampoo teased his nose, clean and floral.
    â€œThe curse of ambition.”
    â€œMore like obsession.” She seemed to relax a little now that they were seated across from one another. Her shoulders sagged against the heavy ladder-back. “I’m determined to restore the house to honor Chloe’s memory. She really helped inspire women, writing openly and honestly about her passions, not omitting any of the messy parts.