11th Hour Rose Read Online Free PDF Page A

shop. He turned to Lilly and crossed strong arms over his thick chest. “What do you make of this?”
    His eyes vibrant and almost unsettlingly blue locked on hers, and it took Lilly a moment to realize he was expecting an answer. “Why, David, are you asking my opinion?”
    “This is your lead.” He flashed a crooked half smile that was surprisingly disarming.
    She shook her head, drawing a steadying breath, and swept her eyes up the alley. “I think the killer is sending the girls to the seamstress shop, giving them money to buy the blue dress, and I would go so far as to bet he’s watching them.”
    He nodded slowly, obviously deep in thought. Davy turned and stepped down one creaky wooden stair, and then another. Lilly trailed behind him.
    Even standing a step above him the top of her head barely reached his chin. A remarkably strong chin, rather ruggedly attractive littered as it was with a spattering of dark whiskers… Mentally she shook off the train of thought. Why was she so suddenly aware of him as a man? Usually she couldn’t see past the veil of irritation he forever provoked. Moreover, she should be investigating a series of vicious crimes, not staring agog, or daydreaming over the perfect sapphire hue of his eyes.
    “You did well today,” he said suddenly, sparking her attention away from the attractively broad set of his shoulders.
    Surprised by the compliment, Lilly didn’t immediately respond. He faced her unexpectedly, lifting one booted foot to rest on the step she stood upon. At the same moment she began descending the old stairs.
    They collided.
    “Oh!” Lilly wobbled, grasping his upper arms for balance.
    “Easy,” he murmured, sliding his palms low on her waist, preventing her from taking a tumble.
    She gulped, all too aware of exactly how tall he was… the delicious tone of the muscles bunching beneath her fingertips, and the fact her hip rested against the knee cocked on the stair above him…
    No!
    She wanted to ignore the subtle hiccup in her pulse and the shivers licking her spine, but… she glanced up… David gazed down at her, expression uncharacteristically soft, the brim of his hat casting a slight shadow over them both. They stood so close, the rush of his breathing rolled over her cheeks and heat leapt from his strong chest. The intimacy of their combined stance left Lilly completely disarmed. What did it all mean?
    Nothing.
    It meant nothing. David was a handsome man, nothing more, and she certainly did not plan to waste the opportunity for him to take her seriously as an attorney. But, at the moment, Lilly had the distinct impression he wasn’t thinking of her as an attorney, or a thorn in his side.
    He still held her. One broad palm rested easily on the curve of her waist while the other slid around the small of her back. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and her heart flew into record pace as heat rushed to her cheeks.
    She quickly dropped her hands from his bulging biceps. “Forgive me, but a compliment from your lips shocked me right off the porch.”
    David laughed, good humor evident in his manner as he released her and backed down the rest of the stairs. He held out a hand to assist her down the remaining steps. She accepted, enjoying this new side to him.
    “I’ll escort you home now,” he said, falling into step beside her. “And I expect you to stay there and out of my investigation.”
    Lilly’s irritation returned full measure. So much for his taking her seriously. “But you said I did well today.”
    He scoffed. “You did well only after making a royal mess of the situation.”
    “You never would have found Clara’s journal without me.”
    “Perhaps,” David conceded with an indifferent shrug. “The next time I need to delve into the minds of romantically inclined girls, I’ll know exactly who to ask for help.”
    Lilly bit her tongue—literally—doing her best to ignore the insult. They trekked the remaining distance to her home in silence.