The Bodyguard and Ms. Jones Read Online Free PDF Page A

married.” It wasn’t his style. He didn’t believe in getting that close.
    â€œAnd you’ve always lived in the city?”
    He nodded. “I had a place in New York for a while, then I got a lot of work in Los Angeles. I kept an apartment there until it was damaged by the earthquake a couple years back. Since then I’ve been working steadily and haven’t found anywhere I liked.”
    She stood up. He couldn’t help watching the graceful way she unfolded her legs. He’d dated a couple of models while he was in New York, but he didn’t like their bony torsos and straight legs. Cindy’s calves and thighs curved as if trying to lead a man astray while tempting him to paradise. He grimaced. He was thinking some strange thoughts. Maybe he’d fallen on his head harder than he’d realized.
    â€œYou live a very odd life, Mike Blackburne. You’re about to get a crash course on how the other half lives,” she said. “Welcome to the world of children and Middle America.”
    A car honked. She walked to the door and yelled, “Allison, Jonathan, your ride is here.”
    The two children ran down the stairs and over to her. She bent down and kissed them both. “Be good.”
    They called back that they would, raced across the floor, then slammed the door shut behind them. Cindy drew in a breath. “Ah, blissful silence. You hungry?”
    At her question, his stomach rumbled. “I guess so,” he said.
    â€œI’ll make you some soup.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Think you can manage to get to the rest room on your own?”
    He eyed the door. “Yeah.”
    â€œI have chicken soup with round noodles, noodles shaped like dinosaurs and alphabet noodles.”
    â€œYou’re kidding.”
    â€œObviously you’ve never had to feed children.”
    â€œI guess not. You don’t have any plain flat noodles?”
    â€œSorry. They’re not exciting enough.”
    She was right. He had entered a strange and different world. “Surprise me.”
    * * *
    Cindy set the soup bowl on the tray, shifted the water glass over and stared at the crackers. Dry toast might be better. She hesitated for a moment, then figured the man was unlikely to finish what she’d brought him, as it was. She picked up the tray and headed for the bedroom.
    Mike was back in bed but sitting up this time with the sheets and blanket bunched around his waist. His hair had been brushed, although he still needed a shave.
    â€œYou look pale,” she said.
    â€œI just about had to crawl on the return trip but it was worth it.” He pointed to the bowl. “What did you decide?”
    â€œDinosaurs. I thought they would make you big and strong.”
    The look he shot her told her he wasn’t sure if he believed her or not. She bit back a grin. Better for her if she kept him a little off-balance. Having Mike Blackburne in her house wasn’t doing much for her equilibrium.
    She settled the tray over his lap. The wooden legs held it up off his thighs. “Would you rather have juice than water? I didn’t think coffee would be a good idea. You need sleep more than anything, and I don’t have any decaf.”
    â€œI don’t drink decaf,” he said, picking up a spoon. “The taste of coffee is bad enough, but at least it has caffeine. If it doesn’t keep you up, why bother? Water is fine.”
    He dipped his spoon into the bowl, then stared at the miniature pasta dinosaurs floating in the chicken broth. After a shrug, as if to say “What the hell,” he downed a mouthful.
    â€œTastes the same,” he admitted.
    â€œWhat did you expect?”
    â€œI’m not sure. Maybe little crunchy bones?”
    She smiled. “Tomorrow, when you’re stronger.”
    While he ate, she moved around the room, opening the drapes, then smoothing the folded comforter at the foot of the bed. Anything to