In Bed with the Bodyguard
Page 24
Instead he daydreamed about the essays he’d have to write for the search and rescue exam. He had so much to say, he could talk someone’s ear off for hours, if only they’d let him. But no, the minute the pen got in his hand, his brain froze as if someone had cut the connection between it and his hand.
“Jason.”
He looked up, hearing his name tacked on at the end of a sentence. “I’m sorry. Can you repeat the question?”
Valerie looked faintly annoyed, and he thought it made her sexier, like a dominatrix clad in a pants suit. “Mr. Moore, you realize you’re the reason I’m here today. Please try to pay attention.”
“I will. I’m sorry.”
“I was asking you for some ideas of how you could’ve prevented your situation.”
“Well, uh.” He swiveled to glare at Dan. “For starters, I guess those sorority girls shouldn’t have been in our living quarters to begin with. Since they were here to volunteer, we should have stuck them in a public space.”
“Good start,” Valerie said, nodding approvingly. “What else?”
All eyes scanned the chalkboard, where Valerie had scrawled tips. Jason was on the second sentence when hands started going up.
“The person who greeted the visitors at the door should’ve stated a photography policy,” Rebecca said.
“Excellent. And the photography policy is…”
“Ask permission before taking pictures and get written sign-off before posting them anywhere public,” Rebecca continued.
Jason absorbed that. It was a good idea. As far as he knew, they’d never had a photography policy, but starting one was a damn good idea. Would’ve saved his ass.
“What about birthday parties?” Tony asked.
Valerie pursed her pink lips in a way that made him think of kissing. “What about them?”
“On weekends, families can host their kid’s birthday party in our rec room in exchange for a donation to our station. The kids love to get their picture taken with us in uniform.”
She smiled. “That’s lovely, and I think you can use your best judgment there.”
“What about the moms?” Dan joked. “I like taking pictures with the hot moms.”
Valerie ignored his gibes and continued her lecture. Around noon, when Jason’s stomach was starting to growl, she wrapped it up with a smile and told them she’d see them all next week, for their next strategy session.
He stood to leave, trying not to be an ass and stare at her as he exited, but to his surprise, she called him over.
“Mr. Moore.”
He turned and stepped toward her. “Call me Jason.”
“All right. Jason, I…” She stopped and flushed, and it was his second glimpse that there was a real person behind her Little Miss Perfect façade. He liked it. “You may or may not know that I’ve been asked to judge whether you’re participating in the PR program to my satisfaction.”
He nearly groaned as her lips formed the word satisfaction. God, he’d love to know what it would take to satisfy this woman.
He was also surprised. This was the first he’d heard of her overseeing his efforts. “Oh. I’m on board. Just tell me where to be, and I’ll be there waving and smiling.”
A pretty pink color washed over her cheeks. “Good to hear, and I have some ideas on other charitable endeavors that will go a long way in restoring your reputation.”
“I’m a firefighter, not a politician.”
“Of course.” There went that flush again.
“Why don’t you stay for lunch with the crew and you can tell us more.” Now what the heck made him ask her to stay for lunch, even if it was in a semiprofessional capacity? Especially since she’d already shut down Dan.
His invitation snapped her professional demeanor back into place. “I can’t. I mean, thank you for the invitation, but I have a work lunch to get to. I’ll see you next week.” She flushed again and hustled to the door, where her colleague waited for her.
He stared at her tight ass in the perfectly fitted long navy pants, then looked away before he was caught drooling over a woman who was clearly off-limits. He didn’t know whether to count the seconds to next week’s event or find a way to call in sick.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
About the Author
Also by Lynne Silver
A Preview of IN DEEP WITH THE FBI AGENT
An Excerpt from HOT NIGHTS WITH THE FIREMAN
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Newsletters
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Lynne Silver
A Preview of In Deep with the FBI Agent Copyright © 2016 by Lynne Silver
An Excerpt of Hot Nights with the Fireman Copyright © 2015 by Lynne Silver
Cover photography by George Kerrigan
Cover design by Elizabeth Turner
Cover copyright © 2015 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First published as an ebook and as a print on demand edition: October 2015
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ISBN 978-1-4555-9131-2 (ebook edition)
ISBN 978-1-4555-9135-0 (print-on-demand edition)
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