Dangerous to Her Read Online Free PDF Page B

that.
    For the past two days, it seemed no matter where Dom went, there Brenda was, throwing herself at him.
    At lunch yesterday, Mattie had been sitting at the break room table nursing a Diet Coke when they’d walked in together. With every intention of leaving, she’d heard Brenda grilling him about his dating habits. Every muscle in her body had frozen and, curious in spite of herself, she’d listened as Dom tried to politely dodge the question.
    Brenda had persisted, going so far as to say a “friend” of hers had bet her twenty bucks she couldn’t find out the most unusual way a woman had tried to get Dom’s interest. Mattie had been unable to stop herself from snorting and rolling her eyes.
    Which, of course, had brought Dom’s attention straight to her.
    Cheeks turning cherry-red, she’d forced her gaze to stay on his and even managed to cock a brow. “Well, Deputy Jeffries, don’t hesitate on my account,” she’d goaded. “We wouldn’t want Brenda to miss out on twenty bucks, now would we?”
    Brenda had giggled and laid her hand on Dom’s arm. Dom hadn’t even looked at her. Instead, still staring at Mattie, he’d said, “Naked pictures.”
    Shocked at his answer—that he’d answer at all—Mattie’s mouth had dropped open.
    Brenda had slapped his arm. “Really? How’d she look?”
    Her stomach rolling, Mattie had immediately dropped her gaze. Her knuckles had been white from where they gripped the edge of the table. Mortified, she could only listen to the rest of the conversation with dread.
    After a brief hesitation, Dom answered quietly. “She looked…willing.”
    “No surprise,” Brenda squealed.
    When he didn’t answer, Mattie glanced up again. He was looking at her.
    Pain and jealousy had pricked at her like needles, angering her.
    Aware that Brenda was now looking at her, too, Mattie had raised her chin. “Was she good?” she’d asked, wishing she had the nerve to dump her Coke on his head. Or, better yet, down Brenda’s skintight sweater.
    He’d shrugged. “She turned out to have a good heart, actually. But I never saw her again.”
    “Why not?” she’d practically sneered. “Did her ‘good heart’ intimidate you?”
    His mouth had tipped up on one side in the barest hint of a smile. “No, but my heart wasn’t in it. You see, I only wanted to be with one woman at the time. Things hadn’t worked out for us, but I never forgot her. I guess once I’d been with her, not even a bold come-on and a good heart was going to cut it.”
    With a swift almost painful breath, she’d watched him walk away. Brenda had been right beside him.
    Now, taking her seat in Judge Butler’s courtroom for the morning calendar, her compact stenograph in front of her, Mattie staunchly refused to look at the tall man standing guard just behind her. Unfortunately, she didn’t need to look at him to know that his short-sleeved, tan uniform hugged his muscular shoulders and thick thighs to perfection. Just like it had every day this week.
    Hating the way her feelings and libido had gotten so out of control, she wanted to kick herself anytime desire made her stomach clench. In fairness, however, she’d be kicking herself all the time. Instead, she tried to concentrate on the routine of her job, her worries about Jordan, and her healing but fragile relationship with her brother, Tony. When that didn’t work, she tried to drum up some excitement for her date with Ty that night. In the past week, the man had sent her flowers and called just to chat. He was intelligent, charming and clearly interested in her despite the fact she was a single mother. All she could think of, however, was Dom. Even after the incident in the break room yesterday, she’d pulled her box of college memorabilia out of the attic and spent hours looking at photos and reading his letters.
    That made her a fool but, even worse, a masochist.
    Yet, she couldn’t deny it. Ever since Dominic had started working in Judge