Cursed by Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

eyes met, and bam ! There were the echoes of
desire she’d hoped had vanished.
    Her heart plunged into a dip and dive
that rivaled the biggest roller coaster at Kings Island. She shivered with the
strangest premonition—like some kind of instant karma had clicked into place
between them, something that would bind them and link them together.
    Forever.
    Ridiculous! Shake it off.
    But her breath caught, and her heart
rate accelerated just the same.
    No relationship or emotional connection
was ever that straightforward, she knew from firsthand experience. As much as
she’d like to believe it, nothing was written in the stars.
    Forever rarely meant ‘til death do us
part.’ In Molly’s own personal Get-Over-It Dictionary , forever only
promised tonight, maybe tomorrow, possibly next week, or until one partner or
the other got bored, tired of being tied down, or developed a wandering eye.
    Just ask her former fiancé William about
forever.
    Just ask her father and mother.
    Nope, Molly sure didn’t believe in
forever anymore. But right now, with Gabe’s gaze locked with hers, ‘tonight and
maybe tomorrow’ shimmered with possibilities.
    Gabe pocketed his phone and shut down
her wayward thoughts. “Thanks. I’ll give you a call.”
    Out of the corner of her eye, she
noticed Bert bearing down on them. With an abrupt nod, she lifted her bag,
slipped the straps over her shoulder, hugged the tote against her, and headed
for the exit.
    Slinging the strap of his computer bag
across his shoulder, Gabe fell into step beside her. “Where are you parked?”
    Molly glanced at him sideways. Oh, yeah,
it was much better having him out of her direct line of sight. Easier to think
straight.
    And straight-thinking lead her directly
to suspicion. Just how trustworthy is this guy?
    She knew virtually nothing about him.
But for the time being, they did have this one enormous common interest. And
everyone in the auditorium had been witness to their meeting. His open, honest
expression convinced her to take a chance.
    “The garage across Elm.”
    “Me, too.” He held the door, and she
emerged from the stuffy, crowded Convention Center into the welcome coolness of
the early spring air. “I’ll walk with you to safeguard our joint property.”
    “Right.” How could she object? Down by
the river, fans cheered at Great American Ball Park, followed by the boom of
fireworks cascading against the dusky sky. Her dad had said he’d be at the
game. “Sounds like a homerun.”
    “Go Reds,” Gabe said, with a pump of his
fist.
    She cuddled her tote like a baby,
pulling in a deep breath of river-scented air. Gabe carried his bag with
kid-glove care, too.
    “I’m still in shock.” He shook his head.
“How about you?”
    “That pretty much describes it. I had no
idea what I had in my hands when I walked in there this afternoon, did you?”
    “Not a clue.”
    “Why’d you bring in your half?”
    They stopped at the corner to wait for
the light to change. She tapped her foot, eager to get moving, stealing another
glance at him, looking away and back again, kidding herself that she had any
control over her insane reaction to him.
    “My
grandfather.” Gabe’s mouth quirked up on one side, a movement that could have
been delight or exasperation, maybe a little of both. “He watches the show
religiously, and once he’s made up his mind, he can take stubborn to a whole
new level. He wanted me to bring the jade here to get it evaluated. And despite
all my objections, somehow he got his way. What about you?”
    “Curiosity, mostly. My grandmother died
a few months ago. When my mother and I went through her house, there was all
kinds of cool stuff packed away in her attic. The jade caught my interest
because I had no idea what it was, how old it was, or even what it symbolized.”
She remembered the adults-only theme. “Still, I’m glad I brought in something
so unusual. So unique.”
    “So erotic.” His purely masculine smile
set her