Whose Bed Is It Anyway? by Natalie Anderson Read Free Book Online

prickled. He did like to stay busy. ‘Where?’
    â€˜Here.’
    â€˜Forget it.’ He heard Lisbet’s impatient mumble and hurried on. ‘You know I don’t want a desk job. Can’t think of anything worse.’
    â€˜You have other skills we need. Not all our people can perform the way you do in a public environment. Communication, fundraising is necessary.’
    â€˜I’m not your poster boy—you know this already.’ He watched as Caitlin disappeared into the throng walking downtown. Fleetingly he hoped she’d be okay on her own—that she’d not just ‘see’ but ‘do’.
    â€˜And you know you already are . You could still go on overseas projects,’ said Lisbet. ‘Just fewer.’
    Lisbet had been on at him about taking on more of a public role for a while now, but he wasn’t giving up the real work. He preferred to be an anonymous part of a team, not a figurehead. ‘Don’t lessen my load,’ he warned her. ‘I’d have to offer my services elsewhere.’
    â€˜All right,’ she sighed. ‘But I’m not going to stop trying to change your mind.’
    â€˜Try all you like, but keep the field assignments coming.’ He turned back towards the condo.
    â€˜There’s no end to them,’ she snorted. ‘But you need at least a fortnight off.’
    A fortnight? He halted in horror, earning a muffled curse from the pedestrian behind him who’d swerved to avoid smacking into him. James waved a vague apology and then frowned at the pavement.
    No way could he share a bed with Caitlin for a fortnight. Not without asking for the improper. ‘I don’t need that long,’ he quickly said to Lisbet. ‘I’m ready to ship out again tomorrow.’
    â€˜No. I’m not letting you burn out,’ she answered.
    â€˜Never going to happen.’
    â€˜That’s what they all say, right before they crash,’ she said briskly. ‘Go spend some time with your family. You’ve been overseas for months.’
    â€˜I like being overseas.’ He liked his family too, but he liked being away and busy more.
    He heard her sigh. ‘If you insist on doing something, you can come to the charity gala on Thursday night. I’ll put your name down now.’
    Oh, hell, that was even worse . ‘Lisbet, I don’t—’
    â€˜It’s only one night,’ she wheedled. ‘You can show me how refreshed you are so I’ll send you back into the fray sooner.’
    â€˜Fine,’ he snapped, letting her manipulate him—mainly because he knew rolling up to the event was part of his duty. He turned his phone off and shoved it into his back pocket.
    Two weeks? What was he supposed to do with all that time? He hadn’t had more than a few days off in years and that was the way he liked it. If he stayed in town more, his parents would put the pressure on about other—more personal—things. But they were going to have to save that for his brothers. James would never settle down. He’d seen how tragedy tore a family apart. He wasn’t doing that to anyone else again. Definitely not having a wife or children of his own. He’d work for other people’s families. That was how he got satisfaction and some semblance of peace. So he’d even help his unexpected roommate. His pain in the neck roommate. Pretty roommate. Sassy, sexy roommate...
    Two weeks?
    He yanked his wayward thoughts to a halt, frowning again. But he couldn’t toss her out. There was a code—written by his own family in fact. You welcomed, opened up, let the weary traveller rest. How many times had he stayed at places where it must have been uncomfortable or awkward for the people who were hosting him? But they never said no. The basic kindness of people never failed to touch him. Yeah, the least he could do was offer the same in return. Kindness without strings. Certainly