Whatever It Takes by JM Stewart Read Free Book Online Page A

the years she’d hoped one day he’d finally utter the three words she longed to hear the most:
I love you.
    Over the years she’d convinced herself those words weren’t important, but actions speak louder than words, as the saying went, and his had ended up telling her a lot. The distinct lack of those words in his vocabulary only seemed to go along with everything else that told her she wasn’t a priority in her husband’s life. That made her eventually wonder if he didn’t say them because he didn’t feel them. That he worked so much had always made her wonder if he did it to avoid having to come home to her.
    It didn’t help, either, that she was essentially homeless, having to rely on him again, yet there he was, tossing his teasing at her. Avoiding the subjects they needed to discuss. Like always.
    Gathering strength from the irrational mix of anger, pain, and betrayal swelling in her chest, she swatted his hand away.
    “You’d do well to remember I’m only staying here for Allie’s sake. We’re still divorced, and I like it that way.” She narrowed her eyes and jabbed a finger at his chest. “Keep your hands and your eyes to yourself and we’ll get along just fine. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself missing few body parts.”
    God, it was such a bitchy thing to say to him, but damn it, he was frustrating. Being in this house with him again was driving her crazy, and all she’d done was spend the night. How on earth would she stay sane living with him until she found a new place? It could take months.
    She shoved past him and marched to the fridge opposite her, but even the firmness of her words did nothing to dissipate the odd stir in her stomach.
    “You keep saying that but have yet to actually do anything about it.”
    The amused challenge in his voice halted her halfway to the fridge. Now standing on the other side of the center island, she pivoted to face him. He’d moved, now in front of the coffeemaker a few feet from her, pouring himself a cup. Like he hadn’t just tossed a challenge at her.
    “Would you like me to?” She tossed the challenge right back at him, because it made her feel not quite so vulnerable, but her lowered voice lacked the punch she’d hoped for.
    Jackson turned and leaned back against the kitchen counter. He raised his brows as he brought his mug to his mouth, pausing to grin at her over the rim. “Please?”
    She dropped her arms, unsure whether she wanted to laugh or scream. Most guys found her skills sexy. Almost every guy she’d dated before she met him had wanted to see how flexible she was. Oh, she knew what they meant. They all wanted to know if she could get her feet behind her head, or how many interesting
positions
they could put her in. Some had even been arrogant enough to say so. When she wouldn’t sleep with them, however, she usually stopped hearing from them.
    Not Jackson. They’d met on a darkened street in downtown Seattle. She’d been making her way back to her car after a martial arts expo when a man had attempted to mug her. Jackson, thinking to play the hero, had run over to help . . . in time to watch her flip her would-be assailant onto the ground and plant her foot on his throat.
    No, Jackson found her skills amusing.
Cute
, he’d once told her. And she’d definitely heard from him again, because he’d asked her name, then asked her to have coffee with him. She’d turned him down, of course, but somehow, he’d found her anyway. He’d gotten her to go out with him using the exact humor he attempted now. Because his audaciousness had made her laugh and she hadn’t been able to resist.
    “You have to be the most infuriating man I’ve ever known. Do you know that?” She planted her hands on her hips. The man knew every single hot button she had, every way around every wall she put up against him, and always managed to melt her defenses. “I’ve lost everything, Jackson. Everything. My entire world was in that house, and all you