Body Heat Read Online Free PDF

didn’t want his fantasy woman to be like the gals he hung out with, with their big tits exploding out of their low-cut necklines.
    A fantasy woman had to be different. Unattainable. A temptress who promised with subtlety. He needed Ms. Mahoney to be unattainable, or he’d be in real big trouble. He had to make this community service thing work.
    Not only was there the whole jail issue, but no way was he getting involved with another snotty bitch who’d treat him like crap. Was his new boss one of those? He was good at reading people—had to be, with the life he’d lived—but he couldn’t figure her out yet. Mostly, it seemed like he disgusted her, but then there were those blushes. And was that glasses-on, glasses-off thing just a habit, or a sexy tease? Was she attracted to him, too?
    He watched her approach the low step where she’d almost fallen. He’d gripped that fine-boned elbow for just a moment before she jerked away. Nope, he figured she wasn’t attracted. And maybe she was going to treat him like crap, all high and mighty.
    She tripped slightly again as she mounted the step. Was she self-conscious, guessing he was watching? Or was it the funny little half-inch heels on her shoes? Seemed to him, a woman ought to dress for either comfort or sex.
    Ms. Mahoney obviously had a different idea.
    She closed the courtyard door firmly.
    He glanced around, feeling caged by the surrounding walls, and reminded himself he was here because he’d kept his best friend, Con, safe. Besides, this was—or could be—a garden. He liked gardens, had a knack for making things grow. It was a lot of hard work, but that never bothered him, and there was a kind of peace in it. A landscape gardener he’d worked for had said it was Zen.
    That was the same guy who’d said Jesse had a talent for it, that he should go back to school and study landscape design. Yeah, like hell he would. Guy like him, who hadn’t even finished grade ten. He might have street smarts, but he sure didn’t have school ones.
    Besides, there was nothing wrong with good solid blue collar work. He liked his construction job, liked building and fixing things, worked for a great boss. His lips quirked wryly. His real boss actually respected him. Didn’t seem that was going to happen with Ms. Mahoney.
    And it sure as hell wouldn’t if he stood around daydreaming rather than getting to work. Thank God she hadn’t pushed when he’d said “no” to reading aloud. He’d ended up with a job he could ace, if he knuckled down and got to it.
    He turned his attention to the garden, assessing the sunlight, the lay of the land, the trees and shrubs that were already there. A picture began to form in his head. No, he wasn’t going to do straight line borders after all. Ms. Mahoney probably liked things all neat and ordered, but even though this courtyard was a square-edged box, it was a garden and not a cage. It needed shapes that were more free-form. He’d build a place where those old folks could come and relax.
    He moved the sprinkler so it would get the ground behind him, then he dug the edger into the newly watered ground. The tool could use sharpening, but it’d do.
    He glanced down at his jeans. So much for wearing his best pair, like Barry’d told him. Should’ve worn his oldest clothes. But Barry had wanted him to make a good first impression.
    Usually, he did with women. His type of women. Ms. Mahoney was the other type. Not much chance that he, as a person, would impress her. But his work would.
    The edger went in again, cutting through overgrown grass. This wasn’t the fun part, but it was easy, steady work, and he was getting the feel of the garden.
    Wouldn’t mind getting the feel of Ms. Mahoney, though. The thought crept into his mind and he shoved it away. Stupid. A really stupid idea. And, while he might be dumb about school-type stuff, he wasn’t dumb when it came to people. He might make one mistake, like with Nurse Nancy or Snotty Sybil,