be willing
to take part in this particular type of activity.” He shrugged. “Except you.”
“Me? Good grief. I’m almost loath to ask…go on, tell me, what kind of activity is
it?”
He cleared his throat. “Paintball.”
She stared for a moment, then laughed. “You mean, where people run around shooting
paint at each other? I can see your problem. I couldn’t imagine any of your bimbos
doing that.”
“Thanks, I knew you’d do it.”
“Hey, wait a minute. I didn’t say I’d go. So, this is why you came round today, and
this is the reason for the pizza and beer.” She took a drink of water. It made things
easier, knowing that he had a selfish reason. Now she wouldn’t have to lie in bed
tonight, wondering why he’d been so thoughtful.
“It’s your sort of thing. You won’t have to dress up. No heels, no makeup,” he said,
counting off items on his fingers. “And best of all, you’ll get to shoot me.”
“You do make it sound tempting.”
“Thing is, you see, it’s going to be boys against girls, and each team needs a leader.”
She sat back and crossed one leg over the other. “Who are these boys and girls?”
“They’re kids who need a second chance. Some are teenagers, some are in their early
twenties. None of them are bad kids; they’ve just made some bad decisions. Now they
are doing their best to turn their lives around.”
She studied his face for a moment. “And why are you taking them to paintball? Why you specifically?”
He shrugged. “Oh, you know. I promised someone. It’s a charity thing. No big deal.”
“So, I get to shoot you, and in return, you’ll help me tile the front porch. You really
are desperate, aren’t you? I hope she’s worth it.”
He gave her a blank look. “Who?”
“Whoever you’re trying to impress.”
“Who says I’m trying to impress anyone?”
“Oh, come on. I know you, remember?” Except…she didn’t know that he worked with kids
on a voluntary basis, did she? Could it be that there was another, better side to
him, one she knew nothing about? Because someone who volunteered with troubled teenagers
couldn’t be as self-centered as she’d always thought. If she agreed to go to paintball
with him, she could find out more.
She took a slow breath, considering her options. “All right, you’ve got yourself a
deal.”
“Thank you.”
He reached a hand across the table and as she leaned forward to shake it, she realized
that in agreeing to the deal, she’d committed herself to spending her spare time with
him, a couple of days of it, at least. Was she crazy? His warm hand closed around
hers and the way her skin tingled confirmed her suspicion that yes, she was.
Oh, well, she’d agreed now. There wasn’t much she could do, except remember that he
wasn’t someone she should get ideas about.
He went to fetch them both another beer, and while he did that, she took the opportunity
to clear away the remnants of the pizza. As she dumped the box into the wheelie bin
at the side of the house, she caught sight of Aaron through the window. In her kitchen.
At her fridge. Why did the picture look so right when it should strike her as all
wrong?
As he bent down, his jeans parted company with his T-shirt, tanned skin on display
in the gap above the denim. Then he reached into the shelf, one arm resting on the
top of the fridge door, and his T-shirt stretched across his back, his biceps revealed
as the sleeves rode up.
She groaned under her breath. Oh, yeah, it was going to be really easy to see him outside work. She shook her head and took care as she lowered the
wheelie-bin lid not to alert him to her presence at the window. She did not want him to think she’d been ogling. Even if she had.
Chapter Five
Jasmine’s heart was thumping so hard she was sure it was audible above the cacophony
around her—the raised voices of firefighters trying to make themselves heard over
to take part in this particular type of activity.” He shrugged. “Except you.”
“Me? Good grief. I’m almost loath to ask…go on, tell me, what kind of activity is
it?”
He cleared his throat. “Paintball.”
She stared for a moment, then laughed. “You mean, where people run around shooting
paint at each other? I can see your problem. I couldn’t imagine any of your bimbos
doing that.”
“Thanks, I knew you’d do it.”
“Hey, wait a minute. I didn’t say I’d go. So, this is why you came round today, and
this is the reason for the pizza and beer.” She took a drink of water. It made things
easier, knowing that he had a selfish reason. Now she wouldn’t have to lie in bed
tonight, wondering why he’d been so thoughtful.
“It’s your sort of thing. You won’t have to dress up. No heels, no makeup,” he said,
counting off items on his fingers. “And best of all, you’ll get to shoot me.”
“You do make it sound tempting.”
“Thing is, you see, it’s going to be boys against girls, and each team needs a leader.”
She sat back and crossed one leg over the other. “Who are these boys and girls?”
“They’re kids who need a second chance. Some are teenagers, some are in their early
twenties. None of them are bad kids; they’ve just made some bad decisions. Now they
are doing their best to turn their lives around.”
She studied his face for a moment. “And why are you taking them to paintball? Why you specifically?”
He shrugged. “Oh, you know. I promised someone. It’s a charity thing. No big deal.”
“So, I get to shoot you, and in return, you’ll help me tile the front porch. You really
are desperate, aren’t you? I hope she’s worth it.”
He gave her a blank look. “Who?”
“Whoever you’re trying to impress.”
“Who says I’m trying to impress anyone?”
“Oh, come on. I know you, remember?” Except…she didn’t know that he worked with kids
on a voluntary basis, did she? Could it be that there was another, better side to
him, one she knew nothing about? Because someone who volunteered with troubled teenagers
couldn’t be as self-centered as she’d always thought. If she agreed to go to paintball
with him, she could find out more.
She took a slow breath, considering her options. “All right, you’ve got yourself a
deal.”
“Thank you.”
He reached a hand across the table and as she leaned forward to shake it, she realized
that in agreeing to the deal, she’d committed herself to spending her spare time with
him, a couple of days of it, at least. Was she crazy? His warm hand closed around
hers and the way her skin tingled confirmed her suspicion that yes, she was.
Oh, well, she’d agreed now. There wasn’t much she could do, except remember that he
wasn’t someone she should get ideas about.
He went to fetch them both another beer, and while he did that, she took the opportunity
to clear away the remnants of the pizza. As she dumped the box into the wheelie bin
at the side of the house, she caught sight of Aaron through the window. In her kitchen.
At her fridge. Why did the picture look so right when it should strike her as all
wrong?
As he bent down, his jeans parted company with his T-shirt, tanned skin on display
in the gap above the denim. Then he reached into the shelf, one arm resting on the
top of the fridge door, and his T-shirt stretched across his back, his biceps revealed
as the sleeves rode up.
She groaned under her breath. Oh, yeah, it was going to be really easy to see him outside work. She shook her head and took care as she lowered the
wheelie-bin lid not to alert him to her presence at the window. She did not want him to think she’d been ogling. Even if she had.
Chapter Five
Jasmine’s heart was thumping so hard she was sure it was audible above the cacophony
around her—the raised voices of firefighters trying to make themselves heard over
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