Double Dating with the Dead by Karen Kelley (best fiction novels to read .txt) 📗

of chocolate doughnuts, handing them to her. “Replacements.” Her anger fizzled right in front of him.

“Oh.” She took the box. “Thanks. But that still doesn’t let you off the hook.” She strode to the table and set them down, then seemed to think about what she was doing and scooped up the box and marched out of the kitchen.

“Well, hell,” he muttered. He reached into the sack and brought out the extra box of doughnuts. He’d already guessed she wouldn’t share. His eyes narrowed. No, she’d been way too territorial about that last box. She’d offered him one, but she damn sure hadn’t liked it when he’d eaten the last doughnut.

His mother would have practically shoved it down his throat. Most women were like that. They liked to make sure a man was taken care of. Not Selena. No, she was feisty, mean-mouthed…and sexy as hell.

He smiled. He’d have to think of a new way he could annoy her. He bit into the doughnut and chewed. It shouldn’t be too hard coming up with something.

Chapter 11

How could one man aggravate her so much? Selena wanted to have sex with him one minute and kill him the next.

First he said he was willing to quietly ruin her career—as if she’d ever let that happen. Not in this lifetime. And if it ever did, she would so haunt him after she croaked. Then, when she was ready to kill him, he gave her chocolate glazed doughnuts.

He remembered.

Okay, it was only yesterday, but it was a well-known fact that men didn’t have brain storage capabilities for things such as remembering what a woman liked. No floppy disk to put everything on. Not that she could complain a bit about his hard drive, though. He had a very nice hard drive.

Except Trent had fooled her and remembered she liked chocolate glazed doughnuts. Damn, he’d given her the warm fuzzies. That wasn’t good.

Exercise. That was what she needed. Then she would eat a couple of the doughnuts guilt free, and she wouldn’t think about the fact Trent had remembered the exact kind she liked.

He was the enemy.

He was out to destroy her.

Take a career she loved and rip it away from her.

Her foe.

Her opponent in a war he’d started, but she would finish!

But his mother was nice. And she owned an antique store. Anyone who surrounded herself with the past every day and loved her work that much was someone Selena could relate to.

It didn’t hurt that she was interested in the paranormal. A closet believer. Trent had unknowingly forced his mother to hide her fascination with the supernatural. She’d have to change his mind. She planned on changing his mind.

She donned her jogging shorts, a loose T-shirt and running shoes, then left her room and trotted down the stairs. She didn’t see Trent as she went out the front door. Maybe that was for the best. She was still ticked at him.

Stretching relaxed her as she let go of any remaining bad vibes. She stood on the porch and bent at the waist, legs spread apart, bouncing her upper torso and reaching forward—until she heard a distinctive cough behind her. She leaned down a bit more and looked between her legs. Even an upside-down Trent looked pretty damned sexy.

She frowned when she realized where her thoughts had strayed…again. She straightened and faced him. “I was stretching.”

“I could see.”

His gaze slowly roamed over her, causing a definite heat inside her.

“You stretch very well.”

“Funny.”

But she couldn’t stop the little thrill of pleasure that shot through her. He was flirting, and it felt kind of nice, even if it was a ploy on his part to make her drop her defenses. He probably hoped she’d say something revealing. Not that she had any idea what she could say that would prove she was a fraud since she wasn’t a fraud.

Now she was confusing herself. He had a way of making her feel confused.

What he was wearing didn’t help her stay focused, either. He’d traded in his jeans for shorts. He had nice legs: tanned, muscled. Very buff.

Her mouth watered.

Duh! Enemy!

He stretched his leg in front of him, then brought it in and repeated the stretch with the other leg. Umm, nice squats and lunges. But then, he’d lunged pretty good in her dreams, too.

She had to wonder if it was okay to lust after the enemy if you didn’t actually act upon the desire. Sex dreams didn’t really count. They were a…bonus, sort of.

“I take it you’re going jogging,” he asked in the middle of another delicious stretch that raised his T-shirt an inch or so above the waistband of his shorts.

Breathing: The act of respiration. To keep one alive.

She inhaled a ragged breath and attempted to pretend she wasn’t reaching her target heart rate without even starting her run. Not easy when she was practically drooling over Trent. Damn, he’d think she had rabies or something equally disgusting.

“Jogging?” he repeated.

He’s talking to you, you idiot. “Um, yes. Jogging.” Damn it, she’d wanted to clear her mind. Get away from him for a while.

“Mind if I go with you?”

“It’s a free country.” She tried for nonchalance as she trotted down the steps and toward the street. He was beside her, but she refused to look at him.

The park wasn’t far and had a great running trail. She breathed in, inhaling the crisp morning air—and Gio. Okay, stop breathing. Well, not exactly stop breathing, but maybe she shouldn’t breathe quite so deeply. Maybe she should just focus. But as hard as she tried to block out Trent, the easier it was to let him invade her space.

They didn’t speak, but he kept up with her. He was in good shape. Not that she set a grueling pace, but after three miles he was still beside her and he wasn’t breathing hard. She, on the other hand, felt as if she’d run twice that distance. Normally, she would be a little tired, but exhilarated.

She came out