Donovan's Child Read Online Free PDF Page A

Luisa’s.”
    â€œYou’ve been there before, then?”
    â€œWhat does it matter? I’m not going there now. And as for Chula Mesa, there is nothing in that dusty little burg that interests me in the least.”
    â€œMaybe you could just pretend to be interested.”
    â€œWhy would I do that?”
    â€œSometimes you have to pretend a little, Donovan. You might surprise yourself and find that you actually do enjoy what you’re pretending to enjoy.”
    â€œWhen it comes to Chula Mesa, I’m not willing topre tend. Wait. I’ll go further. I’m not willing to pretend anywhere. About anything.”
    She really did want to do violence to him. To grab his big shoulders and shake him, at least. To tell him to grow up. Snap out of it. Stop acting like a very bright, very spoiled child. She took a bite of prime rib, one of potato. Dipped an artichoke leaf in buttery sauce and carefully bit off the tender end.
    Donovan chuckled. “Fed up with me already, huh? I predict you’re out of here by morning.”
    Ben surprised her by coming to her defense. “Leave her alone, Donovan. Let her eat her dinner in peace.”
    Donovan’s manly jaw twitched. Twice. And then he grunted and picked up his fork.
    They ate the rest of the meal in bleak silence.
    When Abilene was finished, she dabbed at her lips with her snowy napkin, slid it in at the edge of her plate and stood. She spoke directly to Ben. “Would you tell the cook the food was excellent, please? I’ve had long day. Good night.”
    â€œI’ll tell him,” Ben replied pleasantly. “Sleep well.”
    â€œMy studio,” Donovan muttered. “Nine o’clock sharp. We have a lot of work to do.”
    She let a nod serve as her answer, and she left by the door to the interior hallway.
    In her rooms, she changed into sweats and then sat on the bed and did email for a while. The house had wireless internet.
    Really, it was kind of a miracle. Way out here, miles from nowhere, her cell worked fine and so did email and her web connection. She would have been impressed if she wasn’t so tired and disheartened.
    What she needed was sleep, but she felt restless, too.Unhappy and unsatisfied. All these months of waiting. For this.
    She knew if she got into bed, she would only lie there fuming, imagining any number of brutal ways to do physical harm to Donovan McRae.
    Eventually, she turned on the bedroom TV and flipped through the channels, settling on The History Channel, where she watched a rerun of Pawn Stars and then an episode of Life After People, which succeeded in making her feel even more depressed.
    Nothing like witnessing the great buildings of the world rot and fall into rubble after a so-enchanting evening with Donovan McRae. It could make a woman wonder if there was any point in going on.
    At a few minutes after ten, there was a tap on her sitting room door.
    It was Ben, holding two plates of something sinfully chocolate. “You left before dessert. No one makes flourless chocolate cake like Anton.”
    She took one of the plates and a fork and stepped aside. “Okay. Since there’s chocolate involved, you can come in.” She poked at the dollop of creamy white stuff beside the sinfully dark cake. “Crème fraîche?”
    â€œTry it.”
    She did. “Wonderful. Your boss may deserve slow torture and an agonizing death, but I have no complaints about the food.”
    They sat on the couch and ate without speaking until both of their plates were clean.
    â€œFeel better?” He set his plate on the coffee table.
    She put hers beside it. “I do. Much. Thank you.”
    Ben stared off toward the doors to the darkened courtyard. “I started working for him two years ago, beforethe accident on the mountain. At the time, I really liked him. He used to be charming. He honestly did.”
    â€œI know,” she answered gently. “I heard him speak