Page 6 of Bad Boy in Her Bed

The sluggishness of her tired mind began to break as she jogged along the tree-lined trail she knew by heart.Although she usually slept well in hotels, she’d been kept up late with thoughts of a certain hot tattooist.

Wondering thoughts.

Wandering thoughts.

X-rated thoughts.

Tempted as she was to look Birch up online, she decided against it.He was already so obviously guarded against the scrutiny he lived with in town, it didn’t feel right to invade his privacy through a few well-phrased key words.

Besides, she wanted to hear his story from him, wanted to listen to the smooth baritone voice she hadn’t heard nearly enough of yesterday.

Of course, it was silly to dwell on a man she barely knew, regardless of his questionable reputation.The next few weeks were going to be intense and long, the hours of research nothing compared to the amount of time she’d be spending connecting the dots and formulating her report.She was on the hunt for one thing and one thing only, and that was whoever owned the number company with the questionable connections.Home to work, not to play, no matter how tempting the toy was.

And she knew damn well that giving into temptation was a one-way ticket into the shark tank without a cage.

The steady thumping of a runner came up behind her and she veered to the side as he appeared in her peripheral and slowed to keep pace with her.

“You came,” she said, matching her strides to Birch’s.

“I shouldn’t be here.”

You and me both,she thought to herself, as her gaze lingered a little too long on the ink traveling along his muscled forearm.

Acknowledging his admission with the simple lift of a brow, she continued her punishing pace with him at her side, enjoying the quiet company of his presence for the three miles it took to complete the loop.As they rounded the final corner she slowed, tugging her earbuds out and tucking them into the strap of her tank top.

“You set a hard tempo,” he panted beside her, using the bottom of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow.“I wasn’t sure if you were trying to lose me, kill me, or test me at the north end of the lake.”

She laughed and looked over at him, biting her lip when she caught sight of his defined v-cut.“Meet me here tomorrow and I’ll let you know which it is.”

He smoothed his shirt down and came to a stop, stretching his arms over his head.“I’m not sure I’m that much of a masochist.How’s hotel life treating you?”

Pressing her fingers against her throat to check her pulse, she shrugged.“Can’t ask for much more than clean sheets, cable TV, and strong Wi-Fi.My boss always splurges on the best, so I really can’t complain.After I rinse off, I’m going to pick up a few groceries though.I hate being at the mercy of gas stations when I have midnight snack attacks.”

He frowned and stared intensely at the ground for a moment, as though the cement would have the answer to whatever internal debate he was having.With a slow nod, he returned his attention to her.“Want to meet up at the store?I need to stock the fridge before my brother starts foraging in the yard for food.”

Her internal warning system sent out a tiny shock—the reminder she needed to keep her mind on her work and her hands to herself—but it was shoved aside as her pulse quickened and her mouth spoke before her brain could stop it.“I’d love to.”

*

Birch circled theparking lot, his mind preoccupied with working through the potential pitfalls of his decision to meet up with Jocelyn not once, but twice, in one morning.

In four years, he would be free to make any reckless moves he wanted, consequences be damned.Grey would have his engineering degree.River would be cemented in his career without much need for an overbearing older brother.

Winter would still be locked up.But there was nothing he could do about that.

In the meantime, he needed to keep his focus on his home and his growing business.Between tuition and books, Grey’s education was taking almost every spare dime he had on paper.His nest egg of cash was dwindling bit by bit every month to make sure the power stayed on, the groceries were covered, and the internet wasn’t cut off.Add in a monthly deposit to Winter’s canteen account and a small transfer to cover a portion of River’s exorbitant LA rent, and he would be lucky if the stash he’d squirreled away lasted until his nest was empty.

Pulling into an open parking spot, he tossed his sunglasses onto the dash and ran a hand through his wet hair, the urge to drive off escalating when he saw Jocelyn step out of her car in another pair of sky-high heels.

He nearly tripped over his own feet when he came up behind her on the trail earlier, the view of her swaying blond ponytail and her ass in those tight blue shorts cementing itself permanently in his spank bank whether he wanted it or not.With her skin glistening and her cheeks flushed, his mind had gone straight into the gutter and happily rolled around in the filth.

And now here she was less than an hour later, dressed in sleek, checkered pants and a red high-necked sleeveless shirt that clung to her curves and showed off her toned arms.Her hair was still damp, held back at the base of her neck with a red ribbon his fingers itched to undo.

She was stunningly untouchable.

Her lips turned up in a smile when she saw him and he slammed his truck door closed, crossing the lot to meet her.“You came.”He grinned, shoving all his reservations aside until he could wallow in them alone later that night.“I should’ve warned you; I have a pretty big shopping list.”

“I assumed as much when you mentioned your starving brother,” she replied, tugging a cart free and rolling it over to him while she grabbed a basket.“How old is he?”

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