Without a Net by Jill Blake Read Free Book Online Page A

ideas by tomorrow.”
    “Hang on a sec, and I’ll walk you home.”
    “No.” Her voice came out sharper than intended. She shook her head and softened her tone. “Please, don’t. Stay and finish eating. I need to run some errands anyway, and then pick my son up from school. We’ll talk after you have a chance to review things. Okay?”
    Later, while waiting at the pharmacy for Ben’s asthma medication, and picking up milk and eggs at the grocery store, Eva brooded over her interaction with Max.
    The man had definitely been flirting with her. But to what end? Surely he hadn’t run out of likely prospects at school, or the hospital, or the gym, or wherever else he trolled for women. Did he really think that by flashing his dimple and dangling the possibility of a paying assignment in front of her, he’d get more than just the graphic design services she offered?
    Okay, maybe a teensy part of her feminine ego was flattered by the attention. And maybe she was even a little tempted to see how far this could go.
    But then reality intruded. Her life was a mess—emotionally, financially, legally. She had a son to raise, bills to pay, a lawsuit to deal with. No time or energy to get involved with a man like Max. Or any man, for that matter.
    Grounded once more, Eva pasted on a smile and greeted a few of the other parents milling on the school’s front lawn, waiting for the gates to open.

Chapter 8
     
    That evening, Eva opened her email to find the promised PDF of Max’s book. She started reading it to get some inspiration for the cover, but before long she got so caught up in the story that she couldn’t put it down. By the time she finished, it was well past midnight.
    Sifting through an online collection of stock images for something that would convey a sense of adventure and intrigue, she tried to reconcile the Max she’d pegged the moment they met with the man who’d written such a compelling novel. She’d always thought of writers as serious-minded, solitary creatures. A far cry from the cocky, skirt-chasing player who’d cut a wide swathe through the female population of Westside Los Angeles.
    There were hints of that Max in the main character, a sort of latter-day James Bond—only younger, hipper, and board certified in sports medicine to boot. The book didn’t purport to be high-brow literature, but it did contain surprising insights into the state of American medicine, the psychology of high-stakes competitive sports, and the seamy side of corporate politics, tucked between car chases and shootouts.
    Before Eva finally went to sleep, she emailed several cover design options for Max to review, along with a proposal for additional marketing services to help launch and publicize his book.
    The following day, a ll through breakfast and Ben’s karate class, she kept checking her cell phone for Max’s response. She couldn’t recall being this nervous about anything in quite some time. It was just a first effort, she told herself. Plenty more ideas she could present if he didn’t like what she’d sent.
    As the morning trickled into afternoon, she reminded herself that they hadn’t set any deadline for Max to get back to her. He was probably sleeping in, or maybe just rolling out of bed to have a leisurely brunch. It was Saturday, after all. Isn’t that what most people did, if they didn’t have to work, and didn’t have kids who woke them up at dawn regardless of the fact that it was the weekend? Especially people who led overactive social lives, as Max no doubt did. She couldn’t imagine him staying in on a Friday night and going to bed early. Or if he did, he certainly wasn’t there alone. She wondered who the flavor of the moment was who happened to be sharing his bed. She’d bet it was someone tall, skinny, blonde, with fake boobs and a sprayed-on tan.
    Not that it was any of her business whom he slept with. He was a free agent, and could do as he pleased. It didn’t matter to her one bit.
    The