The Bodyguard and Ms. Jones by Susan Mallery Read Free Book Online

But you have to give me something. Have you at least seen him naked?”
    â€œBeth!”
    â€œOh, please say you have.”
    â€œI can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”
    Beth looked at her, then at the dishes. “If you see him naked, will you tell me?”
    â€œI’m not going to see him naked.”
    â€œBut you have to.”
    â€œWhy?” Cindy stared at her friend. “You’ve finally slipped over the edge, haven’t you? You’ve lost your fragile hold on reality.”
    â€œOf course not. It’s just...” Beth drew in a deep breath. “I met Darren in college. I hadn’t dated much in high school and he was the first man I, you know, did it with.” A spot of color appeared on her cheeks. “I talk big, but the truth is, I’ve only been with Darren. I’ve never even seen another man’s...” She cleared her throat. “I just want to know what he looks like.”
    Beth was up to her wrists in soapy water. Cindy took a step closer and gave her a hug. “You’re a terrific friend. I was a virgin when I met Nelson, too. So I haven’t seen anyone else naked, either.”
    â€œIt’s just so unfair.” Beth glanced at her, blue eyes dancing. “Men see women naked all the time. It’s in magazines, in the movies. Maybe we should take advantage of that for the next school fund-raiser. We could hire men to walk around naked. Think of the cover charge to get in. It could be a couple hundred dollars. We could buy a lot of sports equipment with that.”
    Cindy released Beth and stepped back. “You are crazy.”
    â€œIt’s a great idea.”
    â€œNo.”
    Beth finished washing the measuring cups and rinsed them. “Can I at least go check and see if Mike really has on underwear?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œBut if I peel the covers back slowly, he won’t even—”
    â€œNo! I mean it, Beth.”
    â€œYou’re no fun.” She rinsed her hands and grabbed a towel.
    â€œWhere are you going?”
    â€œHome.”
    Cindy walked Beth to the door. “You want some cookies?”
    â€œSave them for Mike. He’ll need his strength to survive around here. Don’t forget. Next Saturday. Say, six o’clock?”
    â€œI’ll ask him, but if he doesn’t want to come, I can’t make him.”
    â€œOf course you can. Bat your eyes. If that doesn’t work, try a low-cut T-shirt.”
    â€œSorry, they’re all like this.” She fingered the neckline of her crewneck shirt.
    â€œSo disappointing. If you’re not going to be a little more wild, I might have to find another single friend.” Before Cindy could answer, Beth gave her a hug. “Take care of yourself and that hunk of yours.”
    â€œI will.”
    As Beth crossed the street, Cindy glanced around the house toward the greenbelt. About eight children were playing together in the shade of a pecan tree. She wondered where they got their energy. It was about ninety-four degrees and the humidity was nearly that high. Just standing in the open doorway was making her sweat.
    She stepped inside and shut it behind her. The timer on the oven dinged.
    After taking out the last batch of cookies, she put a couple of cool ones on a plate, then poured a glass of lemonade. A quick glance at the clock told her it was almost time for Mike to wake up. In the last couple of days, they’d settled into a routine. He slept for an hour in the morning, then right after lunch. He spent his afternoons reading or watching TV. Every day he was getting a little stronger, but he wasn’t going to be back at work anytime soon.
    She carried the plate and glass into the bedroom. He was sitting up against the pillows.
    â€œI thought you’d still be asleep.”
    â€œOh, really? But the conversation you and your friend were having was so interesting.”
    She started to set the