Love Is the Drug Read Online Free Page B

ran her finger along her eyebrow and dropped her gaze to his chest. God! How could he be so calm, when she had all this muggy dampness under her arms? Her palms were hot and slimy as well. Even the bottoms of her feet were sweating!
    She lifted her gaze to his face again. Totally calm now. Unbelievable. She squinted at him. “And you’re having no qualms, whatsoever, partnering with me? After what happened with my sister?”
    Okay, tread lightly here. Filter, girl, filter! Filter before you speak!
    His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “Yeah, I’ve got some qualms. A lot, actually.” He sat forward then, leaning so close that his nose was mere inches from her own. “And I warn you: I’m not the same blindly trusting guy I was five years ago; there is no way in hell that I will ever let my dad get hurt again. Understand?”
    Julie blinked. “Yes. I understand.” Her heart was doing double time in her chest.
    It seemed an eternity before he gave her an abbreviated nod. The anger left his features then, but his brows remained furrowed slightly as he sat back and gazed down at the ring of water collecting on the table at the base of his beer. He grabbed hold of the bottle and moved it a couple of inches away. “Look, this is really about what he wants. And I already know how he feels about you—hell!” He glanced up toward the bar and gave a half-laugh. “He’ll get a big kick out of this whole thing, I’m sure. Look at it as one big adventure.”
    He turned his gaze back to her, looking directly into her eyes. “I want to do this for him, Julie. And that trumps any other feelings I have about it.”
    Oh, dear Lord. What should she do? Julie swiveled around and slumped against the booth’s backrest. Her brows furrowed as she shook her head. She waved her hand and said, “I don’t know. I don’t know. Let me think about this.” The business side of her brain had been whirling and bobbing, the potential for even greater profit and success giving her a real euphoric rise in her chest, ever since he’d told her his scheme. This could work—and work better than she’d ever dreamed. And quicker, too, because she’d have the additional funds he’d be bringing into this as well. But…this was Jason Jörgensen.
    Could she continue this subterfuge?
    Not only would she be bringing a lie into a new partnership, she’d be forced to deal directly with Jason, and his wonderful father, neither of whom deserved what had happened to them, nor would they forgive her for keeping the information about Connie’s treachery a secret, if they ever found out.
    She glanced at Jason, who was watching her, waiting for her reply. How could she do this? She darted her gaze to the bar and watched the bartender wipe its scarred mahogany surface.
    Maybe—she sat forward a bit—what if she promised herself to reveal what her sister had done, in say, two years? By that time, the horror and stigma of Connie’s suicide will have waned, so that, maybe, just maybe, she could present the confessional letter in a better light.
    Yeah. Then she could clear Jason’s name and keep her sister’s memory from being forever vilified.
    Julie nibbled on her lower lip. But could she really do this thing?
    She looked back at Jason. “How would this work, anyway? Are you going to stay here over the next few months and help plan this thing with me, or are you thinking that you’ll telecommute?” She hoped like heck it would be the latter, at least as much as possible, because then she knew she could agree to the partnership. And her businesswoman instincts were screaming for her to say ‘Yes! Yes! YES!’
    She watched him settle back a bit more in the booth and then take another bite of his hamburger—which had to be cold by now. He chewed and swallowed, keeping his gaze focused on the burger. He took a swig from his bottle of beer before he finally answered her. “I’m going to have to stay up here, at least for a few more weeks, while I