The Evasion by Adrienne Giordano Read Free Book Online Page A

often.
    “Thank you,” he said.
    “Anything for you, honey .”
    And God help him, she batted her eyes, completely charming Ellie. Maybe that fluttering thing worked for some women. Jo? Not a chance. He hated it on her. He wanted her tough and clawing.
    What kind of freak was he? Not exploring it .
    Ellie rang up the lingerie and he grabbed the bag. Holy smokes, his budget couldn’t take too much of that. Another thing he’d have to get used to—Jo probably made as much in one day as he made in a week. She could afford to pay a hundred bucks for lingerie. Him? No way. Suck it up, pal . “Thanks for your help, Ellie.”
    “Y’all come back and see us again.”
    Oh, we will, Ellie. We will. It just wouldn’t be to purchase lingerie.

 
    Chapter Four
     
    “You sneaky devil!” Jo grinned at Gabe after he admitted to scamming the supplier’s number from Ellie’s phone.
    I adore this man .
    Hand in hand, they strolled down Main Street, passing the closed pharmacy and bakery on their way back to their rental car. The evening air was thick and moist and heavy and for some reason, Jo liked it. Maybe it was the lack of chaos and noise. Small town quiet versus screaming sirens and traffic.
    Across the street a couple had taken over a bench by the huge pond in the town square. In the center of the pond was a brass statue that poked at Jo’s curiosity. She’d have to wander by to see who the statue represented.
    Her curiosity also went to the couple on the bench. The man was stretched flat, his head in the woman’s lap. Jo considered steering Gabe in that direction. Why not? At home, they didn’t have the luxury of holding hands and stretching out on a bench. Too much risk of getting caught.
    Now that she’d had a taste of freedom when it came to their relationship, she resented all the secrecy.
    “I needed something to do while you were in the dressing room,” Gabe said.
    Jo focused on him, watched his lips move and in her mind replayed where they were in the conversation. Ah, the phone number. “I’d say you made good use of your time, sergeant.”
    He squeezed her hand and she glanced down, took in his long fingers. Fingers that, before today, she only held behind closed doors because they were too terrified—yes, the big, bad ESU sergeant was terrified—their bosses would toss one of them off the task force.
    For now, they were in tiny Leeville where only the sexist sheriff knew their identities and, damn it, Jo wanted to hold her man’s hand. Wasn’t a lot to ask. She lifted their joined hands, kissed the back of his. There. Affection in public. The horrors.
    “Careful,” Gabe said. “I might start to enjoy all this domesticity.”
    As usual, their thoughts had aligned. Amazing how that happened. Even when they disagreed about work, their minds were in perfect tune. “Exactly!”
    “What?”
    “I was just thinking I never get to touch you unless we’re in private. I like holding your hand. Makes me realize what we don’t have at home. It bothers me. Like we’re doing something wrong. What we have together isn’t wrong.”
    “I agree. But there’s not much we can do about it.”
    Unless one of them left the task force. And they weren’t deluding themselves. If one of them left, it would be Gabe. Jo was the driving force on project Clean Sweep. She’d been the one to badger the mayor into forming the task force. She had the manufacturer contacts. And she had the passion for it. Not that Gabe wasn’t dedicated, but he didn’t live and breathe Clean Sweep like she did. He just wanted to be good at his job. At least that’s what he told her.
    If it came down to it and they had to choose, he’d be the one to leave the task force. She knew that. He’d give up a position that put him in the mayor’s path every day. A position that showcased his excellent tactical and management skills and would earn him a promotion to lieutenant in the not-so-distant future. In the land of goals and dreams, Jo