Free Jingle of Coins by C D Ledbetter Page B

turn out to be a jerk, she could foresee the possibility of developing a romantic relationship. If nothing else, he could still be a candidate for a boy toy, or in his case, man toy, since he was built like a stud, with a butt that wouldn’t quit, and gorgeous! Life was definitely getting interesting!

 
     
    Chapter Eight
     
     
    At ten minutes to three, Glen dialed his cell phone. “What’s going on?”
    “Not much,” Pete replied. “Looks like our bird’s headed home.”
    He breathed a sigh of relief. Since Emily was headed home, maybe he wouldn’t have to traipse all over Vegas after her once Pete left. He disliked shadowing people; that’s why he’d hired Pete. “I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”
    “Roger.”
    Pete’s truck was already parked at the curb when Glen arrived. Acting as normal as possible, he pulled into his allotted space, then casually walked over. “Anything interesting happen?” he asked as he leaned against the driver’s door and braced one arm over the window.
    Pete shook his head. “Nothing out of the ordinary. She went to the Emerald Lagoon, played the quarter machines until she hit a small jackpot, then went shopping. The only unexpected thing she did was enter the hotel’s florist shop and come out with another woman. They went to the Human Resources Department. Guess she’s applying for a job. She stayed in there a little over an hour, then came home.”
    “Good. See you tomorrow.”
    “Right.”
    Glen watched Pete’s truck disappear around the corner, then wandered over to the pool. The sound of laughter and the smell of chlorinated water greeted him as he paused to watch a vigorous game of water polo. Three bikini-clad women sitting at a table at the other end of the pool waved and invited him to join their group, but he declined when he spotted an open table across from Emily’s apartment. Tilting the overhead umbrella, he sat in the metal chair and pretended to read his newspaper, sneaking surreptitious glances toward Emily’s apartment every few minutes. Although he watched her open the living room curtains, she didn’t venture out.
    The smell of expensive perfume tickled his nose as a shadow fell across his table. “Hello, Glen. Long time, no see,” Kate announced as she sank gracefully into a chair.
    He allowed his eyes to drink their fill of the woman. Even dressed in a white tee shirt and red spandex shorts, Kate’s natural grace and beauty still commanded attention. God, she was beautiful—the perfect blend of sumptuous vixen and virginal innocence, which, considering her line of work, made her appearance even more remarkable. Perfectly tanned skin complemented the flaxen hair that outshone the sapphire and diamond clip clinging to it. She wore her hair in a thick braid, and it flowed down one shoulder to rest in the valley between her breasts. His thoughts took on a life of their own, and he quickly reminded himself that this goddess was not for him. Not now, not ever.
    “Hello, Kate. I wondered when you’d come see me.”
    “I was surprised to see you’d moved into the complex.”
    “Not as surprised as I was to find you here. I would’ve thought you’d be living in one of those super-exclusive condo units across town.”
    “The owner offered, but I declined. Too many reporters hanging around. Here I can come and go as I please.”
    Glen nodded. “That makes sense. I understand why you try to keep your personal and professional lives separate.”
    She leaned forward and locked her eyes with his. “Which is precisely why we’re going to have a little chat.”
    “What kind of chat? Is it about your line of work or the fact that I saw Stu Bogrand coming out of your apartment?”
    She started to speak, but he cut her off, “Don’t worry; I’m not about to squeal to the landlady."
    She exhaled slowly and then ran a perfectly manicured fingernail around the gilded edge of her wine glass. “I never bring my clients here.”
    “That’s nice.