Microsoft Word - 49A4C18A-1A2A-28B97F.doc by Bad Thing She Did a Bad Read Free Book Online

excitedly. Nicole Reavis was their segment-story producer who had taken
    Liza’s position and had asked to get in on the collective lottery ticket.
    Zach Haas, a favorite cameraman, had also asked to join them, and Cole Crawford, the
    show’s supervising producer, the man who had “discovered” Eve, was their fifth cohort.
    All of their lives would be forever changed, she realized as Eve grabbed her phone and
    began dialing. Jane’s thoughts jumped to Liza—playing the lottery had been something the three of them had done for fun. And now that the unthinkable had happened, Liza was missing out…

    * * *
“Here’s the information you wanted on your neighbor, Jane Kurtz,” Theresa said, handing
    Perry a sheet of paper. “She’s pretty, but she doesn’t look like your type.”
    “She isn’t,” Perry agreed, studying a copy of the picture from her driver’s license. She
    looked awkward and camera-shy. Then he frowned and looked up.
    “What’s my type?”
    Theresa shrugged. “You know—flashy…interchangeable.”
    Her response rankled, although he conceded that there was a sameness about Kayla and
    Cindi and Kendra and Victoria. And Denise and Cassandra and Fiona. “Hey, Ms.
    Kurtz works on that show you like, Just Between Us,” he said.
    “Really? Yeah, today’s show was great—unleashing your inner wild child.” She batted her
    eyelashes and touched a hand to her graying hair. “Think I’m too old for that?”
    “Never.”
    She laughed, then squinted. “How did you get grease on your shirt?”
    “I had to buy Ms. Kurtz a new tire,” he said, scanning the paper.
    “Oh. The plot thickens. Is Ms. Kurtz needy?”
    “No, but she’s on a budget, and since I indirectly caused her to have a flat tire and a dent in her car, I figured it was the least I could do.” He walked toward his office, ignoring the sting of Theresa’s curiosity burning a hole in his back. He dropped into his chair and surveyed the profile on his prim little neighbor.
    Jane Kurtz, age thirty-one, birthplace Columbus, Georgia, an only child, born to William
    and Maria Kurtz, both deceased. He glanced at their birthdates and realized they had been older when Jane was born. She was probably raised in a sheltered environment…and now she was
    alone.
    Perry bit down on his tongue. He couldn’t imagine that feeling—his parents were alive and
    healthy, he had two brothers and two sisters, plus a herd of nieces and nephews. Jane Kurtz
    would be swallowed whole by his family.
    Not that she would ever meet his family, he reminded himself.
    There was no college degree listed, so either she hadn’t attended or hadn’t finished.
    Employed with Cable One Communications for three years, registered owner of a beige 1997
    Honda Civic, no police record, no traffic violations, not even a parking ticket.
    His mouth curled into a smirk—her lawfulness didn’t surprise him. Jane Kurtz was the
    kind of woman who would never think of removing the “Do Not Remove” tag from a mattress,
    who probably always washed her hair twice because the shampoo bottle said so.
    His thoughts skipped to the silkiness of her hair as he’d swept it back from her face. What
    would it feel like to sink both hands into the depths of that honey-colored hair? Would those cornflower blue eyes turn dark if she were aroused? And had that pink mouth of hers ever been thoroughly kissed?
    Chastising himself for letting his imagination run away with him, he set aside the paper
    and thoughts of plain Jane Kurtz, turning his attention to returning phone calls and processing paperwork of neglected cases. He and Theresa both worked late to catch up on things he’d
    allowed to slide while he’d labored over the Kendall case. Around six o’clock, he had Chinese food delivered.
    While they were eating, Theresa pointed a chopstick at him. “You need a vacation.”
    “I know,” he muttered. “I’ll take one…someday.”
    “Why don’t you take some time this weekend?”