The Recruit by Fiona Palmer Read Free Book Online

jobs. I’m not just a bouncer.’ He waved her question away and changed the subject. ‘And do you do this yoga everyday?’
    ‘I try to. My mum reckons it’s good for me, she thinks I’m a bit hot-tempered.’
    Ryan laughed, it was soft and tingly to her ears and for the first time she saw a glimpse of gold in his dark brown eyes.
    ‘Besides that, it gives me inner strength and great flexibility.’
    ‘Hmm, yes, I could see that.’ He smiled when Jaz rolled her eyes. ‘But stuffed if I could get my legs in any of those positions.’
    ‘Yeah, you could with practice.’
    ‘Are you offering to teach me?’
    Jaz choked on her laugh. ‘You’re a funny one!’
    ‘Well, I must thank you, anyway.’
    Jaz’s laughter died down and she looked at him strangely. ‘What for?’
    ‘Let’s just say I didn’t think I’d be able to laugh again, but you’ve proved me wrong. So I’m grateful.’ And to prove it he smiled. It was genuine and warm but edged in sadness.
    The air was still between them as she studied him. His eyes, as guarded as they were, hinted at great pain and loss.
    ‘You’ve had it tough, hey?’ Jaz asked quietly. It was the way Ryan had said the words, so full of sincerity and weight. She saw a flash of anger stretch across his tight jaw, as if he was replaying whatever it was that had caused him so much pain. But a second later he shut down, sealing his eyes with a steely glaze and burying it all.
    ‘Yeah, you could say that,’ he answered softly.
    Jaz felt the urge to touch his arm or grasp his hand and give it a reassuring squeeze, but hell…she hardly knew the bloke. He could be a raving loony for all she knew.
    ‘Hey, Jaz!’
    Jasmine turned towards the front door and spotted Anna, who was out of her school uniform and wearing jeans and a blue jumper. ‘Hey, it’s Anna Montana.’
    Anna poked her tongue out at the nickname as she walked towards them. Jaz waved to the guy opposite her. ‘Anna, this is Ryan. Ryan, this is my best friend, Anna.’
    ‘Heeeey,’ said Anna slowly as her steps faltered.
    ‘How ya goin’?’ replied Ryan friendlily.
    Anna tried to smile but she looked like she was going to melt. Jaz sighed and grabbed Anna’s arm steering her towards the office. She flicked her head back to Ryan. ‘Catch ya later.’ He nodded and begun some more stomach crunches.
    ‘Who was he and why did you take me away from him?’ asked Anna when they were in the quiet of Pax’s office.
    Jaz closed the door and then sat on the spare computer chair. Anna claimed the one by the desk.
    ‘I was saving you from making a fool of yourself.’
    ‘I wasn’t!’
    ‘Oh, please! If you’d stayed there any longer I would have had to fetch the mop bucket for your drool. Haven’t I taught you enough about how to not show your emotions on the outside?’
    Anna went a shade of pink and then snorted. ‘Was I really that bad?’
    ‘Uh huh,’ said Jaz as she watched Anna lean on the table so she could look out the window.
    ‘But he’s so hot. Have you seen his bod! And those eyes, so mysterious. How did he end up here?’
    Jaz stood there with her eyebrows raised in a mock expression. ‘Are you done yet?’
    Anna giggled. ‘Come on, are you telling me you don’t find him attractive?’
    Jaz flicked her eyes towards Ryan who was now doing some push-ups. His body was as straight as a flagpole and his arms rippled with each motion. ‘Of course I do, what warm-blooded woman wouldn’t. But…’
    ‘But he’s not Taylor,’ answered Anna.
    Jaz shrugged, unsure if that was what she was going to say. Something about Ryan made him a little edgy and dark. She wasn’t sure if she was fascinated by that or just bloody afraid.
    Her phone beeped and her gut knew it was from Taylor. She pressed open his message of a picture he sent. It was a canvas of colours in no order or pattern, kind of resembling a night on the curry.
    It’s worse than we thought, the artist used her sponge