Give Him the Slip Read Online Free PDF Page A

"It was rude
of me, trespassing on your boat, drinking your beer. Sleeping in your
bed."
    Actually, she'd slept in the guest bed. Had she been sleeping in
his bed, those redheaded dreams of his might have evolved into something beyond
fantasy.
    "I'd been driving all night, and everything just caught up
with me."
    "Hey, no problem." Luke waved a magnanimous hand. "Mi casa flotante es su casa flotante. So, you want something to
drink?"
    "A bottle of water would be good."
    Luke ducked into the galley and grabbed a couple bottles of water.
As he shut the refrigerator door, movement in the window captured his
attention. When he caught the swing of her hips, right at eye level as she
twisted to dry herself, he hesitated.
    Maddie Kincaid was hot. Long, tall, and centerfold curvy. He'd
always had a thing for redheads, and her thick, wavy hair was a rich, vibrant
auburn streaked with strands of gold. Those brown eyes of hers were big enough
for a man to drown in, and the fullness of her lips gave a guy some downright
earthy ideas.
    Bet she'd be a firebrand in bed.
    Don't go there. Do not go there. He
dropped his chin to his chest and gave his head a shake. The woman was lying to
him. She had secrets. Just because he felt a little bad since he'd
unintentionally frightened her didn't mean he should be stupid. He couldn't
forget who'd sent her here, or that she'd come looking for a DEA agent—rarely a
good sign.
    No, he needed to get her to open up, to discover what nonsense his
old man had cooked up this time around.
    Since interrogation hadn't worked, maybe he should try being nice
to her. Maybe he should turn on the charm.
    Luke pondered the idea for a long moment, then nodded. Okay, he
could do nice. Being nice didn't mean being stupid. Didn't mean he'd start
thinking with his johnson instead of with his brain.
    That part of him stirred a bit, as if to prove a point to the
contrary, and Luke shifted his weight. No way, pal. Forget it. You are SOL.
    Being nice didn't mean he'd trust her, either. He was smarter than
that. He'd keep his gun handy, keep one eye open. He wouldn't get distracted
from the goal.
    On his way outside, he caught sight of the goldfish once again
swimming in its bowl. Had she filled that bowl with water from his system? Must
have. Stupid woman. Chemicals in the water would kill that fish. Luke grabbed a
jug of distilled water Terry had kept for the battery of his old truck and
saved the goldfish's life.
    Back on deck, he saw that she'd wrapped the beach towel around
herself, and with her bounties concealed, he breathed a little easier. Pasting
on a friendly smile, he handed her the water. "Feel free to grab a dry
shirt and shorts from the dresser in my room. In fact, you can take a shower if
you want. I'm gonna rustle up some supper and it'll take awhile, so don't feel
like you need to rush."
    "A freshwater shower?" she asked, perking up.
    "Yep. I think there's some girl stuff in the cabinet in the
other bathroom, too. Fruity shampoo and lotions."
    Luke couldn't miss the relief in Maddie Kincaid's eyes as she beat
a hasty retreat to the head, and he concluded that his suspicions had been
right on the mark. The woman wasn't in any hurry to answer his questions and
finish her story. Why?
    Why should you care?
    The thought came out of nowhere, and Luke blinked in surprise.
    Well. Hmm. Why should he care?
    Staring at the doorway through which she'd disappeared, he blew
out a long breath and gave the question serious consideration. She'd come
looking for a DEA agent, but she wasn't screaming her innocence. In Luke's
experience, an innocent woman would have thrown herself down on the deck rather
than overboard, begging for his help and answering any question he posed. No,
she was damn sure guilty of something.
    He didn't, however, think she'd been sent by a Colombian cartel or
the Miami coke ring he and Terry had busted.
    Luke turned away and crossed to the railing, where he stared out
across the moody bayou, his