Page 53 of Too Hot to Sleep
And again.
And again.
"You have to admit, he's a hottie," Toni pressed. "When he came charging into the back of the church wearing that uniform, I swear half the women in the church swooned. Rebecca Dooley had her eye on him at the reception, but he disappeared right after the toast."
"Really?" Georgia pressed her palms into her eyes, but snatches of his lovemaking remained so vivid in her mind, her womb clenched and her thighs tingled. God help her, even with everything else going on, she couldn't stop thinking about theman—a clue as to how dangerous he was to her mental well-being.
"He'sinterested,Georgia. You're crazy if you don't go out with him."
"He's a player, Toni. The man told me himself he's not interested in settling down."
"So? You don't have to marry him. Just have a little fun."
She smiled wryly to herself. Just have a little fun? Ken Medlock would be too easy to fall for, and too hard to forget. She'd already set into motion events that might haunt her for years. She'd learned her lesson about indulging her darker urges, no matter how tempting.
Toni sighed. "You should ask him for this favor. You wouldn't have to give him all the details, just make up something. He owes you one after almost getting you fired and all."
Actually, after their encounter in the closet, they were even, she conceded silently. She'd felt so ashamed for her behavior that she'd even lashed out at him for calling her "ma'am."
I'm sorry. I meant to be respectful.
Considering what she'd just allowed to transpire, his respectfulness had grated at the time.
Georgia closed her eyes and sighed. The man had only been trying to make the best of an awkward situation. And Toni was right—the quickest way to find the identity of the guy on the other end of the phone line and to have peace of mind was to go to Ken. She wouldn't have to give him all the lurid details, and she believed he'd be discreet. Besides, as far as he knew, she was still dating Rob, so he wouldn't pressure her to see him, not after their discussion in the closet.
In fact, asking for his help would give them a chance to ease the awkwardness of their last parting. And once Ken told her the name of the man who belonged to that phone number, she'd be able to put the chaos of the past week behind her.
Chapter 22
KEN JUMPEDup when the hot coffee hit his lap. "Dammit!" He stamped around, swiping at the wetness with a paper towel, then glared at his partner Klone. "What?"
From his adjacent desk, Klone lifted an eyebrow. "I'm wondering when someone kidnapped my sweet-tempered partner and left a wounded bear in his place."
Ken frowned as he dropped back into his seat. "Just having a bad day, that's all."
Klone gestured to the pile of thank-you cards and letters that had accumulated throughout the day. "Yeah, it's rough being the man of the hour, ain't it?"
Ken scoffed in the direction of the mail. "My home phone has been ringing off the damn hook." Everyone who had his number had called—his mother, his sisters, his brother, his neighbors, his buddies—everyone except Georgia. And he'd only flipped through the silly cards today on the slim chance that Georgia had sent him a note of some kind.
Why she would, he had no idea, but a man could hope. Since Saturday, he'd thought of little but Georgia, wondering if Trainer had made it home, and if she'd discovered she hadn't been talking to her boyfriend when she'd...
Ken rubbed his fists over his scratchy eyes. He hadn't slept much the past two nights, and the strong coffee meant to clear his head was making him irritable.
Then he frowned. Okay, his conscience was making him irritable.
One foolish decision to selfishly seize the moment had snowballed into an emotional quagmire. Worse, he'd passed up several chances to stop the madness and confess the truth. The fact that he'd used a good woman like Georgia left him deeply disappointed in himself. Before now he'd always thought of himself as a decent person, but one of his father's sayings kept circling in his mind:It's easy to be a good person if your character is never tested.
Boy oh boy, he'd failed miserably. Ken sighed. The answer was painful, but simple: He had to tell Georgia the truth, no matter the consequences.
"Woman trouble?" Klone asked, clamping him on the shoulder.
He looked up. "What the devil makes you think that?"
"Takes a lot to get you discombobulated."
Ken scowled. "Well, it's not a woman." It was what he'd done to her.
Klone shook his head. "You're a bad liar, son."
