The Evasion by Adrienne Giordano Read Free Book Online

“Ellie has been so gracious, why don’t you look for something else while we’re here.”
    Jo made her eyes dumb-blonde big. “Really?”
    That was him. The sugar daddy. “You bet. I rushed you earlier. Maybe you’ll find something special.” He dragged his hand across the upper part of her chest, where a modest amount of skin peeked out. His body fired and her eyes went berserk in that what-the-fuck way she was so good at. “Ellie,” he said, “got anything naughty my girl will like?”
    Town like this didn’t have a lingerie store. If they did, the church ladies would probably boycott it just to prove they didn’t have impure thoughts. Of course, this would all occur after their husbands dressed in leather chaps and smacked a whip against the headboard. Yeah, town like this, they kept the smut in the back room.
    “How naughty?” Ellie wanted to know.
    He turned to the shop owner. “Make me howl.”
    The woman’s gaze dropped to his crotch and Jo made a gagging sound. How funny was that?
    “I have just the thing.”
    Jo tugged his T-shirt. “You’ve lost your mind.”
    “Not yet, I haven’t.”
    “Right this way.” Ellie stormed through a curtained doorway. “The fitting room is in the back. I’ll get you settled and bring you some things to look at.”
    As soon as the women were out of the room, Gabe snatched the phone from the desk and hit redial. Come to daddy. The number scrolled on the screen and he swiped a piece of scratch paper and a pen from the counter.
    Gotcha .
    What he had, who knew, but that had never stopped him before. They’d have to fly under the radar or his buddy the sheriff would be pissed.
    Ellie emerged from the back room just as Gabe tucked the phone number in his pocket. Good timing, that.
    “I found some lovely things for her to try. I think you’ll be happy.”
    Little did Ellie know Gabe’s favorite outfit on Jo was her birthday suit. Call him crazy but sexy to him was just plain naked.
    “Y’all passing through?” Once again, Ellie eyed him. Not a big deal. Women did shit like that all the time. He’d grown used to it, used it to his advantage.
    He smiled. “How’d you guess?”
    “The accents give it away some. New York?”
    Sorry. No dice. Ellie might have that southern charm going for her, but she was certifiable if she thought he’d tell her where they were from.
    “We needed a vacation,” he said, ignoring her inquiry. “We’re road-tripping. Not sure where exactly we’re going, but here we are.”
    “Oh, that sounds fun. To just up and leave.”
    The curtain separating the back room from the store flew open and Jo stepped through wearing her regular clothes.
    “What? No fashion show?”
    “Relax. You’ll get a fashion show.” She set something red, silky and skimpy on the counter. “We’ll take this one.”
    But when she dug into her purse for her wallet, Gabe stepped up. Maybe they were playing a role or maybe it was a turning point in their relationship, but they’d spent so much damned time hiding from their bosses that he’d never bought her lingerie. Suddenly, he wanted to.
    He put his hand over hers. “I’ve got this.”
    “No. I want to.”
    They’d never discussed their personal finances in detail, but any idiot would know a lawyer of her caliber made more than a cop. He gave her the look. The one that sent the guys under his command scattering. “ Honey , I’m buying.”
    She stared up at him a minute, clearly contemplating an argument because that’s what she did. Argued, debated, challenged. All good things generally. Between the two of them, they were goofy that way. They got off on the conflict. Their own brand of wacky foreplay.
    Jo backed off. Physically took a step away from the counter. “Okay, sailor. You got it.”
    Whether she understood his wanting to buy her a gift or simply chose not to do battle, he wasn’t sure. Either way, he’d chalk it up to a win. Where Jo was concerned, he didn’t win very