Free Hustle Him (Bank Shot Romance #2) by Jennifer Foor Page B

was magnificent, but what really caught my eye was the name that was intricately place inside of the masterpiece.
    Jules
    I twisted my body to look at the matching tattoo on the other arm and noticed that there was only one difference in the mirror image. Another name was displayed.
    Katie
    My body began to tremble when I realized what I was looking at. The man had built two shrines for his loved ones. I didn’t know how they died, but they were gone and he was lost.
    As I focused on his painful reality, he caught me off guard and pulled me into him. When his lips found mine, I kept still. The Jack was prominent on his breath, and maybe I should have stopped him, but as he continued to place tender kisses over my lips, I found myself responding to them.
    These kisses were so desperate and necessary for him. If I’d lost the one I loved tragically and thought that for just one moment I could touch them again, I’d be doing the same thing.
    It wasn’t just the way he was kissing me though. I felt something, even though this had nothing to do with me. His lips ignited a fire that I had never felt before. Maybe I was too caught up in the moment to realize what was actually happening, but I grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him back more.
    Finally, as we both paused to catch our breath, I felt his head touch down on one of my shoulders. “I love you, Jules,” he whispered.
    It broke my heart again hearing him going through the motions of sharing a moment with his wife. This poor man had been holding all of his emotional despair inside. This wasn’t h ealthy. He needed help; possibly someone that could provide advice on how he could move on with his life in a way where he would allow himself to smile again.
    Shortly after his comment to his wife, he climbed into his bed, sort of like a child would, and passed out. I noticed how the bed was made and in the living room was a pillow and blanket on the couch. He must not have liked sleeping in a bed without her.
    As the pieces to the puzzle started to come together, I saw a different man before me. I didn’t go through his things any more than I already had. It wasn’t my place to know this story. It was going to be hard enough to face him when he woke up and realized what he’d done.
    That kiss.
    The kiss was a huge mistake on my part. He was never going to want to be friends with someone that had let that happen.
    Still, I found it to be some kind of mission to help Ramsey as much as I could.
    When I heard the horn outside, I stuck Ramsey’s keys by the front door and saw myself out. Maybe since I had straightened up the place, he wouldn’t be too hard on me. I doubted it though.
    While reaching in the truck to grab my purse, I noticed a stack of newspaper in the backseat. It was the local tribune paper for the town that Ramsey was the sheriff of. The whole stack was the same issue and it was about Ramsey’s family that had died.
    I understood immediately why he was in the shape that he was in. This article had caused Ramsey to lose control. He had drunk himself to forget. I grabbed one of the papers, but left the rest the way they were. Before I climbed in the car with my aunt and kids, I stuck the article in my purse. This was Ramsey’s story to share, not mine. It was apparent that he didn’t want people knowing his business. I wanted to march right into that newspaper office and give them a piece of my mind.
    I didn’t know Ramsey, at all really, but what I’d learned today had explained pretty much everything. I knew for a fact that he hadn’t given permission for this to get out. He wanted his secrets to stay that way. Everything would change for Ramsey with the town knowing the truth. His tough façade would be replaced with pity.
    Once I climbed in the car with my family, I knew that he was going to be on my mind until I saw him again. It wasn’t just his problems that I was concerned about. That kiss may not have been meant for me, but it sure did a