April Fool Bride Read Free Page B

that he would go off to college and forget
all about her.
    "Okay, I'll admit I'm curious. Tell me about
this opportunity."
    Maddie wouldn't make the mistake she'd made
that long-ago night, proclaiming her love to him. She couldn't
afford to be stupid this time. She pulled her coat tighter, chilled
by the thought that he might be in love with that woman in the
photo.
    "Cold?"
    "No. I'm fine. I'm just trying to figure out
how to begin."
    "Well, Red, the best way is usually at the
beginning."
    A tide of color rose to stain her cheeks.
"Right. At the beginning."
    "Why are you so nervous?" Jake suddenly
asked.
    "I'm not nervous." Her voice was barely more
than a whisper.
    That soft husky sound cut through his
resistance. He waited patiently while she gathered her nerve. He
was good at waiting. Snipers had to be. Guys like him did a lot of
waiting. Waiting on a roof top with the long gun for an insurgent
to come out of hiding. Always waiting. Waiting taught a man a lot.
How to be patient. How to analyze a situation with detachment. How
to weigh the risk versus the reward in taking a shot and revealing
his hiding place. That same watchful waiting paid off when he began
trading. Then his ability to analyze served him well when he'd
started buying companies on the verge of bankruptcy and turning
them around. He and his two remaining buddies made a good team.
    "Your Mom told me you lost your job. That's
why I'm here."
    That surprised him. Why had his mom said
that? And why had that lie brought Maddie to his doorstep?
    "I hope you'll listen to my proposition. No."
She waved her hands in dismissal. "Not a proposition. Definitely
not. This is a job, and it will pay well. As well as your annual
salary at your last job. Plus a bonus when the year is over."
    This was bizarre. He didn't know what was
going on, but he was intrigued. Jake waited for Maddie's green gaze
to come back to him. She seemed fixated on the photo of him and
Danny's wife. "A year, huh? You're offering me a job that lasts
only a year?"
    "Well, it's not really a job as one usually
thinks of a job. It's more of a special project. But, it pays well.
Very well." Hurriedly, she added, "With an expense account of
course."
    Jake decided to play along. "How about a
signing bonus?''
    "Oh. A signing bonus. I guess that can be
arranged."
    What the hell was going on and what did his
mother have to do with it? He watched as Maddie picked up the
coffee mug. Her hands shook. She set the mug down. He realized she
hadn't taken a single sip of the strong black coffee.
    "Jake, just tell me yes or no."
    Jake smiled. He didn't understand why Maddie
would seek him out after nine years, but he sure as hell was
interested. Not in some bogus job, but in why she was offering it
to him. "What about health and dental?"
    Maddie's green eyes jerked to meet his gaze.
"What about it?"
    "Well, does the job offer health and dental
insurance? Dental checkups are very important. And vision. I
probably need to get my eyes checked. And let's not forget the
importance of a retirement savings account."
    Maddie blushed. For a moment when she met his
eyes, he saw a flash of irritation in her green gaze. Then it was
gone.
    Maddie drew herself up. Quietly, she said, "I
promise that you'll receive a full benefit package equal to what
you'd get with corporate employment. Since the employment will last
only a year, and you won't be able to look for another job until
this project is brought to a close, I'll make it worth your while.
Really I will."
    Jake had no idea what was going on in that
rich girl brain of hers, but whatever it was, it was definitely
intriguing. And so was Maddie. He'd thought she would be easy to
read, but she wasn't. She had secrets. He could see that in her
carefully blank eyes. She wasn't conventionally pretty, but her
face was arresting. Striking. He studied her mouth, and his pulse
quickened. Wow. That mouth gave him ideas. The wrong kind of ideas.
Was that why he was prolonging their