Darkest Love Read Online Free PDF

something completely different to women studying primitive women.”
    Rain, paused to let the words sink in. There were many Margaret Mead fans in the room, and many who believed he should not be permitted to observe women ever again–personally or professionally. “It raises many interesting questions. Does the anthropologist really tell you about the primitive culture when he writes? Or is he telling you more about himself?”
    Rain grinned. “Working together, we have a system of checks and balances. Working together, we arrive at the truth. And this truth we convey in turn to a popular audience–one that is more and more eager for our insights.” He raised the trophy. “Have a great night, people.”
    Rain gave Mandy another kiss before swooping off the stage, enjoying the thunderous applause and the smiles from the audience, even dirt-dress, who had swept the soil into a tidy pile on the red carpet.
    The speech had gone well. A bit fluffy, perhaps, but hey, it was the science popularization award. And the proceedings were being broadcast to all sorts of non-specialists.
    â€œYou were fantastic, Rain.” He kissed dirt-dress on her fingers before turning to another colleague: a Vassar woman who pulled him in for a hug. Rain tried not to spear her with the pointy trophy, and grinned as the bodies in the tables started to rise, giving him a standing ovation. A couple of cameras swooped in to get a shot of his face nestled on Miss Vassar’s shoulder, with the award nestled in the small on her back.
    Just above her shapely ass , Rain thought as cameras flashed and the smell of the woman’s peachy perfume reached his nose. It was probably a great shot. He’d have to take a look at it on the internet tomorrow.
    * * * *
    â€œOh, don’t be disappointed, Ann. You probably missed out by a whisker.”
    â€œLily, I am not disappointed,” Annie snapped as they rounded the pillars by the entrance of the New York Waldorf Astoria, heading for the car park. “Stop saying that.”
    Lily’s brown eyes widened. She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders, shivering in the wintery NY air. Annie could sympathize–it was a big adjustment for her, too, after Sivu.
    â€œAll right, don’t get your Spanx in a knot,” Lily deadpanned, pressing the clicker on her Peugeot so the beep sounded and the locks jumped up. Annie stuck her tongue out at her friend, trying to look casual but beginning to have regrets about bringing Lily instead of her family. Her high school best friend–and fellow Columbia science grad–knew all her secrets, including her crush on Rain Mistern and the fact she always wore Spanx to awards nights.
    â€œSorry, Annie,” Lily offered as Annie slid into the passenger seat, tipsy from the three cocktails she had downed after Rain’s speech. It was not fair of him to look so delicious on stage: to flash that smile. To raise his trophy to the roof with the sexiest look in his eyes. His blazer sort of rearranged itself around his muscles as he stood in triumph, tightening around the gorgeous body Annie had seen naked.
    â€œNo problem, Lily.”
    â€œNo, I’m really sorry. I know it’s a bit of a rollercoaster with Rain. That was bitchy of me.”
    â€œIt wasn’t,” Annie snapped again as her friend started the engine and pulled out of the car park, thankfully sober. “I’m just sick of you saying that.”
    â€œIt’s ok to admit it hurts you.”
    â€œIt doesn’t.” Annie’s voice rose up shrill on ‘doesn’t’, ruining her effort to sound just casually irritated. “And there’s no rollercoaster with me and Rain. It’s just not on. I am not his girlfriend. Never have been.”
    They drove in silence. The more Annie thought about it the more she fumed. Was Lily pushing the issue because she wanted to hear the details? People love to hear about