Happily Never After by Bess George Page A

wasn’t the culprit.
    Fatigue seemed to be a constant state for her these days. Since going back to work, she didn’t nap during the day and at night, she never slept more than a few hours at a time. The months of stress and worry still weighed her down.
    To top it all off, she needed to figure out a way to deal with her feelings for the pushy detective. They’d reached a tenuous friendship at the bar the other night, but now he seemed to be avoiding her. When he was forced to talk to her, he looked surly and angry.
    She stepped off when the doors slid open and went into her office where she shut the door behind her. At least Bode hadn’t been leaning on the desk this morning flirting with Samantha. The fact that it bothered her so much increased her ire.
    Her stomach recoiled from the coffee. My Lord, what brought on this headache?
    The simple act of logging onto her computer and checking her e-mail seemed daunting. She gritted her teeth and began working on a file. Several hours later, restless energy made her edgy, so she hurried down to the law library for a reference book. By the time she headed back, her limbs shook so hard she almost didn’t make it back to her desk.
    She tried to tamp down the panic threatening to erupt by pacing her office. Ten steps. Turn. Ten steps back. Sweat rolled between her breasts, and it got harder and harder to take a deep breath. Down the hall a door slammed, and before her mind processed what caused the noise, she grabbed her things to leave.
    “Are you okay, Kelsey?” Samantha’s concerned voice called out to her.
    She raced through the reception area without slowing down. “I’m working part-time for now. Tell David I’ll be in early on Monday morning.” One finger jabbed the elevator button.
    When the doors opened, she crashed into Steve Morrison. He reached out to steady her. “Whoa, Kelsey, what’s wrong?”
    Words were impossible. Terror had frozen her vocal cords. She wrenched away from him and rushed inside. Her eyes darted around trying to find somewhere to run, someplace to hide as the door slid closed.
    The doors opened on the bottom floor, and she flew to the ladies’ room. Sweat soaked her blouse and suit. Her hands trembled so bad it would be impossible to drive. The counter braced her, as she splashed cold water on her face to slow her breathing.
    The reflection in the mirror made her give an involuntary little cry. She hummed a tune, hoping to clear the cobwebs of panic. Determined to make it back to her apartment, she drew in a deep breath and exhaled.
    Embarrassment heated her cheeks on the way outside to the corner. Impatient for the signal to change, she pressed the crossing button again.
    The sound of a shoe scuffing on the sidewalk behind her made her swivel around. Her legs felt like they were made out of jelly. Otis’ familiar form stared at her from less than three feet away. No. Leave me alone. The light flashed green, so she darted across the street.
    A screech of tires and a flash of blue froze her in place. Her instincts kicked in, and she scrambled to get out of the way. The heat of the automobile brushed her hip and sent her spinning to the pavement.
    Bode waited in the car for Steve to come back from David’s office. He’d told his partner that he needed to make some phone calls and to go inside without him. The pathetic truth? He didn’t trust himself around Kelsey.
    Steel beneath her silky skin, she was putting her life back together. She drew him toward her like an addict to their next fix, but it was one-sided. After what her father’d done, she wouldn’t consider a relationship with a cop.
    Who could blame her? The trauma of one parent destroying the other would leave a scar on anyone’s psyche. Throw in being attacked and living through a near-death experience, it’s no wonder the woman jumped at shadows.
    He knew a thing or two about being scared. Six years ago he’d lost his fiance, his job and on the verge of losing himself