Come Hell or High Desire Read Online Free PDF Page B

Around seven-thirty.” Had she left with her date after
     that? And did her date leave this morning’s note? He could take that note to the cops,
     but what could they do when there was no evidence of foul play?
    Sloane came over, standing close enough that he got a whiff of vanilla. He wondered
     where she applied it—in the valley between her breasts, a spritz across her neck,
     lathered into her hair? She had really pretty hair. So silky and shiny a man could
     probably run his fingers through it without snagging on any calluses.
    She bent over the garbage on the garage floor, searching for who knew what, but careful
     not to touch anything. He made himself look away. “This isn’t your problem, you know.”
    “You want me to leave?” she asked.
    Why couldn’t he say yes? He didn’t want another female to worry about, and he certainly
     didn’t want any extra complications. The deeper you let someone in, the more opportunity
     they’d have to deceive you. He managed a slight nod. From the corner of his eye he
     saw her stand and place her hands on her hips.
    “You want to be alone then?”
    “I can take care of this myself,” he replied.
    “Lose the attitude. I’m concerned about her, too.”
    How was he going to make her leave? He kicked at a piece of broken glass. “Ann was
     upset when I talked to her on the phone last night.”
    “Something you did?”
    Her tone was neutral. His shoulders unwound. “No. She didn’t talk about it, and I
     didn’t ask.”
    “Then how do you know she was upset?”
    He thought about it for a moment. “She had that stuffy-nose, bright-voice combo that
     doesn’t fool anyone, but everyone plays along because aren’t we all so proud to be
     stoic? You know how it is.”
    She nodded, but didn’t say anything. He’d learned a long time ago never to take things
     at face value. What someone presents on the outside generally provides no indication
     of the subtext buried within.
    When Ann had returned his call, she’d assured him everything was all right, so he’d
     taken the easy way out and didn’t press. Now, he wished he would’ve done what was
     right.
    Driven over to her place and found out what had made her cry.
    Gotta be present to mine the subtext.
    Birds chirped outside. They sounded so content. A long-ago memory of black plastic-covered
     basement windows chased the warmth from his hands. He looked back at Sloane, wishing
     she would just go. She was making him think.
    And he was better off not thinking.
    Or feeling. Dammit.
    “We’ll figure this out,” she said.
    Her soft murmur punched a hole in his gut. “Why do you care anyway?”
    He saw an intriguing spark of irritation come and go in her eyes. “Because Ann’s more
     than an employee, she’s a friend.” She watched the cat crash his wiry body into her
     shins. “And maybe because I get the feeling there aren’t too many others you reach
     out to.”
    “You think I’m reaching out to you?” If she only knew how much, she’d be as surprised
     as he was.
    “Totally. Whether you realize it or not.” She looked around. “Okay, I’m going to look
     for the rhino, then let’s review what we know about Ann.” Without waiting for a response,
     she turned and walked through the garage door into the house.
    He followed and waited in the kitchen, listening to her poke around until the silence
     indicated she’d moved on to another room.
    He’d hurt her feelings. But when most women would’ve either flipped the bitch switch
     or subsided into an all-out pout, she hit back with a good dose of reason that made
     a man tuck his tail between his legs.
    The more sides of this woman he saw, the more he was charmed. And that kind of landmine
     he didn’t want.
    “Zack.”
    He hurried into Ann’s bedroom where Sloane stood holding a photograph, her face as
     gray as a corpse’s. “What’s wrong?”
    “What’s that on Ann’s sweater?”
    Her whisper raised the hair on the back of his neck.