Hidden Heart (Windy City #1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

she drew strength from.
    The water turned off, and she ran from the bedroom before he was able to reappear and find her sitting nude contemplating her own foolhardiness. She found her clothes in the living room in the messy pile where she’d left them, and she quickly redressed. She was buttoning her sweater when he walked into the room wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and looking irked.
    “What are you doing?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
    She hadn’t noticed earlier, but he had a small patch of dark hair on his chest. She didn’t really go for hairy chests.
    “Getting dressed.” She gestured to her clothing and slipped her feet into her shoes. Then she ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to right herself.
    “I can see that.” His voice flat. “But why?”
    “I was cold,” she blurted out with a wave of her hand.
    “And that’s three.” He sighed heavily, dropping his hands to his sides.
    She stopped in her movements and studied him. He didn’t look like he was about to pounce on her, but she wasn’t entirely sure.
    “You said you wouldn’t punish me,” she reminded him, still wiggling her right foot into her shoe.
    “That’s right.” He sighed again. “I think we should talk.”
    “Oh…I don’t think that’s a great idea!” She half laughed and half huffed her comment. Finally gaining success over her errant shoe, she began to look for her purse and coat.
    “Jessica, there is no need for you to run away. You enjoyed yourself.” He didn’t sound at all concerned about his statement. He was giving her a fact…she had indeed enjoyed herself.
    Like a damn hussy!
    She threw open the door to the front hall and gathered her coat and purse, flinging the purse over her shoulder and nearly knocking over a fern on the front table.
    “I’m not running away. I am just…well…” She dropped her hands and slumped her shoulders. “Fine, I’m running away. I don’t have much experience with…this…and I’d rather just go home and crawl under my bed.” She reached for the door.
    His hand stopped her. She hadn’t heard him move.
    “Okay, I won’t keep you. But I’d like to give you something.” He let go of her hand once she released the door knob, and he left her standing in the hall alone. He returned with a large envelope.
    If there was money in the envelope, she would have to punch him. She saw no other hope for it.
    “Take this, read it over. We’ll talk in a day or two. Just leave your mind open, don’t second guess yourself.” He smiled at her, the dimple reappearing.
    She took the envelope from him. “Sure,” she agreed and reached for the door again.
    “I will call you,” he promised.
    “Okay.” She nodded and rushed past him as soon as he opened the door for her escape. She heard him call down the hall to her to take a cab home, but she disregarded him.
    A walk would clear her mind better than any smelly cab.
    CHAPTER THREE
    After Shock
     
     
    Voicemail. Again.
    Royce left another message. Quick, to the point, and in a firm voice. “Jessica. Call me when you get this, please.” He slid his phone across his desk and rubbed his eyes.
    He’d left three messages over the past two days. She’d ignored every one of them. He knew she was mewling over their evening together and knew he had pushed her too far too fast. She was not the one-night stand sort of girl. That’s what had drawn him to her to begin with. But that evening, she’d looked so beautiful…so pouty, so sexy. He’d thrown his better judgment out the window.
    He was tempted to question Alex about her, to be sure she was okay, but he didn’t want to put his friend in the middle of the situation. And, he wasn’t confident Alex truly saw her in a sisterly light.
    Royce shut down his computer and began to put his coat on when his cell vibrated on the desk. He glanced at the message and breathed out slowly. He was surprised at himself, holding his breath, hoping to see a message from Jessica.