Under the Covers by Rita Herron Read Free Book Online Page A

you'd better leave, mister."
    The cross-dresser stepped forward, took the man's beefy arm, and hauled him away. Abby reminded herself to check the parking lot before she went to her car.
    Seconds later, the cross-dresser came back inside, broad shoulders stretching the flowery dress, feet thudding loudly as he/she stalked back to join the line. Abby's right eye twitched as she tried to distinguish his/her face.
    * * *
    Abby Jensen had been flirting with him—rather, with his female counterpart—Hunter realized as he returned from carting off the obnoxious redneck. She'd been winking and blinking and giving him that slit-eyed look she talked about in her book. What did she title it—the lusty look?
    Was she a lesbian?
    Could that be the secret Abby Jensen was hiding?
    Whew-eeee, what a story that would make.
    Or maybe she liked to ride both sides of the sexual seesaw. Well, he would not fall for the lusty look.
    He had a job to do and he'd do it. Landing bigger assignments might make the difference in his getting more time off to spend with Lizzie. Frustrated memories of their last hasty good-bye pushed to the forefront of his mind.
    When he'd dropped Lizzie off after dinner the day before, Shelly had announced that she and Daryl planned to take Lizzie to Bermuda for two weeks in the winter. With his ex-wife's money and the shrink's, they'd be bribing the child with their gifts and trips and he'd never see her.
    He couldn't let that happen.
    Scattered applause brought him back to the present. The bookseller came over to shake his hand and thank him. Abby Jensen winked at him again, beaming an appreciative smile as bright and warm as the summer sunshine. Damn. The last thing he'd needed was to bring more attention to himself while incognito. Besides, if her fans knew he'd come here in disguise to desecrate their female icon, they wouldn't be clapping or thanking him.
    The crowd parted, allowing him to move forward to her table. This was his opening.
    "Thank you for getting rid of that man," Dr. Jensen said.
    Something hot and surprising flamed inside him at the sound of her husky voice, but he banished the heat and thrust his copy of Under the Covers toward her. For the briefest of moments their fingers touched, an electrical charge zipping through Hunter that sent a shudder coursing through him. What the hell...?
    Fighting the sudden chemistry, he cleared his throat and raised his voice in his best imitation of a feminine pitch. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Jensen."
    "You, too." She winked again and his libido stirred to life, strong and steady.
    He forced himself to ignore the traitorous beast. Mousy, brown-haired Abby Jensen was not even his type.
    Except she wasn't mousy, brown, or plain. The candy apple-red suit she wore dipped low enough to reveal a hint of cleavage, not the schoolmarm outfit he'd expected, and the color contrasted well with her dark hair and those vibrant dark eyes....
    The lady beside him coughed into her hand and glared at him, and he remembered he was supposed to be acting like a woman, not ogling or flirting with the doctor.
    Another wink; then she narrowed her eyes. He was thankful the sunglasses hid the heat simmering in his own. "Who do I sign it to, Ms....?"
    He was contemplating a fake name when a commotion erupted behind them. Two men, a woman in a yellow suit, and a young, skinny guy wielding a camera on his shoulder strode in, scanning the crowd and pointing. "There she is, fellows."
    Three or four others followed. The press.
    "Start rolling," a seedy-looking guy all in black ordered.
    Panic flitted onto Abby Jensen's face the moment the camera zoomed in on her.
    Protective instincts arose, along with Hunter's curiosity. Just why was Dr. Jensen so nervous?
    * * *
    Victoria Jensen gave her client, Marcus Baldwin, an encouraging smile. Normally she tended to lobby on the side of the female in custody issues, but she wasn't stupid. This man had been unjustifiably hurt and deprived of