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CHAPTER ONE

Crappy coffee beats no coffee every

If I don’t stop at the post office, I can still yer brother, Jake, to open Strike Back on Mondaylater than I am

I push open the coffee shop door into the thick August hue road in front ofwith heat

A yellow and black butterfly flutters in front ofaway A brief re to work Of what’s most important to me in this world

I’ure catches my eye

A hooded sweatshirt covers her face, but so familiar about her body keeps gings, curvy legs, wide hips, small stature

You don’t have ti a creeper

Even though I considerat her sidethe woman I open my door and setin, I take one last glance at the jogger

Several things happen at once A squirrel darts into the road The pit bull’s ears perk up and he lunges after the confused critter, yanking the jogger off the sidewalk She trips and sla asphalt with a hard slap The dog continues charging after the squirrel, leash trailing behind him

“Gambler, no!” the woman shouts, her voice choked with pain She see-the-speed-limit miles an hour

At the lasther by inches

A startled screa dog and the girl in the road

Help the girl or grab the dog?

“Please! Get him!” she shouts

I’ toward her, but I stop and force out a loud, piercing whistle The dog stops and cocks his head I repeat the whistle and he breaks into a run, stopping in front of me His whip-like tail sweeps over the paveer rhythm

“Hey, boy Are you friendly?” Casually, I lean over, pick up his leash, give it a gentle tug, and hurry over to help his owner

“Are you okay?” I call out

She tips her head up and the hood slides back, revealing her face

Her beautiful face flushed fro brown doll eyes, and pink, pouting lips

Aubrey

I knew I recognized those sexy legs

Shy, but sweet, Aubrey coym once a week for the low-cost self-defense class I teach Cuter than hell, she’s too young for me, not that it matters

My life consists of a number of rules At the top ofhonest

“Sullivan?” Her cheeks turn even redder

I offer my hand to help her up and she winces

Dropping e hole in her tight, black leggings at the left knee Blood and dirt ooze fro shades of red and purple

She hisses in a pained breath and her eyes water

“It’s okay, Aubrey” I wrap an arot you”

“Ooo…it stings so bad”

“Do you want ency room?”

“No” She glances down at the wriggling -walking and apparently I’m not cut out for it”

There’s a note of sha boy He’d be a handful for anyone,” I say, tugging the leash

“No kidding” Her lips twist in a pained imitation of a smile

“Coive you two a ride home”

“Thanks”

I wrap the leash up in my free hand and keep my arm around her waist She limps the whole way and aware of how inappropriate it would be, I have to fight the urge to pick her up and carry her

Gaer side door open for Aubrey and she hesitates Her eyes shine Her cheeks turn even redder

“What’s wrong?”

She drops her head, staring at the sidewalk

Finally, it occurs to me, she’s not sure how to climb into my lifted Jeep with her torn-up knee “I’m too short,” she whispers

Short my ass She’s perfect

“Here” I show her the oh-shit bar in the right corner Before thinking it through, I fit my hands around her waist and boost her up

A squeal erupts out of her “You can’t!”

“Can’t what?”

“Lift me”

“I just did” I settlein the seat “Wait”

Her big, brown, questioning eyes meet mine

“Your knee” I reach past her and snag a bottle of water out of the middle console “We need to clean it up”