Read One Summer for Free Online Page B

get back to work, please. Ben, is the inventory done? I’ll want to go over it with you first thing tomorrow morning, so you’d best be finishing it up if it’s not.” Behind her, the tinkling bell that announced the opening of the door told Rachel that a customer, probably one of the curiosity-seekers who had gathered outside, had entered.
    “Can I help you?” Ben asked smoothly, moving toward the newcomer. Rachel didn’t even look around.
    “You come with me,” she said to Johnny, her voice crisp with authority. Crooking her finger at him imperiously, she started toward the stockroom door. From there, a smallstaircase led up to his apartment, where they could be private. Without looking behind her to see if he followed, she knew that he did. Her sixth sense where Johnny Harris was concerned was proving to be disturbingly acute.

5

    “L et me get you some ice for your mouth.”
    The furnished apartment’s galley-type kitchen was complete, down to a refrigerator with an ice-maker. Rachel found a dish towel in the drawer beside the sink, opened the freezer compartment to scoop up a handful of ice cubes, wrapped them in the towel, and wet the knobby bundle. Then she handed it to Johnny, who leaned against the counter by the stove. He accepted the ice pack without a word and pressed it to his swollen lip. Judging from his slight wince, the sensation brought more pain than relief.
    “All right, suppose you tell me what happened.”
    “What are you, my parole officer?”
    The smart-alecky drawl was vintage Johnny Harris. Absurdly, Rachel found his surliness reassuring. It meant that something of the boy she remembered was left in the man after all.
    Rachel met his eyes for a long, unwavering look. “I’m your boss, remember? Your employer. You just had a fight with a customer in my store. I think I’m entitled to some explanation.”
    “Before you decide whether or not to can me?”
    “Exactly.”
    His eyes narrowed. Rachel folded her arms across herchest and waited. For a long pause neither of them gave an inch.
    Johnny shrugged. “You want the truth? Edwards attacked me. I defended myself. You can believe it or not.”
    “I believe it.”
    Now that he had lowered himself to explain, however tersely, he sounded hostile, which was just the attitude that Rachel had expected him to take. The tension in her spine relaxed a little. No matter how much he had changed outwardly, the person inside the hard-as-nails exterior seemed essentially the same.
    At her profession of faith, his jaw tightened, and he tossed the ice pack onto the counter. The cloth untwisted. Ice spilled out with a clatter. Rachel tsk-ed in disapproval and was instinctively scooping the ice toward the sink when her attention was caught by his sudden movement. Without warning, he caught the sides of his T-shirt in both hands and dragged it up over his head. Frowning and turning instinctively to face him, Rachel found herself eyeballing a masculine chest that was gorgeous enough to make her catch her breath.
    Whatever else he’d done in prison, clearly he had found time to work out. His pectorals were sharply defined, his abdomen flat and ridged with muscle. His upper arms bulged. His waist was narrow compared with the corded width of his shoulders, and the center of his chest was covered with a triangle of silky-looking black hair.
    Wow, was the thought that ricocheted through her stunned brain.
    The shirt came all the way off and was wadded in one hand. He looked at her, the glint in his eyes wicked. Clearly he meant to discompose her. For her, the trick was not to let him know that he had succeeded. She had to regain her presence of mind—quickly.
    “What are you doing?” If her voice was calm, she owed it to the unflappability engendered by years of teaching budding hoodlums.
    “Changing my shirt. What did you think I was doing? That I was going to jump your bones right here and now, teacher?” He took a deliberate step toward her until