Demon Crossings Read Online Free PDF

busted. Do you want me to write down the directions to the highway? It’s not hard.”
    “No,” she told him, already regretting that she hadn’t taken him up on his unspoken offer. It was for the best, right? He was still a stranger. “I was thinking about stopping for a quick bite to eat before I headed out. Is there a diner somewhere close?”
    “Sure. What you want to do is turn right out of the driveway—”
    He started to turn away and before she could think it through, she blurted out, “Why don’t you come with me?” She hefted her purse higher on her shoulder, uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her. She hadn’t changed her mind if that was what he was asking with that lift to his eyebrows, but she wasn’t quite ready to say good-bye. That’s all. “I could buy you breakfast…you know, as a thank you.”
    “You don’t owe me anything.”
    “It’s never much fun eating alone, especially in a strange place. Honestly, you’d be doing me a favor.”
    The corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled, softening the edges of his hard face and making him look years younger. Her stomach flipped.
    “Let me jump in the shower quick. I’ll be down in ten.”
    He moved past her and she could smell coffee, wood dust and sweat. It shouldn’t have made her want to catch his arm and spin him around, press her nose to his skin, lick his neck. Her hand tightened on her purse strap before she could do any of those things, and she stepped back to let him pass, her hips hitting the edge of the counter.
    “Help yourself to whatever you need,” he called out and she blew out a pent breath when she heard his feet hit the stairs.
    Shoot. She hadn’t planned on having to wait for him when she’d made that impulsive offer. She should have known he’d need a shower. Losing herself in that mental image, she poured another cup of coffee, smiling at the rich scent curling up from the mug and the image of a naked, soapy Aiden behind steamed glass.
    It had been too long, she thought. She didn’t want to depress herself by taking the time to count exactly how long it had been since she’d slept with a man. That was all this was, sexual frustration finding an outlet in a casual flirtation. Nothing could ever come of it. She was on a job here, and Aiden might be connected to the case. All they could share was breakfast.
    She turned and leaned against the counter, closing her eyes and taking a sip of surprisingly good coffee. Iowa wasn’t so bad. She thought of Aiden, his old-fashioned manners and his work-hardened body. Clearly, there were compensations to living in the middle of farm country. She probably shouldn’t have offered to buy him breakfast. She should have gotten in her car and driven off, tracked down an address for Maia and called it in. But it was only breakfast, a simple way to say thank you, just a small delay. Not even a delay. Aiden would lead her directly to the diner Maia had just stepped into, maybe even give her an excuse to speak with the girl. After all, it was Aiden she’d seen through Maia’s eyes. And when was the last time she’d gone out to eat with someone? Other than Mike who kept telling her she needed to get out more.
    Grace passed through the living room, taking the time to look around. The room where the doctor had treated her last night was little more than an alcove. The other side was bigger with a fireplace filling part of the wall, another leather sofa with a coffee table that looked as if it was made out of old barn wood. Two upholstered chairs and a reading lamp were positioned under a big bay window.
    He’d tidied up, because the Oreos were nowhere in sight. There really wasn’t much fodder for snooping around. The only thing not put away was the rental case for a Star Trek movie. She paused when she saw a cluster of framed pictures on the mantel. Glancing over her shoulder, she stepped closer to check them out. The first one was a black and white of an older couple.