“Orange, mostly, although you’re hiding it under the water. Orange under blue lights... interesting.” She rubbed her big toe up the sole of his foot.
“So I look like a red and orange rainbow in a blue sea?” He could almost handle the inanity while his mind melted. He had no business becoming involved with Evie Malcolm Carstairs. She was bad news from every logical angle. And with no job, he had nothing to offer.
“Rainbows are faint. Your energies are powerful. I have a bad habit of being attracted to men with powerful energies. Want me to get out so you can soak alone?” Her voice was quietly seductive.
Or that’s where his head was anyway. “This is probably a bad idea,” he thought he agreed.
“Oh definitely. Youabandonedus. I’ll never forgive you for that.”
Which nicely reminded him that he still didn’t know if his father had killed his partner, dumped him down a mine, and stolen his identity for reasons unknown. And that he hadn’t checked the tub area for listening devices.
Either understanding that he wanted distance or bouncing on to some new thought, Evie shoved out of the water and reached for a towel.
He caught a good eyeful of lush, naked curves. Evie was shaped like a miniature Marilyn Monroe. He’d never been into the curvy type before, nor petite, but damn...
She padded away, leaving him to curse his need to be honest and straightforward and a real stupid brick.
* * *
Evie studiedthe small adobe building Jax parked next to, the one with a sign stating Pendleton Law Offices as if the building had a lot of offices, and they were all staffed by Pendletons. Pretentious. “You’re not lying,” she insisted, carrying on the argument that had started when they set out this morning. “You really are inquiring about Aaron Ives for a client. You just happen to be the client.”
“But you pretending to be the client is a lie.” He shut off the engine and climbed out.
She shot out of her seat before Jax came around to help her out, which he did, occasionally, when they weren’t fighting. Although it was pretty hard for them to share the close proximity of a car without fighting. They had issues, lots of them. Driving across country ought to be entertaining.
Seeing Jax naked except for his knit boxers had not helped the tension. Definitely superhero six-pack and that ripple of dark hair between his pecs had revved her engines more. She had to put her blinders on and focus... Yeah, like that had ever happened in her whole entire life.
“I’ll pay you a dollar to hire me. I want to know about Aaron Ives. You can’t just ignore what you want because you don’t have any evidence.” She marched up the stone sidewalk to the door.
“You’ll promise not to talk about auras and spirits or anything to distract from the hard cold facts I want to lay down?” He caught the door handle before she could open it. He wasn’t a large man, but he was still twice her size. Still, it was the steel gray of his eyes that demanded respect.
Evie sighed. She understood his need to be in charge. “Fine. I’ll be a mute idiot. But if you don’t mention Ives—”
“I know, I know, the result will be on my head.” He opened the door for her and led her into a small, carpeted lobby with touches of Southwestern décor.
Wearing a gold pin of an eagle with a fish in its claws, a stout receptionist with short, iron-gray hair greeted them expectantly. Her aura held the darker hues of red—grounded, survivalist colors. Hints of muddy green and blue warned she had a few issues with self-esteem, but without knowing the woman, Evie couldn’t judge her.
When Jax introduced himself as Damon Jackson, the receptionist looked disappointed and maybe a little confused. “From something Mr. Pendleton said, I thought you were Franklin Jackson’s son. I imagine there are a lot of Jacksons in Georgia, so that was foolish of me. He’ll be right with you.”
Evie nudged Jax. The damned dense man didn’t know opportunity when it grabbed him by the throat. Well, mostly, he didn’t know how to lie without planning ahead.
Jax glared but rather than let Evie speak, he did. “Franklin Jacksonismy father. Did you know him?”
The receptionist still looked confused, but she smiled at a memory. “He gave me my first job in this office. I never thought Franklin would marry. Goes to show how wrong we can be. You must look like your mother.”
Ding, another piece of the puzzle nailed. Jax didnotlook like Franklin, verified by someone who’d known him well.
“So I’ve been told,” Jax said genially.
Evie wondered if that was truth or lie. He was good when it mattered.
“How is your father doing? I wish he’d stayed in touch. We missed him around here.”
“We lost him in a car crash when I was just a kid. It’s nice to hear good things about him though, so thank you.” Jax’s southern hospitality didn’t come naturally, but it did rear its head upon occasion.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! No wonder he never brought you back to visit his old stomping grounds.”
“So you were here when he sold the office?”