Page 38 of Jenna's Threatened Sanctuary

He struggled to keep from grinning and shook his head. “I said no such thing.”

“Maybe you should.” She wrinkled her nose, loving the playful banter that had always been so natural between them. “You know you’re going to give in. Might as well just get it over with.”

All hints of amusement drained from his face. He pressed his lips together and nodded before taking a step closer. The tips of his fingers brushed against the back of her hand. “You’re right,” he said, voice so low and gravelly it curled her toes. “When it comes to you, I always ended up giving in.”

She released a shuddering breath, refusing to look away. Refusing to interrupt whatever magic was happening between them.

“Choo choo go!” Oliver yelled.

Calvin reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze before crouching between Oliver and Isla. “All right, little buddy. Let’s figure out how to make this thing go then me and your mama have a whole lot to discuss.”

Her heart pressed against her chest, and she prayed a silent prayer that Calvin wanted to discuss a whole lot more than her scheme to get information from Milo Sholl.

17

“Ican’t believe you talked me into this.” Calvin peered past Jenna into the dense patch of woods. The overcast sky made the early evening hour appear later, but it still wasn’t enough to shield them if anyone ventured to Stellar Cleaning by Stella. He’d parked on the street so his truck wouldn’t be the only one in the parking lot, but they’d be screwed if anyone drove by the building.

“It’s not my fault your approach didn’t work,” Jenna said. “This will get us into the law office without issue. But first, we need a reason to be there.” She grabbed the keys he’d taken from the office out of his hands and unlocked the door. “This will be quick and easy then we can get back to Oliver at the shelter.”

His throat constricted. He liked the way ‘we’ sounded way too much. Especially when Oliver was a part of it. The little boy was not only adorable, but more fun than Calvin imagined a toddler could be. The thought of saying goodbye to him gutted him as much as saying goodbye to Jenna.

Ushering Jenna through the doorway, the stringent scent of disinfectant stung his nostrils. A dull ache pulsed against his wound. He shoved aside the pain and stalked across the darkroom. “Hopefully things are labeled because there’s a lot of shit in here.”

The idea of Jenna putting herself in the path of a possible killer made his skin itch, but no way he could pass as the new woman sent to clean the office. He’d only agreed to her plan because he knew there was no talking her out of it. He’d stay as close to the law office as he could, and he’d made her promise to be as quick as possible. If she wasn’t back in his truck in the fifteen minutes they’d agreed on, he’d go in himself and carry her out.

“And what do you plan to do while you’re inside?” he asked, wanting her to memorize every detail of her scheme.

Jenna found a cleaning cart against a wall and pushed it to the door. “I’m going to show up at closing, pretend like I’m there to clean, then snoop around his desk and files. Look for some sort of red flag. I won’t touch anything but snap pictures to show you. Easy peasy.”

Calvin tossed a few cleaning products onto the collapsible cart. “If his computer is unlocked and you have time, you should see if there’s any open tabs.”

Jenna disappeared between a row of shelves. “Did Stella’s employees wear a uniform or anything? I need to look legit.”

“How would I know?” He shifted through some open boxes. More bleach and rubber gloves.

“You were here yesterday. Do you remember if the employee you spoke with wore anything specific?” Her voice called from the back of the room.

He tried to pull forward an image of Amy, Stella’s employee, but all he remembered was her sad eyes. “No idea.” A large, clear tub sat high on the shelf. He stretched to grab the lid. His side screamed in protest. Groaning, he pulled down the container and doubled over with a hand pressed to his side.

Jenna rounded the corner. “Are you all right?”

“Fine.” He gritted his teeth. “Looks like shirts in there.”

Rushing to him, Jenna placed a palm on his back. “That can wait. Did you pop a stitch?” She lifted his shirt. Cool air brushed over his exposed skin. She gingerly skimmed her fingertips over his tender flesh, her face dipped low in front of his abdomen. “The bandage looks fine.”

He sucked in a breath. Her touch heated his blood. He lowered his gaze to the top of her head. A million scenarios invaded his mind. He buried his hands in his pocket so he didn’t do something stupid like grab handfuls of thick black hair. “I’m fine. Just hurts. Look in the tub.”

Jenna glanced up with a furrowed brow. “You sure?”

He nodded, unable to speak with lust constricting his throat.

Jenna dropped to her knees and lifted the lid from the container. She pulled out a black polo shirt. Stella’s logo was stitched on one side. “Perfect.”

Standing, she yanked off her sweater and handed it to him.

His gaze dropped to the black lace bra barely reining in her full breasts.

She smirked. “Eyes up here, buddy.”

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