Deadly Intentions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

It’s not like they were best friends.
    Mandy pulled her keys out of her purse and opened the door to the apartment. James stilled her when she moved to shut the door once they were inside, instead dropping to his knees and taking a closer look at the locking mechanism.
    “This isn’t a very good lock,” he said.
    “What’s wrong with it?”
    “Well, I could pick it in about a minute flat,” James replied. “That means it’s not a good lock.”
    Mandy’s doubt was written all over her face. For some reason, James felt the need to prove he was right. “Watch.”
    James stepped back outside and shut the door, separating him from the tempting blonde inside. “Lock the door,” he instructed.
    Mandy rolled her eyes, thankful he was on the other side of the door so he couldn’t see her reaction. She obediently moved over to the door and flipped the lock. Then, for a reason she couldn’t quite identify, she also quietly slipped the security chain in place.
    James pulled a small kit from his pocket and went to work on the lock. He smiled triumphantly when he heard the lock tumble and pushed the door open, expecting to see a wide-eyed and impressed Mandy standing on the other side. Instead, the door only opened a few inches and then fell back. She’d engaged the security chain.
    James furrowed his brow when he heard her laugh on the other side of the door. “Very funny. Are you going to let me in?”
    “How can I be sure you’re not dangerous?” Mandy teased.
    James tried not to smile, but he wasn’t entirely successful. “Open the door.”
    Mandy unhooked the chain and pulled open the door, blocking him from entering her apartment. “I only let strange men in my apartment if they have pizza.”
    “Pizza, huh? I’ll know for next time.”
    Next time? Mandy couldn’t help the static burst of energy that coursed through her at the sight of James’ flirty smile. For a second, it was like she was in middle school again. The feeling only lasted a moment, and then James took a step back.
    “So, um, where is your office?”
    Mandy gathered herself together quickly. I am not fourteen anymore , she reminded herself. I’m a grown woman. I’ve done grown-woman things with guys way hotter than him. Okay, maybe not way hotter –but they were still totally hot. Mandy forced her gaze back to James, who was watching her with a puzzled expression.
    “Did I lose you somewhere?”
    Just the past , Mandy thought. “No. The office is over here.”
    James followed Mandy to a small hallway, glancing through the open first door in the walkway and catching a glimpse of her bedroom. For some reason, and he had no idea why, he felt the need to walk into the room. He fought it.
    Mandy stopped in front of the doorway that led to the second room. “It’s here.”
    James moved into the room and looked around. There wasn’t a lot here. A desk. A laptop. Some bookshelves. His gaze wandered over the titles on the shelves. “ Lord of the Rings ?” He raised an eyebrow as he looked back at her.
    If he was expecting her to be embarrassed, he was going to be disappointed. “It’s my favorite book. I read it for the first time when I was twelve.”
    James searched his memory. Now that he thought about it, he had quite a few aged snapshots of her reading a book under a tree in his head. “I remember you liked to read.”
    “You don’t?” Mandy asked, bristling at the way he said “read.”
    “Not really,” James admitted. “I guess you could say I’m not much of a reader.”
    “That doesn’t surprise me.”
    Now James was the one bristling. “What is that supposed to mean?”
    “Just that you don’t look like a big reader,” Mandy said, enjoying having the upper hand for the first time this afternoon. “You look like more of a gym guy.”
    James glanced down at Mandy’s toned thighs. “And you don’t go to the gym?”
    “I take a book with me when I go,” Mandy teased.
    James relaxed a little when he realized she