Sinful Pleasures by Ashley Shay Read Free Book Online Page A

*
     
    Morgan fiddled with the bandages covering his arms. “Do we have to do this?”
    Dallas
sighed heavily. “Yes, you thick-headed bastard. The governor wants to get a picture of you, me, and him with Mrs. Dolan. It’s going to look great on the evening news.”
    Morgan groaned. “It’s shameless to use the old lady.”
    “Shameless, but effective,” a female voice said from the doorway. “That’s why we’re doing the photo shoot here at the hospital instead of the fireman’s ball.” She extended her hand. “I’m Rhonda Pearson, the governor’s campaign manager. Needless to say, we’ve talked to the fire chief, and you gentlemen won’t be facing any disciplinary action. You’re going to be the heroes of
Arizona
by the time we get finished with you.”
    Morgan opened his mouth to reply, but the presence of the governor, along with a crowd of news reporters, cut him off. He clamped his mouth shut, staring at Jude, who followed a discreet distance behind the crowd.
    Her glossy black hair was tucked behind her ears, and a faint smudge of violet under her eyes gave away the fact she hadn’t slept any the night before. Dressed for comfort, she wore jeans and a simple T-shirt, somehow managing to make the outfit look chic instead of casual.
    “You owe me,” Morgan mouthed at her when she smiled his way.
    As the politician droned on, Morgan found it impossible to concentrate. He couldn’t keep his gaze from wandering back to Jude. She really did have exquisite bone structure and an exotic European kind of beauty with her black hair and blue eyes. It didn’t stretch Morgan’s imagination to see her picking grapes from a vineyard in
Tuscany
.
    He stifled an impatient sigh, wishing the media circus was over. How in the hell could anyone find that much to say about nothing, he wondered. If the guy didn’t shut up soon, they were going to miss the ball. He and Dallas had to pick up their dress uniforms at the station. And Jude had already warned him she wasn’t sure what she would be wearing since she’d been in the hospital most of the night with her grandmother.
    Glancing over at
Dallas
, he could almost read his best friend’s mind from the look on his face.
Dallas
was focused on Jude’s long legs and shapely ass. She was a heartbreaker, one of those women who exuded sex without any conscious effort on her part. Morgan wondered if she’d been telling the truth when she said she had never played with the toys. He got a hard-on just thinking about what it would be like to teach Jude to play sexual games.
    A gentle nudge in his ribs brought his attention back to the reporters who now stuck microphones toward him and Dallas. The news hounds asked a few questions to both of them. When neither Dallas nor Morgan offered any juicy details that would increase ratings on the six o’clock news, they ended the interview quickly.
    Once the microphones were pulled out of their faces, the whole group moved into Jude’s grandmother’s room. Morgan felt a stab of guilt seeing the frail little lady propped up against a mountain of pillows. She still had an oxygen mask over her face, and her blue eyes looked pleading, as if she wanted to say something. He walked to her side while the reporters were getting in position to take their pictures.
    Leaning down, Morgan looked straight into her eyes. She blinked once, slowly. There was no doubt in his mind that she wanted to communicate with him.
    “Are you okay?” He whispered the words, not wanting the news media to make something out of the exchange. He didn’t think it was his imagination that her lips tried to curve into a smile inside the oxygen mask.
    Jude came to stand on the other side of the bed. She looked from Morgan’s face to her grandmother. “This is one of the men who rescued you, Grandma.”
    The elderly lady gave a soft, unintelligible sound and blinked her eyes once again.
    “I think she remembers you.” Jude smiled, smoothing a strand of silvery