For the Love of Pete Read Online Free PDF
Author: Sherryl Woods
before he'd ignoreiall her protests and barged in. After that, she hadn't had to fake her indignation. It took a lot of nerve for a man who'd all but destroyed her to walk inside her home and act as if nothing had happened, as if he belonged there. If he thought that half-assed acknowledgment that he'd mistreated her seven years ago was an acceptable apology, he was seriously mistaken. It was going to take more than a few pitiful words to win her forgiveness. She was going to make him work for it.
Now, unfortunately, it seemed that he was going to have plenty of time to come up with all the pretty words she needed to hear. He was going to be underfoot for who knew how long, and there wasn't a blessed thing
33
33
she could do about it except stay as far away from Rose Cottage during the day as she possibly could.
As he'd probably guessed, firing him was not an option. It would only stir up more questions than she was prepared to answer. And perverse as he was, he'd probably see it as an admission that she was still attracted to him.
Which she was, dammit!
Her plan of action, such as it was, decided, Jo went to bed and tried to forget about how good Pete had looked in his snug, faded jeans and dark green sweater. Seven years had only made him more handsome. His face looked stronger and sexier with a day's stubble of beard shadowing his cheeks, and there was even more mischief in his dark eyes. Hell, the man radiated sex from every pore, which was something she had no business thinking about a married man, especially not a married man who'd broken her heart.
Come to think of it, for a married man he'd been awfully carefree about hanging out with her for a couple of hours when he should have been home with his wife and son. Obviously, his morals hadn't improved since the days when he'd slept with another woman shortly after professing his undying love for her. That alone should be warning enough for her to give him a very wide berth.
Because of that, she set the alarm for six. She'd be showered, dressed and on her way somewhere by seven, long before Pete showed up in the morning. It was one thing to agree to let him do the job Ashley had hired him to do. It was another thing entirely to stick around and watch and be tormented?and tempted?in the process.
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FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
* * *
Pete knew exactly how Jo's mind worked, which was one reason he was pulling up in front of Rose Cottage shortly after six-thirty in the morning. The fact that every light in the house was blazing told him he'd been right to guess that she would be preparing to be long gone before he turned up.
He sat in his truck with the heater pumped up on high and waited. Sure enough, at seven o'clock the lights began to switch off. Immediately after the last one went out, the front door opened. She was so busy concentrating on getting her key into the lock, she apparently didn't even notice when he cut the truck's engine, swung down from the front seat and stepped into her path. She turned around and ran smack into him. He steadied her and looked straight into eyes blazing with anger and dismay.
"Going somewhere?" he inquired, regarding her with amusement. "I don't recall you being such an early bird."
She frowned at him. "Why are you here?" she asked, guilt written all over her face.
"I told you I'd be here first thing this morning." .
"You said eight o'clock."
"I did," he agreed. "And then I got to thinking."
Her gaze narrowed. "About what?"
"How likely it was that you'd bolt before I got here, if you had the chance."
"Maybe I was just going out to grab breakfast," she said defensively. "Maybe I'd planned to be back by eight."
"Did you?"
She avoided his gaze, apparently unwilling to utter a blatant lie. "Why does it even matter where I was
35 35
going? You don't need me here. I'm sure you're perfectly capable of handling this very difficult job all by yourself."
"True, but I was counting on that coffee," he said cheerfully.
"I didn't
Now, unfortunately, it seemed that he was going to have plenty of time to come up with all the pretty words she needed to hear. He was going to be underfoot for who knew how long, and there wasn't a blessed thing
33
33
she could do about it except stay as far away from Rose Cottage during the day as she possibly could.
As he'd probably guessed, firing him was not an option. It would only stir up more questions than she was prepared to answer. And perverse as he was, he'd probably see it as an admission that she was still attracted to him.
Which she was, dammit!
Her plan of action, such as it was, decided, Jo went to bed and tried to forget about how good Pete had looked in his snug, faded jeans and dark green sweater. Seven years had only made him more handsome. His face looked stronger and sexier with a day's stubble of beard shadowing his cheeks, and there was even more mischief in his dark eyes. Hell, the man radiated sex from every pore, which was something she had no business thinking about a married man, especially not a married man who'd broken her heart.
Come to think of it, for a married man he'd been awfully carefree about hanging out with her for a couple of hours when he should have been home with his wife and son. Obviously, his morals hadn't improved since the days when he'd slept with another woman shortly after professing his undying love for her. That alone should be warning enough for her to give him a very wide berth.
Because of that, she set the alarm for six. She'd be showered, dressed and on her way somewhere by seven, long before Pete showed up in the morning. It was one thing to agree to let him do the job Ashley had hired him to do. It was another thing entirely to stick around and watch and be tormented?and tempted?in the process.
34
FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
* * *
Pete knew exactly how Jo's mind worked, which was one reason he was pulling up in front of Rose Cottage shortly after six-thirty in the morning. The fact that every light in the house was blazing told him he'd been right to guess that she would be preparing to be long gone before he turned up.
He sat in his truck with the heater pumped up on high and waited. Sure enough, at seven o'clock the lights began to switch off. Immediately after the last one went out, the front door opened. She was so busy concentrating on getting her key into the lock, she apparently didn't even notice when he cut the truck's engine, swung down from the front seat and stepped into her path. She turned around and ran smack into him. He steadied her and looked straight into eyes blazing with anger and dismay.
"Going somewhere?" he inquired, regarding her with amusement. "I don't recall you being such an early bird."
She frowned at him. "Why are you here?" she asked, guilt written all over her face.
"I told you I'd be here first thing this morning." .
"You said eight o'clock."
"I did," he agreed. "And then I got to thinking."
Her gaze narrowed. "About what?"
"How likely it was that you'd bolt before I got here, if you had the chance."
"Maybe I was just going out to grab breakfast," she said defensively. "Maybe I'd planned to be back by eight."
"Did you?"
She avoided his gaze, apparently unwilling to utter a blatant lie. "Why does it even matter where I was
35 35
going? You don't need me here. I'm sure you're perfectly capable of handling this very difficult job all by yourself."
"True, but I was counting on that coffee," he said cheerfully.
"I didn't
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