Bite Me (Woodland Creek) by Woodland Creek, Mandy Rosko Page B
Authors: Woodland Creek, Mandy Rosko
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the rest of what they were saying without meaning to. She was…shocked. That was the only way to describe it. She didn’t even notice the way her egg yolk dried up on her plate.
Did Jake say he didn’t want her past getting out, because he wanted to protect her? Or did he make that request, because it would be harder to hide their own personal history if it got out to the townsfolk that Alice was a reformed thief?
It could go either way. There weren’t too many people who would put it together that she and Jake had slept together, numerous times, just because she was a former thief and he used to work undercover, trying to bring down the people Alice worked for. She had her suspicions that Chief Rickman knew, but he seemed like the type who wouldn’t spread that around if it was only a hunch.
The rest of the town, however…that was something else entirely. Chief Rickman might not approve of gossip among his officers, but Alice knew most other people in the world to be exactly the opposite. Everyone wanted to be entertained, and if they could be entertained at someone else’s expense, of course they were going to do it. It was the same with the very rich, to the middle class, and all the way down to those living at or below the poverty line.
And what would make a better story than the undercover cop turned private detective, who had tracked down the woman who had saved his life in order to save hers? It sounded kind of romantic, actually, the very sort of thing that would spread like wildfire among the housewives and barmaids.
Alice looked around, suddenly feeling like every eye in the place was locked onto the back of her head.
One woman turned away quickly when Alice looked at her, but that was it. It could have been just an innocent glance, curiosity about the two new people who had spent the night at the police station.
This was definitely going to get out. People might already think she and Jake were a thing, just because they were new in town.
With the way Alice’s mind had conjured up the potential romantic story that would be floating around the town in a couple of days, at the very latest, she wasn’t so sure they weren’t a thing.
It actually was kind of romantic. She and Jake, their history together, and everything they’d gone through…and then he just shows up to her rescue after all these years, having tracked her down for so long…
He either had Superman-quality honor, or maybe he did feel something for her. Why else would he come for her?
Alice’s face warmed up. A lot. She could feel it climbing her neck and turning her cheeks molten hot. She glanced up at Jake. He was in a conversation with the chief and other officers, making them laugh over the stupid cases he’d taken on and some of the things he’d had to do in order to get evidence for his clients. There was a lot of laughter. Apparently, Jake was a popular guy.
A popular, well-liked guy with a lot of honor, a good education and career, and movie star gorgeous on top of it all.
Alice had…well, she still had her looks, so she wasn’t doing too badly there. But she also had nothing going for her. No traditional education, no skills aside from cat burglary, and a history most people would turn the other way and run from.
Oh, yeah, and a couple of really bad people wanted her dead.
She wasn’t even close to being on the same level as he was, and yet there she was, contemplating the chances he might actually be interested in her. That he might even love her.
If this was a movie, his feelings would be easier to read. She’d have the guts to just flat out ask him what was going on, and now that Bobby was out of the picture, the credits could roll.
But it wasn’t a movie, and Alice was nobody’s idea of a heroine. She wasn’t heroic, she wasn’t brave, and she definitely wasn’t bold enough to ask Jake if he liked her, let alone loved her. She still had enough pride to keep from doing that. At least, for now.
It
Did Jake say he didn’t want her past getting out, because he wanted to protect her? Or did he make that request, because it would be harder to hide their own personal history if it got out to the townsfolk that Alice was a reformed thief?
It could go either way. There weren’t too many people who would put it together that she and Jake had slept together, numerous times, just because she was a former thief and he used to work undercover, trying to bring down the people Alice worked for. She had her suspicions that Chief Rickman knew, but he seemed like the type who wouldn’t spread that around if it was only a hunch.
The rest of the town, however…that was something else entirely. Chief Rickman might not approve of gossip among his officers, but Alice knew most other people in the world to be exactly the opposite. Everyone wanted to be entertained, and if they could be entertained at someone else’s expense, of course they were going to do it. It was the same with the very rich, to the middle class, and all the way down to those living at or below the poverty line.
And what would make a better story than the undercover cop turned private detective, who had tracked down the woman who had saved his life in order to save hers? It sounded kind of romantic, actually, the very sort of thing that would spread like wildfire among the housewives and barmaids.
Alice looked around, suddenly feeling like every eye in the place was locked onto the back of her head.
One woman turned away quickly when Alice looked at her, but that was it. It could have been just an innocent glance, curiosity about the two new people who had spent the night at the police station.
This was definitely going to get out. People might already think she and Jake were a thing, just because they were new in town.
With the way Alice’s mind had conjured up the potential romantic story that would be floating around the town in a couple of days, at the very latest, she wasn’t so sure they weren’t a thing.
It actually was kind of romantic. She and Jake, their history together, and everything they’d gone through…and then he just shows up to her rescue after all these years, having tracked her down for so long…
He either had Superman-quality honor, or maybe he did feel something for her. Why else would he come for her?
Alice’s face warmed up. A lot. She could feel it climbing her neck and turning her cheeks molten hot. She glanced up at Jake. He was in a conversation with the chief and other officers, making them laugh over the stupid cases he’d taken on and some of the things he’d had to do in order to get evidence for his clients. There was a lot of laughter. Apparently, Jake was a popular guy.
A popular, well-liked guy with a lot of honor, a good education and career, and movie star gorgeous on top of it all.
Alice had…well, she still had her looks, so she wasn’t doing too badly there. But she also had nothing going for her. No traditional education, no skills aside from cat burglary, and a history most people would turn the other way and run from.
Oh, yeah, and a couple of really bad people wanted her dead.
She wasn’t even close to being on the same level as he was, and yet there she was, contemplating the chances he might actually be interested in her. That he might even love her.
If this was a movie, his feelings would be easier to read. She’d have the guts to just flat out ask him what was going on, and now that Bobby was out of the picture, the credits could roll.
But it wasn’t a movie, and Alice was nobody’s idea of a heroine. She wasn’t heroic, she wasn’t brave, and she definitely wasn’t bold enough to ask Jake if he liked her, let alone loved her. She still had enough pride to keep from doing that. At least, for now.
It
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