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He looked up at the bartender

“I’ve known Claire for years She’s not involved in anything bad”

Suzie, according to her purple, corncob-shaped nalass and set it on a shelf under the bar

“People surprise each other all the ti on in someone else’s mind”

He should know He’d seen the pictures of his mother froht she’d been content But she hadn’t been No one had known until the day father and son caone A note had been taped to the fridge I want to be somebody new

They’d never heard froain

Yeah, people hid a lot about themselves Who knehat secrets Claire hid behind her pretty face?

Chapter Three

Claire had to get Jake out of her bar The hotshot from Denver pushed her buttons like a payphone

Tongue tied and turned-on, her body and mind were in tur laid before her whole world had gone crazy Hell, she should have bothered to look at apotential If she hadn’t sworn off men, she wouldn’t be worked into a lather over a yuaze sent shocks through her And how his voice turned her insides to jelly

Chris walked ahead of her back to the bar She stopped in the doorway and stared at Jake Who wouldn’t? With his ranite-hard body, the man was beyond easy on the eyes and hard on the panties Her body perked up, an electric shot of desire pulling her forward

He sat at the bar, his attention on the papers in front of him She savored the chance to observe him unnoticed As he read, he seemed softer Not weak, but less cocky and full of hier remained under the surface

He reminded her of a black panther she’d seen once at the Denver Zoo The creature had been powerful and languid at the same time Even in repose on a wooden platfory had surrounded the predatory cat He’d swished his long tail and watched her from his perch Despite thecat, a chill had slid across her skin, warning of danger

Jake looked up and caught her staring In an instant, lust burned in his slate-blue eyes He got up and stalked toward her, but Claire didn’t feel like prey No, this was a h his short dark hair Run her tongue across his washboard abs Trail her fingers down his powerful back and over his hard ass She couldn’t help it She couldn’t explain it She just wanted him Badly

The thought jarred her out of her fantasy He was aggressive and obnoxious She’d had enough of that type ofex-boyfriend, Brett The next , understanding and h to admit it would be a plus if he had Jake’s Apollo-worthy bod