Common Enemy Read Online Free PDF Page A

teased.
    “No!”
    Even in the moonlight, he saw her face redden. He stepped out of the van in a T-shirt and running shorts. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he walked toward the house.
    “Come on, boss. I’ll take you to the movies. I hear the girl at the concession stand is really cute.”
    They sat on either end of the sofa with a bowl of popcorn between them, sipping beer. Connor thoroughly enjoyed himself. He hadn’t had a night like this in years. When the movie was over, he noticed that Jordan was squirming uncomfortably.
    “Are you tired? I should let you get to bed.”
    “No. I can’t sleep. I think I’ll stay up and watch the next movie. You don’t have to stay with me, though. I know you’ve worked hard today.”
    “That was yesterday. It’s two o’clock now. What’s the problem? Why are you wiggling so much?”
    “No real problem. I think I must have pulled my back a little when we were moving furniture.”
    “Why didn’t you say so? These magic fingers can fix anything.” He ran up the stairs for just a minute and returned with the comforter and pillows from her bed. He spread the comforter on the floor in front of the television. “You’re lucky this happened on a Cary Grant night. Lie on your stomach and put your arms up.”
    He rubbed her back trying to keep his mind on the movie. At the first commercial, he looked down to see that she had fallen asleep. He turned off the TV and lay down on the floor beside her. He just wanted to study her face for a moment before he left. He brought a lock of her hair to his face to breathe in its sweet scent. He placed a light kiss on his fingertips and touched her cheek. A soft feminine sigh slipped from her lips as she slept. Her steady breathing lulled him into a dreamless sleep almost instantly.
    Sun was streaming through the window when Connor heard the voice of Sponge Bob Square Pants . Lizzy sat on the sofa watching the cartoon intently. Jordan had rolled over in the night. Her bottom nestled against his stomach. He felt her stir awake.
    “What are you doing out of bed?” she asked sleepily.
    “I’m waiting for my breakfast,” Lizzy replied. “Are you two going to sleep all day?”
    “What?” Jordan whipped her head around to find Connor beside her. Her eyes widened with panic. “No, no, I’m getting up now.”
    Connor grabbed her around the waist. “Don’t get up, not yet,” he whispered.
    “Why, what’s wrong?”
    “If you get up, I’m going to be very embarrassed, and you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.” To his surprise, Jordan burst out laughing. He was not amused.
    “Go upstairs and get dressed, Lizzy.” When the coast was clear, Jordan sat up. “The bathroom is all yours, Romeo.” She was still snickering as she skipped up the stairs.
    ****
    Connor was nowhere in sight when Jordan and Lizzy returned to the living room.
    “Help me get this stuff picked up before we cook breakfast.” Jordan gathered the bedclothes from the floor.
    “Maybe Connor will have breakfast with us today.”
    “I don’t know. That’s up to him.”
    “Is Connor my daddy now?” Lizzy asked.
    “Why would you ask something like that?”
    “My friend Ashley, in Tampa, says that mommies and daddies sleep together.”
    “We didn’t sleep together. We just fell asleep in the same place. It was an accident.”
    “What’s the difference?”
    “Usually, mommies and daddies love each other,” Jordan replied.
    “Don’t you love Connor?”
    “Connor is just working here for a while.” Jordan pulled her close. “After he’s done, he’ll be going away.”
    “I don’t want him to go away. Why can’t he stay here?” Lizzy cried.
    The screen door in the kitchen slammed.
    For the rest of the day, Connor stayed busy scraping loose paint from the outside of the house. Jordan knew he’d overheard their conversation. She tried to think of what to say to him about it. She finally decided maybe it would be best to just ignore