Revenge for Hire (The Get Even Agency) Read Online Free PDF Page B

this
stomach stuff.”
    Jude shook his head. “Nope. She’s gone to Disney.”
    “What?”
    “She won some kind of trip that was a take-it-now-or-lose-it
deal. She took it.”
    “That’s weird.”
    “Not really.” Mrs. Sedwick was a
contest junkie and constantly entered online contests and sweepstakes. Seemed
she’d finally won something. He’d never hear the end of it when she got back
because he’d warned her repeatedly that she was wasting her time.
    Apparently not.
    Then again, she might be sitting through condo sales pitches
until her skin turned purple.
    “What’s her name?” Marcus’ question was soft, almost like he
didn’t care, but not quite.
    “Mrs. Sedwick ?”
    Marcus sent him a knowing look. “The temp, dumb-ass.”
    “Angel.” Jude blinked. “I mean, Angela.”
    “Angela?” Marcus prompted.
    “Angela Greene.”
    “Nice name.”
    “Yeah.”
    “Nice… eyes, too.”
    He should be glad Marcus noticed Angela’s eyes . Instead,
he wanted to tell his buddy to keep his eyes off Angela’s eyes .
    “Yeah.” He slurped his soup from his spoon.
    “I don’t believe it.” Marcus sounded incredulous. “You like
her.”
    Jude quit slurping. “What are you talking about? Of course, I
like her. She’s a beautiful, intelligent woman. What’s not to like?”
    “Do you think I’m a fool?” Marcus asked.
    Jude figured he’d better not answer that one since his buddy
had been pretty messed-up since Joy walked out. The truth might not go over
well.
    “That I haven’t noticed you’ve given up your Hummingbird Principle
the past few weeks?”
    Jude smiled. Ah, the Hummingbird Principle. The philosophy of
life he’d come up with his freshman year at Princeton.
    There were too many flowers to sample to ever stay with one for
very long .
    Jude lived that principle every day of his life. He wasn’t
ashamed of it. Nor did he make any excuses. Women adored him and he adored them
back. He made no promises and expected none in return. For however long the
scent remained sweet he sampled feminine nectar. When the time came, he
traveled to the next flower.
    Nothing wrong with that.
    Except what did that have to do with Angela Greene and Marcus’
knowing grin?
    “I haven’t given up the Hummingbird Principle.”
    “No?” His friend snorted. “For a while I thought it might have
something to do with you feeling sorry for me, but the minute I saw her, saw
how you looked at her, I knew.”
    “Knew what?” He only asked because Marcus was showing interest
in something besides Joy. Not because he was curious at what Marcus thought
he’d seen.
    “She’s why you’ve lost interest in women.”
    “I have not lost interest in women.” Jude pushed the
soup away. Knots had formed in his stomach again. Knots that wrenched his
already sore gut.
    “No?” Marcus challenged. “What would you call it? For that
matter, when was the last time you got laid, O Great Hummingbird Master?”
    He didn’t want to talk about this. “That’s not any of your
business.”
    “Because you haven’t gotten any in weeks.”
    “Whose fault is that?”
    Marcus flinched. “What do you mean by that? Surely you’re not
blaming me for you dragging me to club after club and throwing every woman in
the room in my direction?”
    Jude didn’t say anything. Like he shouldn’t have said anything
to begin with. Put his blabbering down to having had his insides ripped out by
an invisible hand more times today than he could count.
    “Besides,” Marcus went on. “I’ve told you to go home with the
girls who’ve hit on you. No way are you laying this on me.”
    “I’m not.”
    “Then what were you doing?”
    “Nothing.”
    Marcus stared at him and then grinned. He slapped him on the
shoulder. “You almost had me there.”
    Having no idea what Marcus was talking about and having already
decided he should keep his mouth shut, Jude raised a brow.
    “You’re trying to throw me off scent.” Marcus’ grin grew