Hands On Read Online Free PDF Page A

looking at me like that?”
    â€œThat ring you have on your finger, are you married?”
    She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. “I borrowed it from our client.”
    â€œThink she’ll lend it to you for another week?”
    â€œWhy?”
    He looked at the card again. “Do you know how friggin’ perfect this is?”
    â€œWhy?” she repeated, concern raising her voice.
    â€œWhy what?”
    â€œKnock it off, Styles. I want a straight answer.”
    â€œOh, honey.” He slid an arm around her and smiled. “If we’re going to be married, you’re gonna have to call me Dalton.”

3
    C ASSIE SLAPPED at the nightstand, trying to find the alarm. The buzzer screamed relentlessly, until she finally opened one eye and shut the darn thing off.
    She checked the time, blinking twice to clear the foggy blur…two-thirty.
    Sunlight streamed through her apartment blinds. Okay, so it was afternoon. She knew that.
    Yawning and stretching, she tried to focus on the ceiling. Afternoon naps were a rarity for her, but after two sleepless nights she hadn’t had much choice. Especially with her big adventure coming up in…
    She glanced at the clock again—two-thirty-two. She groaned and rolled over to the edge of the bed. Dalton was picking her up in an hour and a half, and she hadn’t even packed yet. Not that she had to take much—T-shirts, shorts, jeans, maybe one casual dress.
    Darn it, but she wished she’d talked to Bask herself and not had to rely on Dalton for information about the week they’d spend at Back to Basics. She’d actually tried calling Bask herself after talking to Dalton, but all she got was a recording.
    Dalton Styles. The proverbial tall, dark and handsome, with his sable-brown hair and chocolate-browneyes. And sexy as all get-out with that strong chin that needed a shave. And holy cow! What a kisser!
    She exhaled and shoved off the bed, thinking about how hot and insistent his mouth had been two days ago. More than one dream about him picking her up and carrying her away had messed with her sleep.
    Good thing he annoyed the hell out of her or the next week would be impossible.
    She got out the duffel bag she’d used during her college days. After four years of college plus another one in graduate school before she’d called it quits, the bag had taken a beating. Certainly not appropriate luggage for Mrs. Dalton Styles III. Maybe she ought to make him spring for a pricey Louis Vuitton garment bag.
    The thought made her smile. Let him try to bury that in his expense account.
    She didn’t smile for long. The luggage really was a problem. And since she’d been so busy working and hadn’t taken many trips, she hadn’t needed anything more. But of course, now that she was a full-fledged investigator, she’d probably have more out-of-town assignments.
    The idea warmed her. The traveling part, she could honestly do without. She was Texas born and bred, and she liked it here just fine. But that she was actually flying solo now, and not just working as Chet’s assistant, forced to play the dumb blonde when it suited his case, made her giddy with excitement.
    The phone interrupted her musings and she staredat it with the oddest combination of dread and disappointment. Was it Dalton? Had plans changed?
    After it rang two more times, she snatched it up before the answering machine came on. “Hello?”
    â€œCassie, it’s Jennifer.”
    Cassie cringed. She’d left a message for her boss this morning, hoping she wouldn’t get it until after Cassie was gone. “Hey, Jen.”
    â€œThis message you left me about Marianne’s case… I don’t think I understand it.”
    Cassie sighed. “You probably do. I’m going undercover.”
    Jennifer laughed. “What do you mean ‘undercover’?”
    That hurt. Of course Jen didn’t mean anything.