Free Jinxed by Inez Kelley Page A

joy that leapt knowing he was already inside, waiting for her. She didn’t even quibble that he’d kept her spare key. Her shoulder bag sang out with the Star Wars theme song. Digging for her cell, she stumbled and scraped her leg against the concrete step. A fitting end to a crappy day.
    She grimaced, freeing the phone from beneath her wallet, cosmetic case and three inches of junk. The laptop case slid off her shoulder and almost wrenched her arm from its socket. Cursing, she fumbled with the knob, juggling her awkward load. Jinx pulled the door open from inside as she managed to flip open the cell. The day got brighter with his smile.
    As Tracey gave her a colorful and descriptive blow-by-blow of the care she had given Steve, Jinx took her things and set them aside. He helped her out of her coat and bent to remove her shoes. The cats wound around her feet and he shooed them away. Pocus transferred his feline love to Jinx’s arm with a deafening purr. Hocus spit at him, took a quick swipe at his hand and disappeared into the kitchen, fluffy tail held high.
    Jinx ran his hand up her scraped shin, placing a quick kiss on her knee. Listening with half an ear, she smiled. This is nice. C oming home and being taken care of.
    She jumped as Jinx’s hands skimmed up her thighs to her waist. Reaching up under her short suit skirt, his large hands grabbed her panty hose band, pulling them over her butt and past her thighs. She hopped from one foot to the other so he could finish pulling them off while Tracey droned on about Imodium and chicken noodle soup. The shredded nylons tossed over his shoulder, Jinx dropped a quick kiss on her lips and disappeared into the kitchen.
    Now this I could get used to . She turned her attention back to Tracey. First-aid kit in hand, Jinx returned and propelled her toward the couch.
    “Tracey, just let him sleep it off. Okay, call me later. Okay. Talk to you then. Bye.” She closed the phone with a groan and collapsed back into the cushions. Jinx swung her feet into his lap.
    “Rough day?” He swiped disinfectant over her scraped shin.
    She pulled a throw pillow behind her head and sighed. “Absolute hell. Since lunch, I’ve had three meetings, the computer system crashed and I found out one of our clients may be charged with embezzlement. I had to go over his portfolio with a fine-toothed comb. All this on top of answering the phones since Tracey’s with Steve. Ow! That stings!”
    Lifting her leg, Jinx blew gently on the graze. His cooling breath soothed her wound but warmed her blood. She watched in open-mouthed fascination. One simple breath and he sent her blood to fizzling.
    “Better?” His chocolate-coated voice drenched her senses in softness and warmth. She nodded and sighed. Using his thumbs, he massaged the aching arches of her feet. Eyes closed in satisfaction, she relaxed against his touch, letting the tensions of the day ebb away. A contented purr slipped out and she pressed her feet firmer against his hands. No one had ever made her feel so special, so cherished with just a simple act. She lost herself in the repetitive motions of his fingers. They lulled her like a mother’s rocking chair. She was so tired. If she could just close her eyes for a second, then she could garner the energy to move.
    “Since you wanted to stay in and do nothing, I thought we could make dinner here and just watch TV or something. Sound okay to you? Frannie? …Frannie?”
    Gently putting her legs back on the couch, Jinx pulled the fleece throw from the chair and covered her, letting her sleep. Tenderness washed over him. Slumber had eased the firm set to her jaw and tinged her face with an airbrushed glow. She was beautiful. Not in the classic sense, not in the manner that would turn heads and inspire lust in men passing by. But in a way that reached into his chest and squeezed his heart in an iron grip. He loved her.
    Chuckling softly, he listened to her low snores. It had been a hard week for